Ruby Rose first came to prominence in her native Australia as a model, MTV VJ, and presenter of shows such as Australia’s Next Top Model. Her status went global after she began appearing playing Stella Carlin in the must-watch series Orange is the New Black. Since 2018, she has played Kate Kane/Batwoman in a range of DC Comics-inspired shows, most notably the first season of the awad-winning Batwoman series. She is also vocal about social issues close to her heart, including animal rights and mental health, particularly in young people — she works as an ambassador the Headspace app.

Rose got her break into television when she beat 2000 applicants to be the new VJ on MTV Australia in 2007. Her audition had involved a marathon drinking game with Jackass’ Bam Margera and kissing strangers on a Sydney street. She quickly became popular with audiences and was soon recruited by the likes of Maybelline cosmetics for their advertising campaigns. Despite becoming a successful presenter in her home country, Rose wanted to break into film. Unable to find an agent or manager who believed in her, she made her own short film, Break Free, which went viral and helped to land her a role in Orange is the New Black, one of the most talked-about American dramas of recent years, in 2015. By the end of that year, she was the fifth-most-searched person on Google.

Major film roles followed as did the role of Batwoman, making her the first openly lesbian superhero lead in television history. Expect her to keep breaking such boundaries in the years to come.