Felissa Rose

Last updated

Felissa Rose
Felissa Rose.jpg
Rose in 2023
Born
Felissa Rose Esposito

(1969-05-23) May 23, 1969 (age 55)
Other namesFelissa Rose Esposito Miller
Alma mater New York University
Occupation(s)Actress, producer
Years active1982–present
Spouse
(m. 2004)
Children3
Website felissarose.com

Felissa Rose Esposito (born May 23, 1969), better known as simply Felissa Rose, is an American actress and producer. Rose has amassed over 150 film credits, and is best known for her work in the horror genre, for which she is recognized as a "scream queen". [1] [2]

Contents

Rose made her film debut as Angela Baker in the cult horror film Sleepaway Camp (1983), which established her as a horror icon. [3] She reprised the role in the 2008 sequel Return to Sleepaway Camp . Her other horror roles include Elsa Lansing in Silent Night, Zombie Night (2009), Mother in The Perfect House (2012), Rachel Steele in Camp Dread (2014), Angela Freeman in Death House (2018), Kathleen in Victor Crowley (2018), Ms. Crowell in Bloody Summer Camp (2022), and Ms. Principe in Terrifier 2 (2022). Rose continues to make regular appearances on The Joe Bob Briggs Show, The Last Drive-In on Shudder, and appeared in The Boulet Brothers's Halfway to Halloween special in 2023.

In 2016, Rose produced a number of music videos for the metal band Slayer. [2]

Early life

Felissa Rose Esposito was born on May 23, 1969 in Greenwich Village in New York City and raised in Syosset on Long Island. [4] [5] Rose graduated from Syosset High School [4] and later earned a degree from New York University.

Career

Rose made her debut film appearance in the 1983 horror film Sleepaway Camp , in which she plays Angela Baker. [6] She later said of the film, "It was such a big part of my childhood. It's really hard to look at it objectively. On opening night I went to the theater with all my friends and watched it for the first time with a public audience. It was the best feeling. The energy in the theater was intense. People were really freaked out by the ending. I felt really good about the film." [7]

After appearing in Sleepaway Camp, she made some more sporadic appearances in a few films and television series, including the 1993 romantic comedy film The Night We Never Met and an episode of the short-lived 1998 television series Prey . In 1999, she was contacted by Jeff Hayes, who operates the official Sleepaway Camp website, via a letter in the mail asking her to do an interview for the website and gauge her interest in doing a new Sleepaway Camp sequel. Shortly thereafter, Hayes met with Rose in New York.

She has since returned to cinema and has appeared in such films as Zombiegeddon (2003), Nikos (2003), and Sludge (2005). She has also appeared in two films by New Jersey filmmaker Dante Tomaselli: Horror (2002) and Satan's Playground (2005). [8] In addition Felissa co-hosted the 2005 Village Halloween Parade in New York City with fellow scream queens Debbie Rochon and Raine Brown. [9] She also had a cameo role in the sequel to the 2008 Sleepaway Camp sequel Return to Sleepaway Camp . In the sequel, she reprises the role of Angela Baker. [10] The movie had a straight to DVD release on November 4, 2008. She also appears in Hotdog Casserole, written and directed by Chris Raab, as the mother in a dysfunctional family. [11] Rose starred in a role as Mother in the segment "Dinner Guest" in the anthology horror film, The Perfect House. [12] She also portrayed forensic pathologist Amy Short in the thriller Poe . [13]

In 2016, Felissa starred in the paranormal horror film Family Possessions, written and directed by Tommy Faircloth. The film also starred Mark Patton. In May 2017, she helped produce and acted in the horror film Death House . That same year, she appeared in Victor Crowley . In November 2022, Rose worked with Shelley Duvall on the film The Forest Hills .

Personal life

Rose lives in California with her husband, former CKY singer/guitarist Deron Miller, and their two daughters, Bianca Rose (born 2005) and Lola Marue (born 2007), and son Thomas Carver (born 2009). Rose and Miller were co-stars in Dave Campfield's 2008 horror comedy Caesar and Otto's Summer Camp Massacre .

Partial filmography

Film

YearFilmRoleNotesRef(s)
1983 Sleepaway Camp Angela / Peter Baker
1993 The Night We Never Met Young GirlUncredited [7]
1995Get with a Safe Food Attitude2-B Mom Rapper
2002 Horror Art Therapist [7]
2003 Zombiegeddon Melissa Direct-to-video [7]
Corpses Are Forever Gina Matthews [7]
Nikos the Impaler Sandra Kane [7] [14]
2005Cerebral Print: The Secret FilesCarolyn the M.I.L.F. / Tiffany
Slaughter PartyTaraDirect-to-video
Dead SeriousSusan Rosario
2006Evil Ever AfterNeighborDirect-to-video
Satan's Playground Donna Bruno [7]
Under SurveillanceHeidi Broonen [7]
2007SludgeSandra
Trite This WayNarrator
2008 Return to Sleepaway Camp Angela Baker / Sheriff Jerry
Zombie Killers: Elephant's Graveyard Lia [15]
2009 Silent Night, Zombie Night Elsa Lansing
Caesar and Otto's Summer Camp Massacre Angela Baker / Carrie
2010 Dahmer vs. Gacy Joanie Farana [16]
2012 Sleepaway Camp IV: The Survivor Angela BakerArchive footage
Caesar and Otto's Deadly Xmas
2014 Camp Dread Rachel Steele
2015 Caesar and Otto's Paranormal Halloween Lakota
2016 2 Jennifer Jennifer Smith
2017 Death House Dr. Angela Freeman
2018 Victor Crowley Kathleen
Family PossessionsSusan
RootwoodLaura Benott
2020A Nun's CurseSister Monday [17]
2021Bloody Summer CampMs. Crowell [18]
2022How to Kill Your Roommates and Get Away With ItAgent Denver
ShadowMarshJill
ShriekshowGloria
Mike & Fred vs The Dead Mom
The Spirit Board SessionsUnknown
Terrifier 2 Ms. Principe [3]
2023 Craving Les [18]
The Omicron KillerEdie Schaefer / Necromancer
The New HandsDr. Pretorius
The Forest Hills Dr. Gonzales
Go Away Aunt Mary [19] [20]
2024 Stream Donna [21] [22] [23]

Television

YearFilmRoleNotesRef(s)
2005 NYC Halloween Parade Host Television film
2009His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13thHerselfDocumentary
2019 The Boulet Brothers' Dragula HerselfGuest judge [6] [24]
2024Meat the CarversDelores Carver

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References

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  5. "That Girl from Camp Arawak: An Interview with Felissa Rose". The Terror Trap. Archived from the original on October 13, 2024.
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  9. The Terror Trap: That Girl from Camp Arawak: Felissa Rose
  10. Felissa Rose interview – "Angela" from Sleepaway Camp
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  12. "The Perfect House". Archived from the original on July 19, 2010. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
  13. Cast and Crew of Poe to Hold Autograph Session at Dark Delicacies
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