Gena Rowlands has died aged 94.
Gena Rowlands has died aged 94
The actress, whose best-known roles include dementia-stricken Allie in 'The Notebook', passed away on Wednesday (14.08.24) at her home in Indian Wells, California.
According to Deadline, the 'Another Woman' star, who quit acting in 2015, was surrounded by family at the time of her passing, but no cause of death has been given.
In June, it was reported that Gena was in the "full" grip of Alzheimer’s.
While celebrating the 20th anniversary of 'The Notebook', Gena's 65-year-old filmmaker son Nick Cassavetes told Entertainment Weekly: "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."
Gena’s late mother Lady Rowlands died aged 95 in 1999 after suffering the degenerative disease.
The actress opened up in 2004 about how her mum’s struggle with Alzheimer’s had influenced her decision to play Allie in ‘The Notebook’, adapted from Nicholas Sparks’ debut 1996 novel.
She told O magazine: “I went through that with my mother, and if Nick hadn’t directed the film, I don’t think I would have gone for it – it’s just too hard.
“It was a tough but wonderful movie."
Gena was also renowned for her collaborations with her late husband, John Cassavetes - who died in 1989 aged 59 from complications linked to liver disease - including the 1974 film ‘A Woman Under the Influence’ and ‘Gloria’ six years later.
She received Oscar nominations for both roles and her last film was the 2014 comedy ‘Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks’, which co-starred 48-year-old Cheyenne Jackson.
Gena also won four Emmy Awards - for 'The Betty Ford Story', 'The Incredible Mrs Ritchie', 'Face of a Stranger', and 'Hysterical Blindness' - and two Golden Globes.