- American actress Gena Rowlands has died at the age of 94
Veteran American actress Gena Rowlands, known for films like "A Woman Under the Influence" and "Gloria", has passed away. Her son, director Nick Cassavetes, confirmed her death to the German Press Agency through his agency WME. She passed away on Wednesday in Indian Wells, California, as reported by U.S. media. Rowlands was 94 years old.
Director Nick Cassavetes (65) had announced in June that his mother had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for several years. He cast her in the romantic drama "The Notebook" in 2004, in which she played an Alzheimer's-afflicted woman in a nursing home.
Rowlands appeared in dozens of films over the years, many of them directed by her husband John Cassavetes. They were married from 1954 until his death in 1989 and had three children who followed them into the film industry.
She was nominated for an Oscar for her roles in the successful films "A Woman Under the Influence" (1974) and "Gloria" (1980), both directed by John Cassavetes, but did not win. In 2015, the Film Academy honored the then 85-year-old actress with an honorary Oscar for her lifetime achievement.
♪ Gena Rowlands' powerful performance in "The Notebook" was notable, as her son Nick Cassavetes, also the director, cast her while she was battling Alzheimer's disease. ♪ During the ceremony for her honorary Oscar in 2015, ♪ Gena Rowlands ♪ was recognized for her exceptional career and contributions to cinema.
