- Angelina Jolie, Girl, Interrupted, 1999. One Flew into the Cuckoo’s nest… stems from Susanna Kaysen’s memoir. She committed herself to a psychiatric institution and was kept there for two years, although she was quite sane. Chicago critic Roger Ebert said Winona Ryder) (also exec producer) and the support Oscar-winning Angelina Jolie – as Susanna and the sociopath Lisa – were the reasons to see the film, although “their work here deserves a movie with more reason for existing.” Most other patients were teenage girls, played by rising young Hollywood actresses in their 20s – Angela Bettie and Jillian Armenante even played 22 at age 31. Why? Because, said Rose McGowan, “It’s the only decent thing out there that doesn’t involve taking your clothes off.”
- Kate Hudson, Almost Famous, 2000. Looking for his Penny Lane groupie in his semi-autobiographical look back to his Rolling Stone reporter daze, auteur Cameron Crowe saw 48 of LA’s bright young things… Christina Applegate, Selma Blair, Lara Flynn Boyle, Neve Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Claire Danes, Cameron Diaz, Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jenna Elfman, Jennie Garth, Maggie Gyllenhal, Alyson Hannigan, Angie Harmon, Anne Heche, Katherine Heigl, Jordan Ladd, Kimberly McCullough (busier as a TV director these days, High School Musical: The Musical – The Series, etc), Rose McGowan, Bridget Moynahan, Brittany Murphy, Gwyneth Paltrow, Laura Prepon, Lindsay Price, Christina Ricci, Rebecca Romijn, Winona Ryder, Chloë Sevigny, Marley Shelton, Tori Spelling, Mena Suvari, Uma Thurman, Liv Tyler, Lark Voorhies. Plus the English Saffron Burrows, Anna Friel, Thandiwe Newton and Rachel Weisz, Madrid’s Penélope Cruz, the French Charlotte Gainsbourg, Canada’s Natasha Henstridge, Ukrainian Milla Jovovich, Scottish Kelly Macdonald, Israeli Natalie Portman, German Franka Potente, Australian Peta Wilson and Welsh Catherine Zeta-Jones. And the winner, Canada’s Sarah Polley, simply split. (Silly girl). Crowe then chose Kate (previously booked for Anita) because “she seemed more like a free spirit.” But, but, but… Chloë was the freest spirit in all Hollywood. As she proved two years later in The Brown Bunny… in a way the others would never have dared.
- Natasha Lyonne, Fast Sofa, 2000. Change of Tamara, poor cow lover of Jake Busey, who is… well, obsessed with porno star Jennifer Tilly. In a road movie as trashy as its characters. Rose McGowan was the first actress to blow the whistle on producer Harvey Weinstein as a serial rapist – and, indeed, on Hollywood’s everlasting rape culture.
- Christina Ricci, Speed Racer, 2007. Also on the grid for the racing hero’s gal, Trixie – complete with pink helicopter … shades of Lady Penelope… or Reese Witherspoon – were McGowan, Elisha Cuthbert, Kate Mara. Speed, himself, kept changing from Johnny Depp and Zac Efron to Shia Labeouf and Joseph Gordon-Levitt… and, finally, Emile Hirsch, a long time fan of the 1967-1968 Japanese anime series series.
- Sasha Alexander, Rizzoli & Isles, TV, 2010-2016. For the latest in the tele- tradition of women cop duos – the US Cagney & Lacey, BBC’s Scott & Bailey and the tres chic French Astrid et Raphaëlle – Alexander, McGowan, Elizabeth Berkley and Sarah Paulson were on Warner’s Wanted list for Chief Medical Examiner Dr Maura Isles teamed with Detective Jane for 105 cases in Boston. Creator Janet Tamaro’s original choices were Ashley Judd and Winona Ryder. Jennifer Connelly was considered for both roles.
- Eva Green, Sin City: A Dame To Kill For, 2013. McGowan, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Salma Hayek, Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lawrence, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams were all up for the dame in question. Ava. Variety critic Justin Chang was unmoved. “Rare indeed is the movie that features this many bared breasts, pummeled crotches and severed noggins and still leaves you checking your watch every 10 minutes.”
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 5