Gena Rowlands, the legendary American actress known for her powerful portrayals of strong, troubled women, passed away at the age of 94. A three-time Emmy winner and Oscar nominee, Rowlands left an indelible mark on cinema through her performances in films like Gloria and A Woman Under the Influence.
Rowlands’ death was reported by Entertainment Weekly, citing her son Nick Cassavetes. Her illustrious career began on stage and television in the 1950s and spanned several decades, including award-winning roles in movies directed by her first husband, actor, writer, and director John Cassavetes.
Battle with Alzheimer’s
In June, Nick Cassavetes revealed that his mother had been suffering from Alzheimer’s, a disease that also afflicted her own mother. Ironically, Rowlands portrayed a character with Alzheimer’s in the 2004 film The Notebook, directed by her son. “She’s in full dementia,” Cassavetes shared with Entertainment Weekly, reflecting on the eerie parallel between life and art.
A Golden Couple of Independent Film
Gena Rowlands and John Cassavetes were a golden couple in the world of independent film in the 1970s and 80s. Cassavetes was a pioneer of cinema verite, a filmmaking technique that seeks to capture natural reactions and events, with Rowlands serving as his muse.
“Independent filmmaking existed before Cassavetes, but Cassavetes, working with Rowlands, managed to make an independent cinema that borrowed from Hollywood – not in plots or styles but in actorly allure and dramatic power,” noted The New Yorker in 2016.
The tall, blonde actress made 10 films with Cassavetes before his death in 1989, including the psychological drama Opening Night (1977), the marital saga Faces (1968), and 1984’s Love Streams, in which she played his sister.
Iconic Roles and Performances
One of Rowlands’ most celebrated performances was in A Woman Under the Influence, where she portrayed Mabel Longhetti, a housewife struggling with mental illness. The role, which Cassavetes originally wrote as a play, showcased Rowlands’ exceptional talent and earned her critical acclaim.
In Cassavetes’s 1980 film Gloria, Rowlands played a tough, determined woman who rescues and protects a young, orphaned boy from mobsters. The role further solidified her reputation as a powerhouse actress capable of bringing complex characters to life.
Early Life and Acting Career- Gena Rowlands
Virginia Cathryn “Gena” Rowlands was born on June 19, 1930, in Cambria, Wisconsin. Her father was a banker and politician, and her mother was an actress. After college, Rowlands moved to New York, where she studied drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and met fellow student John Cassavetes.
Rowlands made her Broadway debut in Middle of the Night in 1956 and soon after landed her first film role in The High Cost of Loving (1958). She also appeared in Cassavetes’s directorial debut Shadows, marking the beginning of a prolific collaboration with her husband.
Continued Success and Legacy
Following Cassavetes’s death in 1989, Rowlands continued to work in films and television. She won best actress Emmys for The Betty Ford Story (1987) and the drama Face of a Stranger (1992), and a best supporting actress trophy in a miniseries or movie for Hysterical Blindness (2002).
Rowlands found a new audience with her role in The Notebook (2004), where she played the older version of Rachel McAdams’s character, touching the hearts of a new generation of filmgoers.
Rowlands was married to Cassavetes from 1954 until his death, and they had three children together. In 2012, she married businessman Robert Forrest.
Reflecting on her life and career, Rowlands once said, “It’s a tricky life, but it was so exciting and wonderful because you were doing what you really wanted to do.”
