‘The Notebook’ Star Gena Rowlands Dies at 94

(AP) — Gena Rowlands, celebrated as one of the most remarkable actors in film history and a pivotal figure in independent cinema through her collaborations with her husband, director John Cassavetes, as well as for her memorable role in her son’s film “The Notebook,” has passed away at the age of 94.

The news of Rowlands’ death was confirmed on Wednesday by representatives for her son, filmmaker Nick Cassavetes. Earlier this year, Nick disclosed that his mother had been battling Alzheimer’s disease. TMZ reported that Rowlands died at her home in Indian Wells, California.

Operating outside the traditional Hollywood studio system, John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands created lasting depictions of working-class lives and struggles in movies like “A Woman Under the Influence,” “Gloria,” and “Faces.”

Over the span of four decades, Rowlands worked with Cassavetes on ten films, including “Minnie and Moskowitz” (1971), “Opening Night” (1977), and “Love Streams” (1984). Her performances earned her two Oscar nominations: one for “A Woman Under the Influence” in 1974, where she portrayed a wife and mother succumbing to the pressures of domestic life, and “Gloria” in 1980, where she played a woman helping a young boy escape the grasp of the mob.

Cassavetes’ films often showcased complex, nuanced female characters. “He had a particular sympathetic interest in women and their problems in society, how they were treated and how they solved and overcame what they needed to, so all his movies have some interesting women, and you don’t need many,” Rowlands mentioned in an interview with the AP in 2015.

Besides her two Oscar nominations, Rowlands received three Primetime Emmy Awards, one Daytime Emmy, and two Golden Globes. She was honored with an honorary Academy Award in 2015 for her enduring influence in Hollywood. “You know what’s wonderful about being an actress? You don’t just live one life,” she remarked during her acceptance speech. “You live many lives.”

A new generation of filmgoers came to know Rowlands in her son Nick Cassavetes’ hit movie “The Notebook,” where she portrayed an elderly woman reminiscing about a timeless romance. Her younger self was played by Rachel McAdams. Rowlands also starred in Nick Cassavetes’ film “Unhook the Stars” (1996).

In her later career, Rowlands appeared in several movies and TV shows, such as “The Skeleton Key” and the detective series “Monk.” Her final movie role was in 2014, where she played a retiree who befriends her gay dance instructor in “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.”

One of her celebrated roles was in 1974’s “Woman Under the Influence,” where she played a lower middle-class housewife struggling with her self-worth. In “Gloria” (1980), she portrayed a former showgirl being threatened by her ex-boyfriend, a mob boss, earning her two Oscar nominations for best actress.

Rowlands met Cassavetes at the American School of Dramatic Arts, and they married just four months later. Cassavetes financed his first film, “Shadows,” by using his earnings from his TV series “Johnny Stacatto.” The film, which was partly improvised and filmed with natural light on a $40,000 budget, received praise for its realistic portrayal.

Gena Rowlands (pronounced Jenna) honed her acting skills through live television dramas, touring plays like “The Seven Year Itch” and “Time for Ginger,” as well as performing off-Broadway. Her big break came when Josh Logan cast her opposite Edward G. Robinson in Paddy Chayefsky’s play “Middle of the Night,” which earned her acclaim as a rising star.

MGM offered her a contract for two films per year. Her first film, “The High Cost of Loving,” was well-received, drawing comparisons to the legendary Carole Lombard. However, she chose to leave the contract due to her pregnancy and often took breaks from her career for family matters.

Rowlands and Cassavetes had three children: Nick, Alexandra, and Zoe, all of whom pursued careers in acting.

After Cassavetes died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1989, Rowlands returned to acting to cope with her loss. She occasionally attended film festivals to promote Cassavetes’ work, stating in 1992, “I want everyone to see his films. John was one of a kind, the most totally fearless person I’ve ever known. He had a very specific view of life and the individuality of people.”

Born Virginia Cathryn Rowlands in 1930 in Cambria, Wisconsin, Rowlands was encouraged by her mother to pursue acting. She left the University of Wisconsin in her junior year to seek an acting career in New York, gaining experience in television dramas throughout the 1950s.

After departing MGM, Rowlands carefully selected her film projects. She also appeared in TV series such as “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “Bonanza,” “Dr. Kildare,” and “The Virginian.” A significant career moment was co-starring with her idol Bette Davis in the TV movie “Strangers” in 1979.

Rowlands’ filmography includes “Lonely Are the Brave” with Kirk Douglas, “The Spiral Road” with Rock Hudson, “A Child Is Waiting” with Burt Lancaster and Judy Garland (directed by Cassavetes), “Two Minute Warning” with Charlton Heston, and “Tempest” co-starring with Cassavetes and Molly Ringwald. She played a mother trying to do right by her children in Paul Schrader’s 1987 film “Light of Day.”

Even in middle age and beyond, Rowlands took on challenging roles. In Woody Allen’s “Another Woman,” she played a writer who had avoided emotion until life forced her to confront it. In the pioneering TV movie “An Early Frost,” she portrayed a mother dealing with her son’s AIDS diagnosis.

Reflecting in 1992, Rowlands noted that her characters stayed with her. “Sometimes, those white nights when I have no sleep and a lot of time to think about everything, I’ll examine different possibilities of different characters and what they might be doing now,” she said.

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