Gena Rowlands dies: Fans pay tribute to the acting legend and frequent John Cassavetes collaborator
One of the great actors of her generation has reportedly died at the age of 94.
Multiple outlets reported on Wednesday the death of legendary actor Gena Rowlands, who is best known for her performances in her husband John Cassavetes’ films like A Woman Under the Influence, Faces, Minnie and Moskowitz and Gloria, just to name a few.
She also gained new fans later in her filmography with a memorable role in her son Nick Cassavetes’ 2004 romance The Notebook.
Rowlands earned Oscar nominations in the Best Actress category for A Woman Under the Influence and Gloria and received an Honorary Academy Award in 2015, cementing her legacy as a singular talent on screen.
She also won three Emmy Awards, including one for playing former First Lady Betty Ford, and two Golden Globe Awards.
She also appeared in films like Hope Floats, Tempest, The Brink’s Job, Tony Rome and The Neon Bible during her career. Her final screen credit came in 2014 with the comedy Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.
With news of her death, film fans paid tribute to a truly remarkable career.
“I can never have a poker face. Anybody looking at me can tell exactly what I’m thinking.” – Gena Rowlands
And that’s precisely what I loved about her most. Ebert said the key to Cassavetes is knowing that she always played John. She was nothing less than 100% authentic. #RIP pic.twitter.com/OIqiZl6WcW
— Jen Johans (@FilmIntuition) August 15, 2024
rest in peace, Gena Rowlands. one of the greatest actors to ever grace the screen. pic.twitter.com/ESXhuUODZE
— The Cinegogue (@TheCinegogue) August 15, 2024
Heartbreaking news. My favorite actress of all time Gena Rowlands has passed away. There will never be another, don’t even try to convince me. #rip #puretalent pic.twitter.com/oKjcnCPdZG
— Saverio Guerra (@saverio825) August 15, 2024
We should all be as lucky as John Cassavetes was to find Gena Rowlands.
— DrewMcWeeny (@DrewMcWeeny) August 15, 2024
Hollywood Legend Gena Rowlands Dies at 94 After Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
Gena Rowlands, the irreproachable and Oscar-nominated star of cinematic classics like A Woman Under the Influence, Opening Night, Night on Earth, and The Notebook, died on Wednesday at her home in Indian Wells, California. She was 94.
A cause of death was not immediately shared. Rowlands was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2019, her family said earlier this year.
TMZ first reported Rowlands’ death on Wednesday night. A representative for her son, Nick Cassavetes, soon after confirmed the tabloid’s report to Variety and The Washington Post.
A four-time Emmy winner and two-time Oscar nominee, Rowlands was best known for her onscreen collaborations with her husband, the actor and director John Cassavetes.
In 2004, she starred in The Notebook, a romantic drama directed by her son, Nick.
Nick disclosed his mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis over the summer.
“I got my mom to play older Allie, and we spent a lot of time talking about Alzheimer’s and wanting to be authentic with it, and now, for the last five years, she’s had Alzheimer’s,” he told EW. “She’s in full dementia. And it’s so crazy — we lived it, she acted it and now it’s on us.”
Besides Nick, Rowlands is survived by her husband, Robert Forrest, and two daughters, Alexandra and Zoe Cassavetes.
The Notebook’s Gena Rowlands dies at 94
Gena Rowlands, who starred in The Notebook, has died aged 94.
The actress died at her California home on Wednesday afternoon, according to TMZ.
Her husband of 12 years, Robert Forrest, was by her side, along with her daughter, Alexandra Cassavetes, 58.
Gena was best known for playing the older version of Rachel McAdams’ character Allie in the 2004 movie, The Notebook, which was directed by her son, Nick Cassavetes. In the film her character had dementia – and in the past few years, Gena herself suffered from the same disease.
In June this year, Nick revealed his mum was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, and was now “in full dementia.”
He told Entertainment Weekly, “I got my mom to play older Allie, and we spent a lot of time talking about Alzheimer’s and wanting to be authentic with it, and now, for the last five years, she’s had Alzheimer’s. She’s in full dementia. And it’s so crazy – we lived it, she acted it, and now it’s on us.”
Gena began her career in the 1950s on stage and in television. She worked closely with her first husband, actor, writer and director John Cassavetes who hailed her as his muse. They worked together on several independent films in the 1970s and 1980s.
She retired from Hollywood in 2015 after earning four Emmy awards, two Golden Globes, and two Oscar nominations.
She is survived by her three children from her first marriage, Nick, Alexandra and Zoe Cassavetes.