Ah, the internet. A long, long time ago the only avenues available for instant fame were film, television, music, modeling, and book publishing. With the invention of the internet – more specifically YouTube – a new way for aspiring talent to be discovered was born.
Jessica Lee Rose first popped up on YouTube in 2006. She was the focus of a web-series titled “lonelygirl15.” At first the series had an almost voyeuristic nature to it, where people could watch her doing random activities such as brushing her hair, eating candy, and eventually Jessica Lee Rose (whose character was named Bree) would begin talking to the camera. The series lasted for three years, spanning from 2oo6 – 2008, in which it amassed a total of 547 episodes, although things started to take a strange turn early on. When “lonelygirl15” began, the web-series was pushed to the public as a glimpse into the life of Jessica Lee Rose, though her name was never mentioned. A reality show, if you will. However, after only three months of producing episodes “lonelygirl15” was proven to be a hoax, and that’s when the series took a really weird, scripted turn. A crazy cult was introduced, one that targets girl who have a rare strain in their DNA that makes them special. After several scary encounters with the cult, Jessica Lee Rose’s character Bree was killed off and so was much of the series’ viewership. Still, the online project “lonelygirl15” was watched by millions of fans on YouTube and even won the “Biggest Web Hit” category at VH1’s Big In 06 ceremony. Jessica was also named the biggest web-celebrity by Forbes in 2007.
To show you how her life has changed post-internet fame, let me quickly about Jessica’s career before “lonelygirl15.”
Jessica Lee Rose was born in April of 1987 in Maryland, although she became an American/New Zealand dual citizen. Before internet stardom, Ms. Rose attended classes for acting and movie make-up at The New York Film Academy and The Academy of Film and Television Make-up. Showing a promising future early on in her career, Jessica landed several make-up gigs on movie sets including a television adaption of Hercules and the Hollywood blockbuster King Kong in 2005, and a short film titled Knife Shift in 2006. It was following these early successes that she landed the role of a lifetime.
So, where is she now?
After leaving “lonelygirl15” in 2007, Jessica used her new found name to re-enter the world of film and television. This time, however, she would be in front of the screen. Early post-lonelygirl roles include a supporting role in the Lindsay Lohan fronted I Know Who Killed Me, television series “Sorority Forever,” new web-series “Hooking Up” and horror’s “Blood Cell” in 2008. She also had a large, guest starring role in ABC Family’s “Greek” and in 2009 she appeared in the SyFy feature Ghost Town.
A new decade meant a new set of problems, and as with most quick-to-fame stars, Ms. Rose saw her career starting to slow down in the 2010s. 2011 was her most successful year, as she continued her guest spots on “Greek,” and earned a supporting role in Look At Me, a romantic comedy starring James Duval. She was featured in an episode of G4’s “Attack of The Show,” and there was even a rumor that Jessica was in talks to appear in Wes Craven’s Scream 4 (which looks to have been another hoax). In 2013, she starred in the raunchy teen-comedy Casting Couch.
Jessica is an avid hockey fan and was brought on to NHL.com as a celebrity blogger, but I can’t find any information to back up that she’s still employed there. Here’s hoping that she has another plan for a second wind of fame. If not, YouTube is just as popular as ever, and something tells me she could fit in well there again.
Horror/Scifi Contributions: Hercules, King Kong, web-series “lonelygirl15,” I Know Who Killed Me, web-series “Blood Cell,” Ghost Town
Other Contributions: Appeared in Maxim in 2009
