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Gena Rowlands, Star of ‘The Notebook’ and ‘A Woman Under the Influence,’ Dies at 94
Gena Rowlands, known for her fearless performance in the iconic film “A Woman Under the Influence,” passed away on Wednesday at her home in Indian Wells, California, at the age of 94.
Her death was confirmed by the office of her son’s agent. Earlier in June, Nick Cassavetes, who directed “The Notebook,” revealed that Rowlands had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Rowlands received her first Academy Award nomination for her role as Mabel Longhetti in the 1974 drama “A Woman Under the Influence,” written and directed by her husband, John Cassavetes. She earned a second nomination for “Gloria” in 1980, also directed by John. In November 2015, she was honored with an honorary Academy Award at the Governors Awards, celebrating her influential career.
“Working this long? I didn’t even think I’d be living this long,” she told Variety before the event, accompanied by her recognizable laugh from roles in “A Woman Under the Influence,” “Faces,” “Opening Night,” and other Cassavetes films.
After John Cassavetes’ death in 1989, Rowlands continued acting, particularly in projects by her children, who followed in their father’s footsteps as actor-directors. She appeared in Nick Cassavetes’ “Unhook the Stars” (1996), “The Notebook” (2004), and “Yellow” (2012). She also took on a role in daughter Zoe Cassavetes’ “Broken English” (2007) and starred in Terence Davies’ 1995 drama “The Neon Bible.”
Early in her career, Rowlands shifted seamlessly from Broadway ingenue to grande dame. She remarked during her acceptance speech at the Governors Awards that many women quit when they can no longer take on young romantic roles, but she always found parts she wanted to do.
In a 1975 review of “A Woman Under the Influence,” film critic Janet Maslin praised Rowlands, saying no other actress could navigate Mabel’s moods as Rowlands did. Maslin called the breakdown scene “as blood-curdlingly authentic as anything she or Cassavetes had ever done.”
Rowlands’ final film appearances came in 2014, with roles in the sci-fi comedy “Parts Per Billion” and the play adaptation “Dancing for Six Weeks.”
On the occasion of her handprint and footprint ceremony at the Chinese Theater in December 2014, Variety hailed Rowlands for her portrayals of mental breakdowns, describing her as a master of such roles.
Rowlands made her film debut in the 1958 light romantic comedy “The High Cost of Loving” opposite Jose Ferrer. She played a strong earth mother-type in “Lonely Are the Brave” (1962) but soon took on more complex roles, such as the troubled mother in “A Child Is Waiting” (1963), directed by Cassavetes.
Over her career, Rowlands collaborated with John on 10 films, including “Faces” (1968), “Minnie and Moskowitz” (1971), “Opening Night” (1977), and “Love Streams” (1984). While John Cassavetes’ work largely defined her career, she also worked with directors like Paul Mazursky in “Tempest,” Paul Schrader in “Light of Day,” and Woody Allen in “Another Woman.”
Despite being a reluctant star, Cassavetes managed to extract memorable performances from Rowlands, even during difficult times such as her pregnancy with their second child while filming “Faces.”
Rowlands also took roles in mainstream films to support her husband’s work, including parts in “Two Minute Warning” and 1968’s “Machine Gun McCain” with Peter Falk.
Rowlands achieved success in television as well, earning eight Emmy nominations and winning three. She won for lead actress in “The Betty Ford Story” (1987), lead actress in “Face of a Stranger” (CBS, 1992), and supporting actress in “Hysterical Blindness” (HBO, 2003).
She also won a Daytime Emmy in 2004 for her role in Showtime’s “The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie.” Other notable TV roles include playing Bette Davis’s estranged daughter in “Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter” (1979) and a mother whose son has AIDS in “An Early Frost” (1985), regarded as the first major film about the HIV/AIDS crisis.
Born Virginia Cathryn Rowlands in Madison, Wisconsin, she later attended the University of Wisconsin before moving to New York to study drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She married John Cassavetes in 1954, after he admired her work at the academy.
Rowlands worked in television during the 1950s, starting with an appearance on “Top Secret” in 1954 and appearing in shows like “Studio One in Hollywood” and “The United States Steel Hour.”
In 1952, she made her Broadway debut in “The Seven Year Itch,” and starred in “Middle of the Night” alongside Edward G. Robinson in 1956.
Later in her career, Rowlands scripted and starred in “Quartier Latin” with Ben Gazzara, featured in the 2006 omnibus film “Paris, je t’aime.” She also appeared on television, receiving an Emmy nomination for her guest roles in “Monk” (2009) and “NCIS” (2010).
Rowlands is survived by her children, Nick, Zoe, and Alexandra (Xan), numerous grandchildren, and her second husband, Robert Forrest, whom she married in 2012.
Source: Variety
