Gena Rowlands, hailed as one of the greatest actors to ever practice the craft and a guiding light in independent cinema as a star in groundbreaking movies by her director husband, John Cassavetes, and who later charmed audiences in her son's tear-jerker 鈥淭he Notebook,鈥� has died. She was 94.
Rowlands' death was confirmed Wednesday by representatives for her son, filmmaker Nick Cassavetes. He revealed earlier this year that his . TMZ reported that Rowlands died Wednesday at her home in Indian Wells, California.
Operating outside the studio system, the husband-and-wife team of John Cassavetes and Rowlands created indelible portraits of working-class strivers and small-timers in such films as 鈥淎 Woman Under the Influence,鈥� 鈥淕loria鈥� and 鈥淔aces.鈥�
Rowlands made 10 films across four decades with Cassavetes, including 鈥淢innie and Moskowitz鈥� in 1971, 鈥淥pening Night鈥� in 1977 and 鈥淟ove Streams鈥� in 1984.
She earned two Oscar nods for two of them: 1974's 鈥淎 Woman Under the Influence,鈥� in which she played a wife and mother cracking under the burden of domestic harmony, and 鈥淕loria鈥� in 1980, about a woman who helps a young boy escape the mob.
鈥淗e 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鈥檛 need many,鈥� she told the AP in 2015.
In addition to the Oscar nominations, Rowlands earned three Primetime Emmy Awards, one Daytime Emmy and two Golden Globes. She was awarded an honorary Academy Award in 2015 in recognition of her work and legacy in Hollywood. 鈥淵ou know what鈥檚 wonderful about being an actress? You don鈥檛 just live one life,鈥� she said at the podium. 鈥淵ou live many lives.鈥�
A new generation was introduced to Rowlands in her son's blockbuster 鈥淭he Notebook,鈥� in which she played a woman whose memory is ravaged, looking back on a romance for the ages. Her younger self was portrayed by Rachel McAdams. (She also appeared in Nick Cassavetes' "Unhook the Stars" in 1996.)
In her later years, Rowlands made several appearances in films and TV, including in 鈥淭he Skeleton Key鈥� and the detective series 鈥淢onk.鈥� Her last appearance in a movie was in 2014, playing a retiree who befriends her gay dance instructor in 鈥淪ix Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.鈥�
One of her career triumphs was 1974's "A Woman Under the Influence," playing a lower middle-class housewife who, the actor said, "was totally vulnerable and giving; she had no sense of her own worth." In "Gloria" (1980) she portrayed a faded showgirl menaced by her ex-boyfriend, a mobster boss. She was Oscar nominated as best actress for both performances.
She and Cassavetes met at the American School of Dramatic Arts when both their careers were beginning. They married four months later. In 1959 Cassavetes used his earnings from the TV series "Johnny Staccato" to finance his first film, "Shadows." Partly improvised, shot with natural light on New York locations with a $40,000 budget, it was applauded by critics for its stark realism.
Gena (pronounced Jenna) Rowlands became a seasoned actor through live television drama and tours in "The Seven Year Itch" and "Time for Ginger" as well as off-Broadway.
Her big break came when Josh Logan cast her opposite Edward G. Robinson in Paddy Chayefsky鈥檚 play 鈥淢iddle of the Night.鈥� Her role as a young woman in love with her much older boss brought reviews hailing her as a new star.
MGM offered her a contract for two pictures a year. Her first film, a comedy directed by and costarring Jose Ferrer, 鈥淭he High Cost of Loving,鈥� brought Rowlands comparisons to one of the great 1930s stars, Carole Lombard.
But she asked to be released from her contract because she was expecting a baby. Often during her career she would absent herself from the screen for long stretches to attend to family matters.
In addition to Nick, she and Cassavetes had two daughters, Alexandra and Zoe, who also pursued acting careers.
John Cassavetes died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1989, and Rowlands returned to acting to assuage her grief. Between assignments she sometimes attended film festivals and societies for Cassavetes screenings.
鈥淚 want everyone to see his films,鈥� she said at the San Sebastian Festival in 1992. 鈥淛ohn was one of a kind, the most totally fearless person I鈥檝e ever known. He had a very specific view of life and the individuality of people.鈥�
Virginia Cathryn Rowlands was born in 1930 (some sources give a later date) in Cambria, Wisconsin, where her Welsh ancestors had settled in the early 19th century. Her father was a banker and state senator. She was a withdrawn child who loved books and make-believe. Her mother encouraged the girl鈥檚 ambition to become an actor.
Rowlands quit the University of Wisconsin in her junior year to pursue an acting career in New York. Like other actors of her generation, she gained invaluable experience in the thriving field of television drama in the 1950s, appearing on all the major series.
After leaving her MGM contract, she was able to choose her film roles. When nothing attracted her, she appeared in TV series such as 鈥淎lfred Hitchcock Presents,鈥� 鈥淏onanza,鈥� 鈥淒r. Kildare鈥� and 鈥淭he Virginian.鈥� One of her career delights was co-starring with her icon Bette Davis on the TV movie 鈥淪trangers鈥� in 1979.
Her other movies included 鈥淟onely Are the Brave鈥� with Kirk Douglas, 鈥淭he Spiral Road鈥� (Rock Hudson), 鈥淎 Child Is Waiting鈥� (with Burt Lancaster and Judy Garland, directed by Cassavetes), 鈥淭wo Minute Warning鈥� (Charlton Heston), 鈥淭empest鈥� (co-starring with Cassavetes and Molly Ringwald, in her screen debut) and the mother who wants to do right by her children in Paul Schrader鈥檚 1987 study of a blue-collar family, 鈥淟ight of Day.鈥�
In middle age and beyond, Rowlands continued playing demanding roles. In Woody Allen鈥檚 austere drama 鈥淎nother Woman鈥� she was cast as a writer whose life has been shielded from emotion until dire incidents force her to deal with her feelings. In the groundbreaking TV movie 鈥淎n Early Frost,鈥� she appeared as a mother confronting her son鈥檚 AIDS.
Rowlands commented in 1992 that her roles remained in her memory.
鈥淪ometimes, those white nights when I have no sleep and a lot of time to think about everything, I鈥檒l examine different possibilities of different characters and what they might be doing now,鈥� she said.
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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the television series 鈥淛ohnny Staccato鈥� and the release year for 鈥淪hadows.鈥�
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Film Writer Jake Coyle in New York contributed to this report. The late Associated Press writer Bob Thomas contributed biographical material to this report.
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
