Gena Rowlands, A Woman Under the Influence and The Notebook star, dies aged 94
The retired actress had reportedly been living with Alzheimer's disease.
Actress Gena Rowlands, who is best known for her roles in films such as A Woman Under the Influence and The Notebook, has died at the age of 94.
Rowlands passed away on Wednesday afternoon (14th August) at her home in Indian Wells, California, surrounded by family.
A cause of death is yet to be confirmed, but the retired actress had reportedly been living with Alzheimer's disease.
Rowlands's acting career spanned several decades and saw her earn four Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes and two Oscar nominations. Her Oscar nominations were for A Woman Under the Influence (1974) and Gloria (1980), both of which were helmed by her late husband, John Cassavetes.
She is best known for portraying the older version of Rachel McAdams's Allie in The Notebook. In the film, her character had Alzheimer's, and an older version of Ryan Gosling's Noah narrated the story of their relationship to her to help her remember their past.
Her son, director and actor Nick Cassavetes, spoke to Entertainment Weekly about Rowlands's role back in June.
"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 said.
"She’s in full dementia. And it’s so crazy — we lived it, she acted it, and now it’s on us."
Born on 19th June 1930 in Cambria, Wisconsin, Rowlands moved to New York to pursue acting after a stint in regional theatre, and made her Broadway debut in The Seven Year Itch.
In 1956, she starred in the Broadway play Middle of the Night opposite Edward G Robinson.
Rowlands went on to star in the syndicated TV series Top Secret, and had guest spots on numerous popular anthology series.
Her film debut came in 1958 with a role in The High Cost of Loving, but it was her collaborations with Cassavetes which really shaped her legacy.
Together, the duo made 10 films, including Faces (1968), Opening Night (1977) and Love Streams (1984), as well as A Woman Under the Influence and Gloria.
Rowlands is survived by her husband, Robert, and children Nick, Alexandra and Zoe Cassavetes.
