Gena Rowlands, a film and television actress, has died at the age of 94. She gained the greatest recognition for her collaboration with John Cassavetes, her husband. She was nominated for Oscars for her roles in his “A Woman Under the Influence” and “Gloria”. Also noteworthy are her performances in Woody Allen’s “The Other Woman”, Jim Jarmusch’s “Night on Earth” and “The Notebook”, in which she was cast by her son Nick Cassavetes.
We remind you of the episode of the Shortcuts program, in which we talk about “Woman under the Influence”:
Who Was Gena Rowlands? Early Career
Gena Rowlands was born on June 19, 1930. She graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City with a degree in acting. In the early 1950s, she appeared on Broadway, including in the comedy “The Seven Year Itch.” Initially, she played mostly guest roles and episodes in series, including “Top Secret,” “Robert Montgomery Presents,” and the anthology “Studio One.” She made her big-screen debut in the comedy “The High Cost of Loving.” We could also see her in the audience at a nightclub in one of the scenes in John Cassavetes’ “Shadows.”
Not just “Woman Under the Influence” and “Gloria”. What films did Gena Rowlands and John Cassavetes make together?
Gena Rowlands willingly appeared in films directed by her husband, John Cassavetes. The most famous of them are “A Woman Under the Influence” and “Gloria”, for which the actress was nominated for Oscars. She also appeared in the dramas “The Child Waits”, “Faces” and “Minnie and Moskowitz”. Her role in “Premiere” brought her an award at the Berlin festival. Rowlands was also a star of the Golden Bear-winning “Love Streams”. As actors, Gena Rowlands and John Cassavetes met on the set of an episode of the series “Johnny Staccato”, in which Cassavetes played the title role of a jazz pianist and detective, the Italian police drama “Gli Intoccabili”, the thriller “Two Minute Warning” and the marital comedy-drama “The Tempest” directed by Paul Mazursky.
Gena Rowlands in “Gloria”
Not Just John Cassavetes Films. Where Else Do We Know Gena Rowlands From?
Although Gena Rowlands created her most important roles in John Cassavetes’ films, she had many interesting roles for other directors. Her performances in Woody Allen’s “The Other Woman” and Jim Jarmusch’s “Night on Earth” are worth noting, in which she played a passenger in Winona Ryder’s taxi. She won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for her title role in the drama “The Betty Ford Story.” Further American Television Academy awards came for the dramas “A Face in the Crowd” and “Hysterical Blindness.”
Gena Rowlands in “Night on Earth”
Gena Rowlands has starred in comedy-dramas and dramas (“Game of Hearts”, “The Flying Hope”), as well as dark thrillers (“The Thief of Lives”, “The Skeleton Key”). In “The Notebook”, she moved with her role as Allie Calhoun, a woman suffering from Alzheimer’s, whose husband reads the titular journal describing the story of their love. She guest-starred in such popular series as “Columbo”, “Pattern”, “Monk” and “NCIS”. Her last screen appearance was in the short comedy “Unfortunate Circumstances”.
