Best Known As: Television Actor

Gist:  Rose Arianna McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress best known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB TV series Charmed, and the cult film The Doom Generation. She has also appeared in several major Hollywood films, with leading roles in Jawbreaker and the Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez double-feature Grindhouse, and a supporting role in Scream. McGowan was until recently the co-host of TCM's film-series program, The Essentials; in the most recent season, Alec Baldwin has replaced her as co-host.

Life Facts:  McGowan, the second-eldest of six children (plus two half-siblings), was born in Florence, Italy, the daughter of Terri, an American writer of French descent, and Daniel McGowan, an artist of Irish descent. Daniel McGowan ran an Italian chapter of the Children of God to which both he and his wife held membership until 1978. when they divorced. She subsequently relocated to Oregon and then to Gig Harbor, Washington, where she also met childhood friend Rey-Phillip Santos. McGowan did not speak English until she moved to the U.S.

McGowan's formative years were spent with her father in Seattle, Washington, attending Roosevelt High School and Nova Alternative High School. At the age of 15, she officially emancipated herself from her parents. McGowan pursued a possible career in the film industry during her late teens, and also enrolled in a beauty school as a back-up.

McGowan used to live in Seattle, Washington, but currently resides in Los Angeles, California. She was in a very public three and a half-year relationship with rock musician Marilyn Manson. After a formal engagement lasting two years, McGowan ended the relationship over "lifestyle differences." Prior to the release of Grindhouse, there was speculation that McGowan was dating married director Robert Rodriguez. In May 2007, it was reported that they confirmed their relationship while appearing hand-in-hand at the Cannes Film Festival. On October 12, 2007 it was announced by Zap2it.com that McGowan was engaged to Rodriguez. They are planning to wed in 2009.

McGowan has admitted to sleepwalking as a child. "The weirdest spot I ever woke up was a snow bank in Montreal. Now I just speak Italian in my sleep." McGowan also suffers from agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder.

McGowan is known as an activist for Boston Terriers. She herself has two, Bug and Fester, and has personally donated to various Boston rescues. McGowan reportedly encouraged friends to donate to [ Boston Terrier Rescue Net], and according to BTRN: "Having fallen in love with Bug and Fester, her friends donated generously. It amounted to a considerable contribution, which will go a long way in helping BTRN and the needy volunteers who selflessly give to deserving Bostons."

According to an article in the New York Post, McGowan suffered serious injuries in a car accident early in 2007. Riding as a passenger, her car was struck by another vehicle and the force of the impact drove her eyeglasses into her face. McGowan is quoted as saying, "I didn't realize I was hurt until I put my hand to my face and felt the flap of skin. My glasses had sliced me under my eye." After obtaining the services of a plastic surgeon, McGowan is reported to be suffering no long-lasting consequences from the incident.

Of her acting method, McGowan said "I'm not really one of those people who goes and writes some big backstory and agonizes over characters...For me personally, it's just kind of more instinctive. But I don't have kind of an acting background. I fell into it accidentally."

Career Facts:  McGowan made her first appearance in a Hollywood film with a bit role in the 1992 Pauly Shore comedy Encino Man. Her role in the 1995 dark comedy The Doom Generation brought her to the attention of film critics, and she received a nomination for "Best Debut Performance" at the 1996 Independent Spirit Awards. McGowan was subsequently cast in a supporting role in the 1996 hit horror film Scream.

McGowan spent the majority of the 1990s appearing in a variety of independent films, including roles in Southie, Going All the Way, and Lewis & Clark & George. In 1997, she appeared in the critically acclaimed short Seed, directed by San Francisco-born filmmaker Karin Thayer, and played opposite Peter O'Toole in the 1998 film adaptation of the Dean Koontz novel Phantoms. Notably, McGowan also starred in the 1999 comedy Jawbreaker, where she played a snooty high school student who tries to cover up a classmate's murder. That role earned McGowan a nomination for Best Villain at the 1999 MTV Movie Awards.

In 2001, McGowan was cast as Paige Matthews in the popular The WB television series Charmed, as a replacement lead actress after Shannen Doherty's departure from the show. She was offered to be a producer after the seventh season, but turned it down. The series ended its run on May 21, 2006.

In May 2005, McGowan portrayed actress/singer Ann-Margret in Elvis, a Golden Globe-winning CBS mini-series about the life of Elvis Presley. That same year, she lent her voice to the video game Darkwatch as a femme fatale named Tala. The game was published by Capcom for PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

In 2006, McGowan had a brief role in Brian De Palma's Academy Award-nominated film The Black Dahlia. The following year, she starred in the Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez double-feature Grindhouse, released on April 6, 2007. Cast in utterly divergent roles, McGowan appears in both portions of the film, as go-go dancing Cherry Darling in Planet Terror, and as Pam in Death Proof. McGowan attended the 60th Annual Cannes Film Festival to promote Death Proof along with Robert Rodriguez, Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms, Zoe Bell, and Quentin Tarantino.

According to Variety, McGowan signed on to play B-movie staple Susan Cabot in the upcoming film Black Oasis. Director Stephan Elliott (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) has penned and will direct the film based on a Premiere article by John H. Richardson. The film has currently been placed on hold.

McGowan was a co-host with Robert Osborne on TCM's film-series program The Essentials, on which a classic Hollywood film is shown every week. McGowan was on the show for the 2008 season before being replaced by Alec Baldwin.

In 2007, McGowan was cast in Fifty Dead Men Walking. When in production, the movie was first titled Man on the Run but is now officially called Fifty Dead Men Walking. Filming began in Northern Ireland later in October 2007 and went on until December 2007. A release is expected for October 2008.

Elle Magazine originally reported that Rose McGowan has been signed to play the title role in the future remake of Barbarella, fending off strong competition from other actresses including Sienna Miller. The film is to be directed by Robert Rodriguez and to involve close friend Quentin Tarantino as a member of the crew. Following rumours suggesting that Universal Studios had stopped funding the film as they were unconvinced McGowan could carry such an iconic role, the actress confirmed on MTV that the comments were untrue and unfounded and that the film was still in production. On May 5 2009, it was officially confirmed by Robert Rodriguez on MTV News, that Barbarella would not go into production due to filming location difficulties, even though a lot of planning had already been completed.

In June 2008, USA Today reported that McGowan had been signed to play the title role in a third project with Robert Rodriguez (who takes on the role of the film's producer), known as Red Sonja. It is based on the comic book character of the same name, which was inspired by a character named Red Sonya (with a "y") originally created in 1934 by Robert E. Howard. It is to be directed by Douglas Aarniokoski and has a release date of 2010. Rodriguez described the protagonist as "whip-smart...sexy and extremely strong."