Remembering Iconic Actress Gena Rowlands

Iconic actress Gena Rowlands, who, along with her maverick husband John Cassavetes, ushered in a new era of independent films in the 1970s and 80s, has died at the age of 94. Ms. Rowlands passed away surrounded by her family at her home in Indian Wells, California.

No cause of death was s given, but her son, filmmaker Nick Cassavetes, reported in June that she was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. It was revealed that she had been suffering from the illness for about five years. In announcing her condition, her son said, “She’s in full dementia,” he said. “And it’s so crazy — we lived it, she acted it, and now it’s on us.

Early Years

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After leaving the University of Wisconsin early, Rowlands went on the familiar path of many young actresses. In the early 1950s, she began appearing in repertory and off-Broadway productions. She made her Broadway debut in 1958 in "The Seven Year Itch," later reprising her role as the play went on tour in the US.

Next, she made a string of appearances on television shows such as "77 Sunset Strip," "Bonanza," and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." Her film debut occurred in 1958 in the movie "The High Cost of Living." One of her first big roles was playing Kirk Douglas's former girlfriend in David Miller's "Lonely Are the Brave."

Start of the Cassavetes Years and Feature Films

She first met John Cassavetes when they were students at the American Academy at Carnegie Hall. They married in 1954. In 1959, she guest starred on his television series "Johnny Staccato." They made their first film together in 1963, "A Child Is Waiting." It would be their first of 10 films together. They would collaborate on two more films during the 1960s: "Faces in 1968" and "Machine Gun McCain" in 1969.

During this time, Rowlands also appeared in feature films. She had roles in movies such as "The Spiral Road" (1962) opposite Rock Hudson and with Frank Sinatra in 1967's "Tony Rome." Rowlands also starred in 39 episodes of the television series "Peyton Place."

A Different Vision

Cassavetes and Rowlands became interested in a new kind of independent filmmaking that differed from the staid Hollywood approach. This would incorporate improvisation and angst-ridden situations, delving into the darker side of people's lives. What followed were gritty movies such as 1971's "Minnie and Moskowitz," "Opening Night" from 1977, and "Love Streams" (1984). Most of these were self-funded by Cassavetes from his earnings as an actor.

But Rowland's most famous roles were also Cassavetes-directed: 1974's "Woman Under the Influence," in which she portrayed a lonely housewife who slowly went mad, and "Gloria" (1980), in which she portrayed an ex-moll who protects a young boy from the mafia in New York City. She received Oscar nominations for both of these classic performances.

Rowlands Had One More Act

Cassavetes died in 1989 at the age of 59. Fortunately, unlike most actresses whose parts become increasingly sparse as they age, Rowlands had a steady stream of work throughout her life. And she had one more Tour de Force left in her. Her son Nick would cast her in his film"The Notebook," where she ironically plays a woman suffering from Alzheimer's. She received rave reviews for her performance as an older Allie.

In 2015, Gena Rowlands received an honorary Oscar. At the Governor’s Awards ceremony that year, Laura Linney, her co-star in "Wild Iris," had this to say about the legend. “Here is the example. Here is the standard. Here is the quality of work we should all strive for.”

Gene Rowlands is survived by her children, son Nick and daughters Alexandra and Zoe, who all pursued acting careers, and also her second husband, Robert Forest.

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Article originally written by Greg Simbeck