Gena Rowlands Dies: ‘The Notebook’, ‘Gloria’ And ‘A Woman Under the Influence’ Star Was 94

Gena Rowlands, whose captivating work as the elder and dementia-ridden Allie in The Notebook moved moviegoers, has died at 94.

Rowlands died this afternoon at her home in Indian Wells, CA, where she was surrounded by family. No cause of death was given, but the retired actress had been battling Alzheimer’s disease, ironic in light of her film role.

She retired from Hollywood in 2015 after earning four Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes and two Oscar nominations. Her Oscar noms included A Woman Under the Influence and Gloria, both borne of collaborations with her former husband John Cassavetes.

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Rowlands won Primetime Emmys for The Betty Ford Story, Face of a Stranger and Hysterical Blindness, as well as a Daytime Emmy for The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie.

Her son, director and actor Nick Cassavetes, spoke to Entertainment Weekly about The Notebook role.

“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,” says the director, whose grandmother, actress Lady Rowlands, also had the disease. “She’s in full dementia. And it’s so crazy — we lived it, she acted it, and now it’s on us.”

Born in Cambria, Wisconsin, Rowland moved to New York after a stint in regional theater and made her  Broadway debut in The Seven Year Itch, touring in a national production of the play. In 1956, she starred in the Broadway play Middle of the Night opposite Edward G. Robinson. 

Rowlands costarred in the 26-episode syndicated TV series Top Secret, and guest-starred on many TV anthology series. She later was a regular guest on many top TV shows.

In 1959, Rowlands appeared in the Western series Laramie, and later alongside her husband, John Cassavetes in the detective series Johnny Staccato.

Rowlands made her film debut in The High Cost of Living in 1958.

Rowlands and Cassavetes made ten films together, including 1974’s A Woman Under The Influence, which garnered a Best Actress nomination, and 1980’s Gloria, which also spawned a Best Actress Oscar nomination. Rowlands was married to him from April 9, 1954, until his death on February 3, 1989.

Survivors include her husband, Robert, and children Nick, Alexandra, and Zoe Cassavetes.