Actress Gena Rowlands Dies at 94: An Icon of Unparalleled Excellence

Gena Rowlands, the distinguished actress and muse of John Cassavetes known for her raw talent in films like Faces, A Woman Under the Influence, Opening Night, and Gloria, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 94.

Rowlands passed away surrounded by family at her residence in Indian Wells, California. According to TMZ, she had been battling Alzheimer’s since 2019.

Throughout her illustrious career, Rowlands earned Oscar nominations for her roles in A Woman Under the Influence (1974) and Gloria (1980). In A Woman Under the Influence, she portrayed an emotionally vulnerable housewife who descends into madness, while in Gloria, she shone as a fierce protector of a child from the Mob.

Despite not winning the Oscars, losing to Ellen Burstyn in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore and Sissy Spacek in Coal Miner’s Daughter, Rowlands’ brilliance was ultimately acknowledged when she received an honorary Oscar at the 2015 Governors Awards.

“You know what’s wonderful about being an actress?” Rowlands said at the ceremony. “You don’t just live one life — yours — you live many lives.”

Directed by her husband John Cassavetes, Rowlands performed in several iconic films, such as Shadows (1959), A Child Is Waiting (1963), Faces (1968), Minnie and Moskowitz (1971), Opening Night (1977), and Love Streams (1984). This partnership significantly contributed to the independent film movement in America.

Rowlands recalled in 2015 how Cassavetes greatly supported her career. “He loved actors and had a particular interest in women’s problems in society and what they had to overcome. He offered me some really wonderful parts,” she shared with THR.

She is survived by her son, writer-director Nick Cassavetes, for whom she starred in films like Unhook the Stars (1996) and The Notebook (2004). Her daughters, Zoe Cassavetes and Xan Cassavetes, are also writer/directors.

Often portraying complex and beleaguered heroines, Rowlands subverted her classical beauty when roles demanded, as seen in Opening Night, where she played an aging stage actress.

One of her most outstanding performances was as Mabel Longhetti in A Woman Under the Influence, where she brought to life the deeply troubled wife of a construction worker.

In a 2015 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Rowlands recounted an instance during the filming of A Woman Under the Influence when she felt stuck. Cassavetes’ advice was straightforward and empowering, “Then do it.” She described this as the most freeing piece of advice she ever received.

In Gloria, Rowlands played Gloria Swenson, a former mobster’s girlfriend who fiercely protects her young neighbor. Although action-packed, she humorously considered the film a “gangster comedy.”

Ray Carney’s book Cassavetes on Cassavetes reveals that Rowlands wanted a role that captured her self-perception — a “sexy but tough woman who doesn’t really need a man,” similar to her idol, Marlene Dietrich.

Cassavetes praised her dedication, emphasizing that she was incredibly genuine in her roles. “She doesn’t care if it’s cinematic, doesn’t care where the camera is… only that you believe her.”

Tennessee Williams once likened Rowlands’ performances to a work of art, comparable to “paintings in a museum, or sunsets.”

Born on June 19, 1930, in Madison, Wisconsin, Rowlands left the University of Wisconsin to study acting in New York, where she met Cassavetes. They married in 1954 and remained together until his death in 1989.

Rowlands made her professional debut at the Provincetown Playhouse. Her film debut came with The High Cost of Loving (1958). She later starred alongside notable actors in films like Lonely Are the Brave (1962), The Spiral Road (1962), and Tony Rome (1967).

On television, she appeared in shows like 87th Precinct and Peyton Place. Alongside Cassavetes, she acted in films to support their independent projects.

Her television work earned her three Emmy Awards, including for The Betty Ford Story and Hysterical Blindness. She starred opposite Bette Davis in Strangers — The Story of a Mother and Daughter and with Jane Alexander in Thursday’s Child.

Rowlands also appeared in films like Light of Day (1987), Another Woman (1988), Once Around (1991), and Broken English (2007). Her later roles included Night on Earth (1991), Hope Floats (1998), The Skeleton Key (2005), and Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks (2014).

Survivors also include her second husband, retired businessman Bob Forrest.

Director Sidney Lumet praised Rowlands, saying, “The highest compliment I can pay to her — to anyone — is that the talent frightens me, making me aware of the lack of it in so many… She is admirable, which can be said of only a few of us.”

Duane Byrge contributed to this report.

Source: TMZ, THR, Los Angeles Times