Biography

One of five children*, McGowan was a citizen of the world at an early age. Born September 5, 1973 in Italy to French mother (writer, who now works for Microsoft) and Irish father (artist), she spent her childhood traveling throughout Europe and was raised in a cult her father ran in Italy called the Children of God Cult. When she was 10 her father left her mother for the nanny. Her parents divorced and Rose went to live with her grandmother in Gig Harbor, Washington, bouncing between her mother and father. “It didn’t really mess me up being raised in a commune. It was a really idyllic part of my life. I mean, I grew up surrounded by rolling fields and playing in castles that had been cannonballed in the 14th century. What messed me up was moving to the States.” At age of 15, Rose legally emancipated herself from her parents.

Rose's film debut is in 1992's Encino Man, in which she has a small role playing Nora. A chance trip to Los Angeles resulted in her being cast in the film The Doom Generation. Her performance in Gregg Araki's dark and stylish road movie earned her a nomination for Best Newcomer at the 1996 Independent Spirit Awards. Also in 1996, Rose appeared in Wes Craven's smash hit Scream as Sydney's (Neve Campbell) doomed best friend who met with an unseemly death under a garage door.

Since this auspicious debut, McGowan has worked non-stop. In 1997, she had the distinction of starring in four films appearing at the Sundance Film Festival: Going All the Way, Lewis & Clark & George, cameo role in Nowhere and the short film Seed. In 1998, Rose starred with Ben Affleck and Peter O'Toole in the feature thriller Phantoms and in the independent film Southie, which won Best Picture at the 2000 Seattle Film Festival.

Rose McGowan met the shock-rocker Marilyn Manson aka Brian warner in late 1997, at the premiere of Gummo. Manson had just moved to Hollywood and said, "The only person I want to meet is Rose McGowan." She had a boyfriend at the time but was unhappy in that relationship so she ended it. Not long after Rose and Manson started dating she moved in with him. On February 12, 1999, in a bathtub surrounded by candles Manson asked Rose to marry him. Rose announced her engagement on Howard Stern's radio show on February 16, 1999. They never set a date but did buy a house together. On January 2001, Rose announced her relationship to Manson was over. "There is great love, but our lifestyle difference is, unfortunately, even greater,'' she said in a statement announcing the couple are breaking off their nearly two-year engagement.

Rose is currently dating the Men's Health magazine editor in chief David Zinczenko, who she recently met at a Bruce Springsteen concert in Las Vegas. "Springsteen concerts can be extremely long, and I was very hungry. I found myself on line at the concession stand and - typical actress - I had no money on me. David was standing behind me, and I just turned and said, 'I'm sorry, do you have any money I can borrow? I need peanuts desperately.' So he ponied up for some peanuts, and we've been hanging out ever since."

Recent starring roles for miss Rose include the 1999 dark comedy Jawbreaker, about three high school girls who conspire to cover up the accidental murder of their friend. McGowan was also seen in Monkeybone, co-starring Brendan Fraser (who also played the lead in Encino Man) and in the flop Ready to Rumble, a comedy about two wrestling fans. "Yep, I have made some bad films. But unlike Kate Hudson or Gwyneth Paltrow I didn't grow up in Hollywood, with stability and wealth and all my needs were catered to. I came here trying to survive. I couldn't afford to make worthy, artistic movies for no money. I had to pay the rent", says Rose, who now wishes to erase these movies from her memory.

In 2001 Rose joined the cast of Charmed, playing Paige, the long-lost sister of the Charmed ones - Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) and Piper (Holly Marie Combs). Short after she shocked the public by dying her trademark of long pitch black hair to a strawberry blonde bob. "I was tired of looking like myself," she said. It took her 12 hours, two bottles of lightener and a box of red hair dye to get the new look.

She will next star in the independent film Vacuums which was co-written and will be directed by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, the duo that created the Broadway hit Stomp. Her contract with Charmed ends after the next (7th season), we will see what kind of works the future brings in for this dazzling and beautiful actress!