Rouse made his feature film debut in David Gordon Green's George Washington, released in 2000, as a character's "cranky uncle."[1] (George Washington was also Green's debut as a film producer, film director and screenwriter).[1] Rouse was then cast in several more of David Gordon Green's films, including All the Real Girls in 2003, Pineapple Express in 2008, and The Sitter, opposite Jonah Hill, in 2011.[1]
Eddie Rouse starred in Todd Rohal's 2014 short film Rat Pack Rat as a Sammy Davis impersonator hired to perform at a child's birthday party.[1] The film won the Short Film Special Jury Award for Unique Vision at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.[1] Clay Liford, the producer of Rat Pack Rat, wrote on Twitter, "He [Rouse] really made our little short shine this year."[1]
In 2014, Rouse was cast as Kissy (short for Kisecawchuck), a Native American saloon contraband dealer in the HBO series Westworld.[1] The series, which is based on the 1973 film Westworld by Michael Crichton, was executive produced by J. J. Abrams. It was set in a "futuristic amusement park."[1] Rouse filmed the pilot episode in Utah just a few weeks before his death.[1]
Eddie Rouse died from liver failure at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, California, on December 7, 2014, at the age of 60 with his son Eddie Rouse III at his side. He was survived by 5 children: Nikia, Aisha, Tinisha, Brandon, and eldest son Eddie Rouse III, a.k.a. Eddie Kane. He had 13 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.[1]
