Since making his acting and singing debut in the movie “ATL,” Evan Olav Naess, well known by his stage name Evan Ross, has acted in a variety of popular movies and television shows. With parts in movies like “Life Support,” “Pride,” “According to Greta,” “Mooz-lum,” “96 Minutes,” “All the Wilderness,” and “Supremacy,” he established himself as a skilled performer. He has appeared in repeat episodes of TV shows like “90210” and “Wicked City,” and he will next be seen in the Fox series “Star.” In both Parts 1 and 2 of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay,” he played the part of Messalla. Although he is famous in his own right, he is arguably best remembered as the youngster of the celebrated singer Diana Ross, the lead singer of the American female singing group “The Supremes.” He has also recorded two singles, “Yes Me” and “How To Live Alone,” and is currently working on his debut album, following in his mother’s musical footsteps. Through his marriage to singer Ashlee Simpson, with whom he shares a two-year-old daughter, he is Jessica Simpson’s brother-in-law.
Early Childhood & Life
Arne Naess Jr. and Diana Ross welcomed Evan Ross into the world on August 26, 1988 in Greenwich, Connecticut. His mother, Diana Ross, is an actress who was the lead vocalist of the band the Supremes, and his father was a Norwegian industrialist, shipping tycoon, and mountaineer.
On his father’s side, he has Norwegian and German ancestry, while on his mother’s side, he has African American ancestry. His paternal great-uncle was Arne Nss, a philosopher from Norway. His maternal uncle Arthur “T-Boy” Ross composed popular tunes for musicians like Michael Jackson.
He has a brother named Ross Nss and is the second child of his parents. His parents divorced in 2000 after being hitched in 1986. He has one half-brother, Christoffer, and two half-sisters, Katinka and folk/pop singer Leona Naess, from his father’s first marriage. He also has three older half-sisters, Rhonda, Tracee, and Chudney, from his mother’s previous relationships.
His father had two boys, Nicklas and Louis, with Camilla Astrup after divorcing his mother. In 2004 while on a mountaineering adventure in Cape Town, South Africa, his father was killed in an accident.
Career in Acting of Evan Ross
While still a student at Greenwich High School, Evan Ross launched his acting career in March 2006 when he appeared in the American comedy-drama movie “ATL” with rappers T.I. and Big Boi. He had previously starred in the music video for The Notorious B.I.G.’s song “Nasty Girl” before making his cinematic debut.
His portrayal of the troubled adolescent Amare McCarter in the HBO television film “Life Support” starring Queen Latifah in 2007 earned positive reviews from critics. His older sister was portrayed in the film by Tracee Ellis Ross, his half-sister in real life.
He played the amiable youngster with a speech impediment in the 2007 biographical movie “Pride” in which he made an appearance. The following year, he made an appearance in the “What’s Black-A-Lackin’?” episode of his sister Tracee’s “Girlfriends” on The CW.
He costarred with Cuba Gooding Jr. in the thriller “Linewatch” that same year and had a significant part in the drama movie “Gardens of the Night” that same year.
He costarred with Hilary Duff in the comedy-drama movie “According to Greta” in 2009 and as Romeo, the main character, in the crime-drama movie “Life Is Hot in Cracktown.” Then he had an appearance in Lionel Richie’s “Just Go” music video.
He was a recurrent character in the third season of The CW’s teen drama “90210” and made an appearance in the drama movie “Case 219” in 2010. In the critically praised independent film “Mooz-lum,” which explored the impact of the September 11 attacks on an African American Muslim family, he co-starred with Danny Glover and Nia Long.
He was recognized at the SXSW Film Festival for his “Breakthrough Performance” for his role in the suspenseful movie “96 Minutes,” which also starred Brittany Snow. The comedy-drama movie “The Family Tree” and the premiere episode of the TV show “Luck” were among his other roles in movies and on television that year.
In 2012, he only made an appearance in one movie, the comedy-drama “Jeff, Who Lives at Home,” which also starred Jason Segel and Ed Helms. He was cast the following year in the VH1 historical telefilm “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story,” which was based on the 1990s Atlanta girl group TLC, as music producer Dallas Austin.
He made several appearances in movies in 2014, such as the drama “All the Wilderness,” the gloomy comedy “Just Before I Go,” and the horror “Supremacy.” The first one earned favorable reviews from reviewers, while the public and critics were unimpressed with the latter two.
In the 2014 dystopian science fiction adventure film “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1,” starring an ensemble cast that included Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth, he was given the part of Messalla. He returned to the role the following year in the sequel to “The Hunger Games,” the third and concluding book in Suzanne Collins’ trilogy of the same name.
Diver Hawkes, a crime scene photographer, played by Darrell Britt-Gibson was replaced by him in the ABC crime drama “Wicked City,” which premiered in October 2015. He will play a recurring character in Fox’s drama series “Starsecond “‘s season, and he will also make appearances in the upcoming movies “Buckout Road” and “HeadShop.”
Career in Music
Evan Ross, the well-known singer’s son, chose to begin work on his first R&B and pop album in 2007. Four years later, on February 25, 2011, the album’s lead single, “Yes Me,” was made available. It had lyrics written by both him and the song’s producer, Tony DeNiro.
On December 5, 2014, he shared a preview of his upcoming song, “How To Live Alone,” on his Instagram account. Rapper T.I. was a part of the entire single, which was released on May 14 of the following year.
Bigger Works of Evan Ross
Evan Ross had one of his first significant roles in the 2007 telefilm “Life Support,” for which he was nominated for a “NAACP Image Award.” His other notable works include “ATL,” “Pride,” “According to Greta,” “Mooz-lum,” “96 Minutes,” “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2,” and “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay.”
Recognition & Achievements
Evan Ross’ performance in the movie “96 Minutes” earned him the “Competition Award for Breakthrough Performance” at SXSW in 2011. For his work in “Mooz-lum,” he received a “Black Reel Award” nomination in the category of “Best Actor” that same year.
Personal Legacy & Life
In July 2013, singer Evan Ross began dating actress and pop singer Jessica Simpson’s younger sister, singer Ashlee Simpson. The wedding took place at his mother’s estate in Connecticut on August 30, 2014, after the two announced their engagement in January of that year.
On July 30, 2015, they gave birth to their first child as a couple, a daughter named Jagger Snow Ross. He also has a relationship with Simpson’s kid from a previous marriage to singer Pete Wentz, Bronx Mowgli Wentz, as his stepfather.
Estimated Net Worth
American actor, musician, and producer Evan Ross have a fortune of $25 million. Diana Ross, a legendary vocalist and former lead singer of the Supremes, has a son named Evan.
Trivia
Ashlee Simpson adopted Evan Ross’ last name Nss after their nuptials. Both of them submitted requests to have their last names legally changed to Ross-Nss in December 2014.