Rose McGowan Explains Why She Quit Acting (Hint: Hollywood Sexism)

Do you find yourself wondering why you haven’t seen much of Rose McGowan in front of the camera lately? That’s because she quit acting full-time to take on directing. While her stepping behind the camera isn’t exactly new, it’s interesting to hear her reasoning behind the move.

During an appearance on Chelsea Handler’s self-titled talk show, the Charmed and Once Upon a Time alum spoke about why she felt the need to switch gears: “I kind of became unfamous on purpose,” she said. “I didn’t like it. I hated the word celebrity. Even writing the word ‘actress’ was really difficult for me. It just never felt like I was in the right life.” She went on to say that she was more interested in the “totality” of filmmaking, hence stepping into the director’s chair.

McGowan made her directorial debut in 2014 with the short film Dawn, which is available now on YouTube. The story centers on a young girl longing to break free from her sheltered life. That’s familiar territory for McGowan, who describes it as an allegory for herself and other women in Hollywood. “You’re sent out there as a girl to be as polite as you can be,” she added. “Cause no waves.  Don’t upset anybody. Don’t upset the status quo….If you’re in Hollywood and you’re an actress, don’t step out of line, little girl, because there’s another one right behind you.”

The more I hear about the gross things done to women in Hollywood, the more I understand why someone like her would want to remove themselves from that environment. I’m also interested to see what else she has in store because, as of now,  Dawn remains her only directing credit. Aside from speaking out on Hollywood sexism, she also appeared in 2015’s The Tell-Tale Heart and wrapped production The Sound, a thriller that marks the directorial debut of actress Jenna Mattison.

(image via screencap)

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