Evan Ross-Næss
Ross in November 2007
Born
Evan Olav Næss

(1988-08-26) August 26, 1988
Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • musician
Years active
  • 1999
  • 2006–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2014)​
Children2
Parents
Relatives

Evan Olav Ross-Næss (born August 26, 1988)[1][2] is an American actor and musician. He made his acting debut in the comedy-drama film ATL (2006), and has since starred in the films Pride (2007), According to Greta (2009), Mooz-lum (2010), 96 Minutes (2011), Supremacy (2014), and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) and Part 2 (2015).

On television, Ross had a recurring role as Charlie Selby in the season 3 of The CW's teen drama series 90210 and a regular role as Angel Rivera in the season 2 of Fox's musical drama series Star. Ross also starred on ABC's procedural drama series Wicked City as Diver Hawkes. As a musician, he released his first single "Yes Me" in February 2011, and his second single "How To Live Alone" in May 2015.

Ross is the son of Diana Ross and shipping magnate and mountaineer Arne Næss Jr.. He has been married since 2014 to singer-songwriter Ashlee Simpson, with whom he has two children.

Early life

Ross was born Evan Olav Næss in Greenwich, Connecticut, to businessman and mountaineer Arne Næss Jr. and entertainer Diana Ross. His father was of German and Norwegian descent and his mother is African-American.[2] His paternal great-uncle was Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss.

Ross has one older full brother, Ross Næss. His parents divorced in 2000.[3] Ross has three older maternal half-sisters, Rhonda, whose biological father is Berry Gordy, and Tracee and Chudney from his mother's marriage to Robert Ellis Silberstein. He also has three older paternal half-siblings from his father's first marriage, Christoffer, Katinka, and Leona,[4] and two younger paternal half-brothers from his father's third marriage, Nicklas and Louis.[5] In January 2004, Ross' father was killed at age 66 in a mountain climbing accident near Cape Town.[6]

Career

Acting

Ross began his career as an actor while a student at Greenwich High School. His first major role was in the film, ATL, released in March 2006, in which he co-starred with rappers T.I. and Big Boi. Ross received rave reviews for his role as troubled teenager Amare McCarter in the HBO television film Life Support, starring alongside Queen Latifah and his real-life half-sister Tracee Ellis Ross, who portrayed his elder sister in the film. Ross later co-starred in the biographical film Pride, in which he portrayed a good-natured teen with a speech impediment. He also appeared (uncredited) in an episode of Girlfriends. The episode, titled "What's Black-A-Lackin'?", also guest-starred Chrisette Michele, and was directed by his half-sister Tracee.[7]

Ross at a Girls Gone Wild magazine party, June 4, 2008

Ross has appeared in several other films, including the thriller Linewatch with Cuba Gooding, Jr. (2008), the drama Gardens of the Night (2008), and the crime drama film Life Is Hot in Cracktown (2009). He then starred as Julie, the love interest of Hilary Duff's character, in the 2009 comedy-drama film According to Greta. Ross has also appeared in The Notorious B.I.G. music video for the song "Nasty Girl" (2005), and the Lionel Richie music video for the song "Just Go" (2009).

In 2010, Ross joined the cast of The CW's teen drama series 90210 in its third season, portraying Liam Court's (Matt Lanter) half-brother and the love interest to Annie Wilson, played by Shenae Grimes.[8] That same year, he appeared in Case 219, and the critically acclaimed film festival winner Mooz-lum, also starring Danny Glover and Nia Long. He then starred in the comedy-drama The Family Tree (2011) and co-starred alongside Brittany Snow in the thriller 96 Minutes, which was released April 28, 2012, in select theaters. Ross won the Breakout Acting Award at SXSW for his performance in the film.

In 2012, Ross had a supporting role in the Jay and Mark Duplass-directed comedy-drama Jeff, Who Lives at Home. The following year, he portrayed music producer Dallas Austin in the VH1 biopic CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story, about the 1990s Atlanta girl group TLC (the film was named after their second album CrazySexyCool).[9] He then appeared in the drama film All the Wilderness (2014), which premiered at SXSW; the Courteney Cox-directed comedy-drama Just Before I Go (2014), which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival; and the drama film Supremacy (2014), which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival.[10]

Also in 2014, Ross portrayed the role of Messalla in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, released on November 21.[11] He reprised the role in Mockingjay – Part 2, which was released on November 20, 2015. In July 2015, he joined the cast of ABC's crime drama series Wicked City, portraying crime scene paparazzo Diver Hawkes, replacing Darrell Britt-Gibson in the role.[12] Ross has a major role as Angel Rivera in the second and third seasons of Fox's drama series Star. In 2018, Ross starred in a reality show alongside his wife Ashlee Simpson Ross called Ashlee+Evan, which lasted 6 episodes.[13]

Music

In 2007, Ross began recording his debut album, which will encompass R&B and pop.[14] After four years in the studio, Ross released his single "Yes Me" on February 25, 2011, which was produced by Tony DeNiro and written by DeNiro and Ross. Ross released a sneak preview of another song, "How To Live Alone", on his Instagram on December 5, 2014.[15] On May 14, 2015, Ross released the song as a single, featuring rapper T.I. In 2016, Ross was featured on DJWS & Hero's song, "They". Ross is one-half of the duo, Ashlee + Evan, with his wife.[16] Ross recorded the duets, "Don't Look At Me" and "All I Want" for the series Star with Brittany O'Grady. In 2017, Ross was featured on "Restricted" by Kronic. Ross and his wife released a duet collaboration, Ashlee + Evan, on October 12, 2018.

Personal life

Ross became engaged to singer-songwriter Ashlee Simpson in January 2014, and the two married on his mother's estate in Connecticut on August 30, 2014.[17][18] They have two children together, a daughter named Jagger Snow Ross (b. July 30, 2015) and a son named Ziggy Blu Ross (b. October 29, 2020), and Ross is the step-father of Bronx Mowgli Wentz (b. November 20, 2008), Simpson's son with her previous husband, musician Pete Wentz.[19][20][21]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2006 ATL Anton Swann
2007 Pride Reggie Jones
2008 Gardens of the Night Donnie
Linewatch Little Boy
2009 Life Is Hot in Cracktown Romeo
According to Greta Julie Robinson
Black Water Transit Gary Vermillion
2010 Case 219 Cameron Porter
Mooz-lum Tariq Mahdi
2011 The Family Tree Josh Krebs
96 Minutes Dre
2012 Jeff, Who Lives at Home Kevin
2013 N.Y.C. Underground Sam
2014 All the Wilderness Harmon
Just Before I Go Romeo Semple
Squatters AJ
Supremacy Anthony Walker
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 Messalla
2015 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 Messalla
2017 The Curse of Buckout Road Aaron Powell
2020 Pink Skies Ahead Cameron
2021 The United States vs. Billie Holiday Sam Williams
2021 She Ball Mike Direct to streaming
2023 A Snowy Day in Oakland Rodney Smalls
Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1999 Shelly Fisher Ricky Bender Television film
2006–2007 All of Us Danny 3 episodes
2007 Life Support Amare McCarter Television film
2008 Girlfriends Marco Episode: "What's Black-a-Lackin'?"
2010–2011 90210 Charlie Selby 9 episodes
2011 Luck Doorman Episode: "Pilot"
2013 CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story Dallas Austin Television film
2015 Wicked City Diver Hawkes 8 episodes
2017–2019 Star Angel Rivera 14 episodes
2018 Ashlee+Evan Himself Reality Show

Music videos

Year Title Artist
2005 "Nasty Girl" The Notorious B.I.G.
2009 "Just Go" Lionel Richie
2018 "Sugar Daddy" Macy Gray

Awards and nominations

Year Award/Festival Category Nominated work Result
2008 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Nominated
2011 SXSW Film Festival Breakthrough Performance Won
2012 Black Reel Awards Best Actor Nominated
2018 Nice International Film Festival Best Actor Buckout Road Nominated
World Music & Independent Film Festival Best Actor in a Feature Film Nominated

References

  1. ↑ "Diana Ross Has Baby Boy". Associated Press. August 26, 1988. Archived from the original on April 30, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2020 – via Los Angeles Times.
  2. 1 2 "Evan Ross". People. Time. April 3, 2006. Archived from the original on September 6, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2009. Evan, 17...
  3. ↑ Stewart, Allison (November 16, 2004). "A 'suburban mom': Diana Ross at 60". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  4. ↑ Grogan, Diane. "Stop! in the Name of Love". People. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Arne Næss Jr. -- Norwegian Shipping Tycoon, 66". The New York Times. January 16, 2004.
  6. ↑ "Ross' ex-husband killed in fall". BBC News. January 14, 2004.
  7. ↑ "What's Black-A-Lackin'?". The New York Times.
  8. ↑ "Diana Ross' Son Joins the Cast of 90210". TV Guide.
  9. ↑ Breezy, Elle (March 11, 2013). "Diana Ross' Son Evan Ross to Play Producer Dallas Austin in TLC Biopic". SingersRoom.
  10. ↑ Martinez, Vanessa (March 20, 2012). "Derek Luke, Evan Ross, Lela Rochon Join Danny Glover in "Supremacy"". Indiewire.
  11. ↑ Gallagher, Brian (August 27, 2013). "Evan Ross Is Messalla in'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay'". MovieWeb.
  12. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (July 6, 2015). "ABC's 'Wicked City' Adds Jeremy Sisto, Evan Ross in Recastings". The Hollywood Reporter.
  13. ↑ Petski, Denise (August 10, 2017). "'Star' Casts Evan Ross & Mike Epps In Season 2 Of Fox Music Drama". Deadline Hollywood.
  14. ↑ Davis, Peter (March 27, 2007). "Beautiful People 2007: Evan Ross". Paper. Paper Publishing Company. Retrieved May 12, 2009.
  15. ↑ "Evan Ross Teases "Incredible" New Music With Ashlee Simpson, Would "Love" to Duet With Diana Ross". E! Online. November 22, 2014.
  16. ↑ "New Music: Evan Ross feat. T.I - "How To Live Alone"". Rap Up. May 14, 2015.
  17. ↑ McNiece, Mia (August 31, 2014). "Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross Are Married". People. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  18. ↑ Cosgrove Baylis, Sheila (January 13, 2014). "Ashlee Simpson Engaged to Evan Ross". People. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  19. ↑ VanHoose, Benjamin (December 23, 2020). "Peekaboo! Ashlee Simpson Ross Shares Sweet New Photo of Son Ziggy Blu, 8 Weeks". people.com. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  20. ↑ Pasquini, Maria (February 26, 2021). "Evan Ross Says Daughter Jagger, 5, Was Initially 'Furious' About Getting a Baby Brother: 'So Upset'". people.com. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  21. ↑ Laudadio, Marisa (November 21, 2008). "It's a Boy for Ashlee & Pete!". People. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved November 21, 2008.
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