Rose McIver was born in New Zealand to artist Ann "Annie" Coney and professional photographer John George Whitfield "Mac" McIver. Rose has an older brother, musician
Paul McIver.
McIver started appearing in commercials when she was only 2 years old. She made her film debut in the film
The Piano (1993), playing an angel. As a child actress, she mainly received roles in fantasy television series. She had roles in the television films
Hercules and the Amazon Women (1994),
Hercules in the Underworld (1994),
Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur (1994), the television series
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995), and the spin-off series
Xena: Warrior Princess (1995).
McIver received her first lead roles in television with the post-apocalyptic series
Maddigan's Quest (2006) and the comedy-drama series
Rude Awakenings (2007), both short-lived. She gained more attention for her role as Summer Landsdown (the Yellow Ranger) in
Power Rangers RPM (2009) and appeared in all 32 episodes of the series.
McIver had a supporting role in the supernatural drama film
The Lovely Bones (2009) as main character Susie Salmon (
Saoirse Ronan)'s younger sister Lindsey Salmon, who helps investigate her sister's murder.
McIver had a main-cast role in the comedy series
Super City (2011), and a recurring role in the period series
Masters of Sex (2013). In 2013, she joined the cast of fantasy series
Once Upon a Time (2011), where she plays Tinker Bell.
McIver plays the lead character Olivia "Liv" Moore in the comedy-drama series,
iZombie (2015). Olivia works as a coroner's assistant and tries to control the urges of her transformation into a zombie.