Gena Rowlands, an honorary Oscar winner renowned for her innovative film partnerships with her husband, actor and director John Cassavetes, has passed away at the age of 94 in her California home, as reported by TMZ. She was also known for her role as a woman suffering from Alzheimer’s in the popular film The Notebook.
Rowlands’s son, director Nick Cassavetes, disclosed in June 2024 that his mother was dealing with Alzheimer’s, similar to her character in the film. He shared with Entertainment Weekly, “She’s in full dementia. It’s so surreal—we lived it, she acted it, and now it’s on us.”
In a 2015 interview for the Motion Picture Academy’s Academy Originals series, Rowlands expressed her lifelong aspiration to be an actress, stating, “I began to realize that you didn’t have to just live one life, you could be a lot of people and do a lot of things, and it caught my fancy.”
While the idea of acting seemed glamorous, the characters created for her by John Cassavetes were raw and poignant portrayals of women in challenging circumstances. These included a prostitute devoid of Hollywood’s stereotypical kindness in Faces, a mother unraveling in A Woman Under the Influence, and a gangster’s associate who reluctantly protects a young boy in Gloria. The latter two performances earned Rowlands Academy Award nominations.
Rowlands, recognized as a character actor capable of leading roles, received accolades such as an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her performance in the 1987 television film The Betty Ford Story, and another Emmy for her role as a woman devastated by her husband’s gambling in Face of a Stranger.
In addition to her leading roles, she was a favored presence in supporting characters. Cate Blanchett highlighted this in her introduction of Rowlands at the 2015 Governor’s Award ceremony, where she received her honorary Oscar, remarking on the remarkable authenticity and immediate impact of her performances.
Rowlands was truly one of a kind. Playwright Tennessee Williams likened her to a “work of art you place yourself in front of.” She was influenced by Bette Davis, with whom she co-starred in the TV film Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter. Rowlands admired Davis for her independence in portraying untraditional characters. She noted, “In those days, women were expected to be sweet and obedient, and that just wasn’t what I was interested in.”
Virginia Cathryn Rowlands was born on June 19, 1930, in Cambria, Wisconsin. Her father, Edwin Myrwyn Rowlands, was involved in state politics before joining Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration. Her mother, Mary Allen Neal, performed under the stage name Lady Rowlands and played Gena’s mother in three of Cassavetes’s films.
Rowlands left the University of Wisconsin before earning her degree to pursue her acting dreams in New York. Reflecting on her decision, she recalled, “I just couldn’t wait anymore to go be an actress.” She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where she met Cassavetes, who reportedly told a friend upon first seeing her, “That’s the girl I’m going to marry.”