The Notebook Star Gena Rowlands Dies at 94 After Alzheimer’s Battle

Acclaimed actress Gena Rowlands has passed away at the age of 94.

The two-time Golden Globe winner died at her Indian Wells, California home on Wednesday afternoon, as reported by TMZ. She was surrounded by family, including her husband of 12 years, Robert Forrest, and her daughter, Alexandra Cassavetes, who is 58. The cause of her death has not been disclosed.

Rowlands is famously known for her portrayal of the older version of Rachel McAdams’ character, Allie, in her son Nick Cassavetes’s beloved 2004 film “The Notebook,” which also starred Ryan Gosling. In June, Nick, who is now 65, revealed that his mother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, similar to her heartbreaking character in “The Notebook.”

Nick shared with Entertainment Weekly some months ago that Gena had been battling the disease for five years and had reached the stage of full dementia. He expressed the emotional journey his family has been through, stating, “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. She’s in full dementia. And it’s so crazy—we lived it, she acted it, and now it’s on us.”

Rowlands’s Hollywood career spanned seven decades, marking her as a decorated star of both stage and screen.

Her passing leaves behind a remarkable legacy in both cinema and theater.

Nick Cassavetes’s reflections about his mother underscore how life has imitatively mirrored her art in an uncanny and poignant manner. Gena is remembered by her large fan base for her stellar performances and significant contributions to the arts.

Source: TMZ