Jessica Lee Rose
Encyclopedia
Jessica Lee Rose is an American
-New Zealand
actress who first gained popularity after playing the role of lonelygirl15
.
In June 2006, Rose debuted as lonelygirl15, a fictional teenage homeschooled character named Bree who appeared in many video blogs on the popular video-sharing website YouTube
. The mystery surrounding the possible fictionality of her character led to an outing by the Los Angeles Times
which thrust her into the mainstream spotlight. In 2007, Rose won a Webby
for this role.
After Bree was killed off lonelygirl15 in August 2007, Rose played "Jen K." on ABC Family's Greek
. She went on to appear in various movies, such as Perfect Sport and SyFy
's Ghost Town, and other web series, such as Hooking Up and Sorority Forever
. She signed on to do the independent movie 'Look At Me' with her 'Lonelygirl15' Co-Star Yousef Abu Taleb in March 2010.
and moved to Mount Maunganui
, Bay of Plenty
in New Zealand when she was eight. She attended Mount Maunganui College
in 2000-2003 for part of her secondary school education. Afterward she attended an acting class at Studio 111 in Auckland
. In January 2004, she moved to Auckland to study at the Academy of Film and Television Make Up.
During the course of her studies, Rose's film career included doing make-up and costume work on a New Zealand short film
titled Us, as well as doing extras' make-up on the set of Peter Jackson
's King Kong
. She played a leading role in a short film titled Dearly Beloved and played a supporting role in the short film Unleash the Fury.
After Rose's parents separated, she returned to Salisbury in May 2005 to live with her father. She then enrolled in the New York Film Academy
(NYFA) at Universal Studios
in Universal City, California
. After graduating in April 2006, Rose lived in Los Angeles, California
. In her search for acting jobs, she found a listing for an independent film project The Children of Anchor Cove on Craigslist
. She auditioned for the lead part and was offered the role of Bree. Rose signed a non-disclosure agreement and was told that the project would consist of a series of videos released to the World Wide Web over the Internet. The idea concerned her at first, as she was afraid the project was pornography
, but she was convinced otherwise and agreed to partake. Although initially unpaid, as lonelygirl15 grew popular, she and co-star Yousef Abu-Taleb
received salaries.
The lonelygirl15 video blogs, which first appeared in mid-2006, featured Rose as a 16-year-old girl named Bree posting under the alias lonelygirl15. The videos, which seemed genuine and presented lonelygirl15 as an actual person, initially dealt with typical teenage angst issues but soon after introduced a bizarre narrative surrounding secret occult practices within her family. The series was an immediate hit and became the most subscribed channel on YouTube but suspicions arose as to whether the videos were genuine or some sort of a promotional gimmick. An investigation by the Los Angeles Times
would reveal the lonelygirl15 videos as a work of fiction. A firestorm ensued in the news media through September 2006 during which Jessica Rose and the creators of lonelygirl15 gained international attention and were interviewed by various magazines and television shows. In October 2006, the United Nations
chose Rose via her character Bree to participate in an ad campaign to promote the UN's antipoverty cause.
On August 3, 2007, Bree was killed off, and Rose landed a role on Greek
as "Jen K.", Rusty Cartwright's girlfriend. On the show, her character referenced the actress's breakout role stating "It's like I'm living with lonelygirl15!"
"Weeping Willow", a sixth season episode of the television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent
, was inspired by the lonelygirl15 videos.
, which starred Lindsay Lohan
. She then played "Tina," an aspiring wrestler, in the award-winning sports drama Perfect Sport. In January 2009, Rose appeared in the music video for The White Tie Affair
's song "Candle (Sick and Tired)," and the following October, she appeared in the Syfy
television movie, Ghost Town.
On April 4, 2008, it was announced that she would star in a web television
series called Blood Cell about "a young woman [who] must race against the clock to stop a sadistic madman after receiving a disturbing late-night phone call from a friend in danger." The series was released in October 2009 through theWB.com to little media fanfare. She also starred in another web series called Sorority Forever
from Big Fantastic
, the creators of Prom Queen
. The series followed three incoming freshman in "the hottest sorority on campus" with some Gossip Girl
and Veronica Mars
elements to it. Additionally, she appeared in Hooking Up, a 10 episode web series
from HBO featuring other recognized faces from the web including video bloggers sxePhil
and KevJumba.
In November, 2008, Rose teamed up with friend and fellow Sorority Forever
star Taryn Southern
to form a web production company called Webutantes, to potentially produce female-driven comedy web series. The two presented together at the 2009 Streamy Awards
.
In 2009, Rose appeared in the web series Poor Paul
, which is produced by former lonelygirl15 co-star Yousef Abu-Taleb
and the second season of the web series The Crew. Aside from acting, she is an Anaheim Ducks
fan and periodically blogs for NHL.com.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
actress who first gained popularity after playing the role of lonelygirl15
Lonelygirl15
lonelygirl15 was an interactive web-based video series which began in June 2006 and ran through to August 1, 2008. Developed under the working title The Children of Anchor Cove, the show gained worldwide media attention when it was outed as fictional in September 2006.-Overview:lonelygirl15...
.
In June 2006, Rose debuted as lonelygirl15, a fictional teenage homeschooled character named Bree who appeared in many video blogs on the popular video-sharing website YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. The mystery surrounding the possible fictionality of her character led to an outing by the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
which thrust her into the mainstream spotlight. In 2007, Rose won a Webby
Webby Awards
A Webby Award is an international award presented annually by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences for excellence on the Internet with categories in websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile....
for this role.
After Bree was killed off lonelygirl15 in August 2007, Rose played "Jen K." on ABC Family's Greek
Greek (TV series)
Greek is an American comedy-drama television series, which follows students of the fictional Cyprus-Rhodes University , located in Ohio, who participate in the school's Greek system...
. She went on to appear in various movies, such as Perfect Sport and SyFy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
's Ghost Town, and other web series, such as Hooking Up and Sorority Forever
Sorority Forever
Sorority Forever is a web television series created and produced by web production company Big Fantastic, the creators of SamHas7Friends and Prom Queen. Film director McG is an executive producer of the show...
. She signed on to do the independent movie 'Look At Me' with her 'Lonelygirl15' Co-Star Yousef Abu Taleb in March 2010.
Early life
Rose was born in Salisbury, MarylandSalisbury, Maryland
-Demographics:Salisbury is the principal city of the Salisbury-Ocean Pines CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Salisbury metropolitan area and the Ocean Pines micropolitan area , which had a combined population of 176,657 at the 2010 census.As of the census of 2000, there were...
and moved to Mount Maunganui
Mount Maunganui
Mount Maunganui is a town in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, located on a peninsula to the north of Tauranga. It was independent from Tauranga until the completion of the Tauranga Harbour Bridge in 1988....
, Bay of Plenty
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
in New Zealand when she was eight. She attended Mount Maunganui College
Mount Maunganui College
Mount Maunganui College is a co-educational state school located in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, near Mt Maunganui Intermediate. It was established in 1958, the same year that Tauranga College was split into Tauranga Boys' College and Tauranga Girls' College...
in 2000-2003 for part of her secondary school education. Afterward she attended an acting class at Studio 111 in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. In January 2004, she moved to Auckland to study at the Academy of Film and Television Make Up.
During the course of her studies, Rose's film career included doing make-up and costume work on a New Zealand short film
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
titled Us, as well as doing extras' make-up on the set of Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
's King Kong
King Kong (2005 film)
King Kong is a 2005 fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson. It is a remake of the 1933 film of the same name and stars Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody. Andy Serkis, through performance capture, portrays Kong....
. She played a leading role in a short film titled Dearly Beloved and played a supporting role in the short film Unleash the Fury.
After Rose's parents separated, she returned to Salisbury in May 2005 to live with her father. She then enrolled in the New York Film Academy
New York Film Academy
New York Film Academy - School of Film and Acting is a film school andacting school based in New York City, Universal City, California, USA and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. NYFA offers short-term film-making and acting courses, as well as one- and two-year conservatory and Master of Fine Arts...
(NYFA) at Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
in Universal City, California
Universal City, California
Universal City is a community in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, that encompasses the 415 acre property of Universal Studios...
. After graduating in April 2006, Rose lived in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. In her search for acting jobs, she found a listing for an independent film project The Children of Anchor Cove on Craigslist
Craigslist
Craigslist is a centralized network of online communities featuring free online classified advertisements, with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums....
. She auditioned for the lead part and was offered the role of Bree. Rose signed a non-disclosure agreement and was told that the project would consist of a series of videos released to the World Wide Web over the Internet. The idea concerned her at first, as she was afraid the project was pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
, but she was convinced otherwise and agreed to partake. Although initially unpaid, as lonelygirl15 grew popular, she and co-star Yousef Abu-Taleb
Yousef Abu-Taleb
Yousef Abu-Taleb is an American actor and producer of half-Arab, one-quarter English, and one-quarter white American heritage...
received salaries.
YouTube fame
The lonelygirl15 video blogs, which first appeared in mid-2006, featured Rose as a 16-year-old girl named Bree posting under the alias lonelygirl15. The videos, which seemed genuine and presented lonelygirl15 as an actual person, initially dealt with typical teenage angst issues but soon after introduced a bizarre narrative surrounding secret occult practices within her family. The series was an immediate hit and became the most subscribed channel on YouTube but suspicions arose as to whether the videos were genuine or some sort of a promotional gimmick. An investigation by the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
would reveal the lonelygirl15 videos as a work of fiction. A firestorm ensued in the news media through September 2006 during which Jessica Rose and the creators of lonelygirl15 gained international attention and were interviewed by various magazines and television shows. In October 2006, the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
chose Rose via her character Bree to participate in an ad campaign to promote the UN's antipoverty cause.
On August 3, 2007, Bree was killed off, and Rose landed a role on Greek
Greek (TV series)
Greek is an American comedy-drama television series, which follows students of the fictional Cyprus-Rhodes University , located in Ohio, who participate in the school's Greek system...
as "Jen K.", Rusty Cartwright's girlfriend. On the show, her character referenced the actress's breakout role stating "It's like I'm living with lonelygirl15!"
"Weeping Willow", a sixth season episode of the television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
, was inspired by the lonelygirl15 videos.
Post-YouTube career
After her departure from lonelygirl15, Rose was signed by United Talent Agency and was cast in the ABC Family series 'Greek' in the role of 'Jen K' and the 2007 Chris Sivertson film I Know Who Killed MeI Know Who Killed Me
I Know Who Killed Me is a 2007 American horror-thriller film directed by Chris Sivertson and starring Lindsay Lohan.-Plot:The quiet suburb of New Salem is being terrorized by a serial killer who abducts and tortures young women, holding them captive for weeks before murdering them...
, which starred Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
. She then played "Tina," an aspiring wrestler, in the award-winning sports drama Perfect Sport. In January 2009, Rose appeared in the music video for The White Tie Affair
The White Tie Affair
The White Tie Affair is a pop rock/electronica band from Chicago, Illinois. The members consist of: Sean-P , Chris Wallace , Tim McLaughlin and Ryan McLain . In early 2007, the band signed with Epic Records/Slightly Dangerous and released their debut album, Walk This Way in April 2008...
's song "Candle (Sick and Tired)," and the following October, she appeared in the Syfy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
television movie, Ghost Town.
On April 4, 2008, it was announced that she would star in a web television
Web television
Web television, also commonly referred to as web TV, not to be confused with WebTV, Internet television or catch up TV, is an emerging genre of digital entertainment that is distinct from traditional broadcast television...
series called Blood Cell about "a young woman [who] must race against the clock to stop a sadistic madman after receiving a disturbing late-night phone call from a friend in danger." The series was released in October 2009 through theWB.com to little media fanfare. She also starred in another web series called Sorority Forever
Sorority Forever
Sorority Forever is a web television series created and produced by web production company Big Fantastic, the creators of SamHas7Friends and Prom Queen. Film director McG is an executive producer of the show...
from Big Fantastic
Big Fantastic
Big Fantastic, LLC is a production company located in Santa Monica, California which creates, develops and produces online video entertainment. The company is currently most known for their two popular web series Sam Has 7 Friends and Prom Queen...
, the creators of Prom Queen
Prom Queen (internet series)
Prom Queen is the first web television series produced by former Walt Disney CEO Michael Eisner's new production company Vuguru and the returning web television production company Big Fantastic, the creators of Sam Has 7 Friends...
. The series followed three incoming freshman in "the hottest sorority on campus" with some Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
and Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars is an American television series created by Rob Thomas. The series premiered on September 22, 2004, during television network UPN's final two years, and ended on May 22, 2007, after a season on UPN's successor, The CW Television Network. Veronica Mars was produced by Warner Bros...
elements to it. Additionally, she appeared in Hooking Up, a 10 episode web series
Web series
A web series is a series of episodes released on the Internet or also by mobile or cellular phone, and part of the newly emerging medium called web television. A single instance of a web series program is called an episode .While the popularity of web series is continuing to rise, the concept...
from HBO featuring other recognized faces from the web including video bloggers sxePhil
Philip DeFranco
Philip "Phil" DeFranco , also known as PhillyD or by one of his YouTube usernames "sxephil", is an American video blogger, YouTube celebrity and motivational speaker...
and KevJumba.
In November, 2008, Rose teamed up with friend and fellow Sorority Forever
Sorority Forever
Sorority Forever is a web television series created and produced by web production company Big Fantastic, the creators of SamHas7Friends and Prom Queen. Film director McG is an executive producer of the show...
star Taryn Southern
Taryn Southern
Taryn Southern is an American singer, actress and comedian. She was part of American Idol season three's Top 50. Southern gained national attention with her video Hot4Hill during the 2008 Presidential race...
to form a web production company called Webutantes, to potentially produce female-driven comedy web series. The two presented together at the 2009 Streamy Awards
Streamy Awards
The Streamy Awards, popularly known as the Streamys, are presented annually by the International Academy of Web Television to recognize excellence in the arts and science of web television production, including directing, acting, producing, and writing. The formal ceremony at which the awards are...
.
In 2009, Rose appeared in the web series Poor Paul
Poor Paul
Poor Paul is a sex comedy and politically incorrect web series that stars Kevin G. Schmidt, Samantha Droke, Wes Whitworth and Zack Bennett...
, which is produced by former lonelygirl15 co-star Yousef Abu-Taleb
Yousef Abu-Taleb
Yousef Abu-Taleb is an American actor and producer of half-Arab, one-quarter English, and one-quarter white American heritage...
and the second season of the web series The Crew. Aside from acting, she is an Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
fan and periodically blogs for NHL.com.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | OpAphid | Bree (voice) | Episode: "Everyone Hates Cassie: What a Poor, Lonely Girl." |
| 2006–2007 | Lonelygirl15 Lonelygirl15 lonelygirl15 was an interactive web-based video series which began in June 2006 and ran through to August 1, 2008. Developed under the working title The Children of Anchor Cove, the show gained worldwide media attention when it was outed as fictional in September 2006.-Overview:lonelygirl15... |
Bree | 150 episodes |
| 2007 | I Know Who Killed Me I Know Who Killed Me I Know Who Killed Me is a 2007 American horror-thriller film directed by Chris Sivertson and starring Lindsay Lohan.-Plot:The quiet suburb of New Salem is being terrorized by a serial killer who abducts and tortures young women, holding them captive for weeks before murdering them... |
Marcia | |
| 2007–2008 | Greek Greek (TV series) Greek is an American comedy-drama television series, which follows students of the fictional Cyprus-Rhodes University , located in Ohio, who participate in the school's Greek system... |
Jen K | 11 episodes |
| 2008 | Perfect Sport | Tina | |
| 2008 | Casanovas | Jess | Episode: "The Strip Tease" |
| 2008 | Sorority Forever Sorority Forever Sorority Forever is a web television series created and produced by web production company Big Fantastic, the creators of SamHas7Friends and Prom Queen. Film director McG is an executive producer of the show... |
Julie Gold | 39 episodes |
| 2008 | Blood Cell | Julia | TV series |
| 2008 | Hooking Up | Meg Henley | TV movie |
| 2009 | Ghost Town | Chloe | TV movie |
| 2009 | Map | Episode: "A Pirate's Life" Episode: "Mis-Guided" |
|
| 2009–present | Poor Paul Poor Paul Poor Paul is a sex comedy and politically incorrect web series that stars Kevin G. Schmidt, Samantha Droke, Wes Whitworth and Zack Bennett... |
Beatrice | 8+ episodes |
| 2010–present | Tammy Roeder | 3+ episodes | |
| 2010 | Look at Me | Elizabeth |
Awards and recognitions
- Streamy AwardsStreamy AwardsThe Streamy Awards, popularly known as the Streamys, are presented annually by the International Academy of Web Television to recognize excellence in the arts and science of web television production, including directing, acting, producing, and writing. The formal ceremony at which the awards are...
- Nominated: Best Female Actor in a Dramatic Web Series (2009), Sorority Forever
- VH1VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
- Won: "Big Web Hit of 2006" (December 2006)
- Won: Fourth biggest web star in their list of "40 Biggest Internet Celebrities." (March 2007)
- Webby Awards
- Won: Best Actress (2007), lonelygirl15
- Additional recognitions
- Won: Forbes Magazine, Number One Web Celeb (January 2007)
- Listed: Jane Magazine, 30 Inspirational Women Under 30 (May 2007)
- Featured: MaximMaxim (magazine)Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
, Today's Girl on Maxim (March 24, 2008) - Listed: VideoSurf, The Five Hottest Stars of Web Series (November 20, 2009)
External links
- Interview with MTV News (video)
- "Candle (Sick and Tired)" -- music video by The White Tie Affair featuring Rose