Gena Rowlands

Virginia Cathryn "Gena" Rowlands (/ˈɛnə/;[1] June 19, 1930 – August 14, 2024) was an American actress, whose career in film, stage, and television spanned nearly seven decades. A four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner, she collaborated with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films, including A Woman Under the Influence (1974) and Gloria (1980), both of which earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She also won the Silver Bear for Best Actress for Opening Night (1977). She appeared in Woody Allen's Another Woman (1988), and her son Nick Cassavetes's film, The Notebook (2004). In 2021, Richard Brody of The New Yorker said, "The most important and original movie actor of the past half century-plus is Gena Rowlands."[2] In November 2015, Rowlands received an Honorary Academy Award in recognition of her unique screen performances.[3]

Gena Rowlands
Rowlands in 1968
Born
Virginia Cathryn Rowlands

(1930-06-19)June 19, 1930
DiedAugust 14, 2024(2024-08-14) (aged 94)
Resting placeWestwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, Westwood, California, U.S.
Alma materAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts
OccupationActress
Years active1949–2014
Spouses
  • (m. 1954; died 1989)
  • Robert Forrest
    (m. 2012)
Children
Parents

Early years

Rowlands was born on June 19, 1930, in Madison, Wisconsin.[4][5] Her mother, Mary Allen (née Neal), was a housewife who later worked as an actress under the stage name Lady Rowlands.[6] Her father, Edwin Myrwyn Rowlands, was a banker and state legislator.[7] He was a member of the Wisconsin Progressive Party, and was of Welsh descent.[8] She had an elder brother, David Rowlands.[9][10]

Her family moved to Washington, D.C., in 1939, when Edwin was appointed to a position in the United States Department of Agriculture; moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1942, when he was appointed branch manager of the Office of Price Administration;[11] and later moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. From 1947 to 1950, she attended the University of Wisconsin,[12] where she was a popular student already renowned for her beauty.[13] While in college, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma.[14] She left for New York City to study drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.[15]

Career

Early roles (1952–1967)

Publicity photo, 1955

In the early 1950s, Rowlands performed with repertory theatre companies and at the Provincetown Playhouse. She made her Broadway debut in The Seven Year Itch and toured in a national production of the play.[16] In 1956, she starred in the Broadway play Middle of the Night opposite Edward G. Robinson.[17]

Rowlands on Laramie in 1959

Rowlands costarred with Paul Stewart in the 26-episode syndicated TV series Top Secret (1954–55). She guest-starred on such anthology television series as Robert Montgomery Presents, Armstrong Circle Theatre, Studio One, Appointment with Adventure, The United States Steel Hour, and Goodyear Television Playhouse, all in 1955. In 1959, Rowlands appeared in the Western series Laramie, alongside her husband John Cassavetes in the detective series Johnny Staccato, and in the Western series Riverboat, starring Darren McGavin. In 1961, she appeared in the adventure series The Islanders, set in the South Pacific, and in Target: The Corruptors!, starring Stephen McNally. She guest-starred in The Lloyd Bridges Show, the detective series 77 Sunset Strip, Kraft Suspense Theatre, the Westerns Bonanza and The Virginian, and Breaking Point, all in 1963. In 1964, she guest-starred in the medical drama Dr. Kildare and in two episodes of Burke's Law. She appeared in four episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, three of which were after the series had been renamed The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. In 1967, she was cast as socialite Adrienne Van Leyden in the prime-time ABC soap opera Peyton Place.[citation needed]

Rowlands with husband John Cassavetes in TV series Johnny Staccato, 1959

Rowlands made her film debut in The High Cost of Loving in 1958. In 1962, she starred in director David Miller's Lonely Are the Brave, with Kirk Douglas and Walter Matthau. She played the former lover of the Kirk Douglas character, now the wife of the Douglas character's best friend.[citation needed]

Cassavetes era (1963–1984)

Rowlands and Cassavetes made ten films together: A Child Is Waiting (1963), Faces (1968), Machine Gun McCain (1969), Minnie and Moskowitz (1971), A Woman Under the Influence (1974; nomination for Academy Award for Best Actress), Two-Minute Warning (1976), Opening Night (1977), Gloria (1980; nomination for Academy Award for Best Actress), Tempest (1982), and Love Streams (1984).[18]

According to Boston University film scholar Ray Carney, Rowlands sought to suppress an early version of Cassavetes's first film, Shadows, that Carney says he rediscovered after decades of searching.[19] Rowlands also became involved in the screenings of Husbands and Love Streams, according to Carney. The UCLA Film and Television Archive mounted a restoration of Husbands, as it was pruned down (without Cassavetes's consent, and in violation of his contract) by Columbia Pictures several months after its release, in an attempt to restore as much of the removed content as possible. At Rowlands's request, UCLA created an alternative print with almost ten minutes of content edited out, as Rowlands felt that these scenes were in poor taste. The alternative print is the only one that has been made available for rental.[20]

Late career (1985–2014)

In 1985, Rowlands played the mother in the critically acclaimed made-for-TV movie An Early Frost.[21] She won an Emmy for her portrayal of former First Lady of the United States Betty Ford in the 1987 made-for-TV movie The Betty Ford Story.[22]

In 1988, Rowlands starred in Woody Allen's dramatic film Another Woman. She played Marion Post, a middle-aged professor who is prompted to a journey of self-discovery when she overhears the therapy sessions of another woman (Mia Farrow). The review in Time Out described the character's trajectory: "Marion gets to thinking, and is appalled to realise that so many assumptions about her own life and marriage are largely unfounded: in her desire for a controlled existence, she has evaded the emotional truth about relationships with her best friend (Sandy Dennis), brother (Harris Yulin) and husband (Ian Holm)." Time Out praised the "marvellous" performances in the film, adding, "Rowlands' perfectly pitched approach to a demanding role is particularly stunning."[23] Film4 called her performance "sublime",[24] while Roger Ebert noted that it marked a considerable change in tone from her work with Cassavetes, thus showing "how good an actress Rowlands has been all along."[25]

In 1995, Rowlands appeared as Julia Roberts's mother in the comedy-drama film Something to Talk About,[26] and in 1998, she played Sandra Bullock's mother in the dramatic film Hope Floats.[27] In 2002, Rowlands appeared in Mira Nair's HBO movie Hysterical Blindness, for which she won her third Emmy.

In 2004, she starred as the older version of Rachel McAdams's character in the romantic drama film The Notebook alongside James Garner as her husband, which was directed by her son Nick Cassavetes.[28] The same year, she won her first Daytime Emmy for her role as Mrs. Evelyn Ritchie in the made-for-TV movie The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie.[29]

Rowlands at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival

In 2005, she appeared opposite Kate Hudson, Peter Sarsgaard, and John Hurt in the gothic thriller The Skeleton Key.[30] The next year she appeared as Mrs. Hellman in an episode from the third season of Numb3rs. She played a Nazi survivor whose whole family was killed. The family owned a painting that the Nazis confiscated. Later on the painting reappeared. The new owner lent the painting to an art gallery in Los Angeles but while on display it was stolen. FBI agent Don Eppes, played by Rob Morrow, tries to figure out what really happened. Rowlands received positive reviews for this role. She has been a spokesperson for people who were persecuted by the Nazis.[citation needed]

In 2007, she played a supporting role opposite Parker Posey and Melvil Poupaud in Broken English, an independent American feature written and directed by her daughter Zoe Cassavetes. In 2009, she appeared on an episode of Monk ("Mr. Monk and the Lady Next Door"). On March 2, 2010, she appeared on an episode of NCIS as lead character Leroy Jethro Gibbs's former mother-in-law, who is embroiled in a murder investigation.[31] In 2014, she starred in the film adaptation of Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.[32] In 2015, she described herself as generally retired from acting.[33]

Personal life

Rowlands was married to John Cassavetes from March 9, 1954,[34][35] until his death on February 3, 1989. They met at the American Academy at Carnegie Hall, where they were both students. They had three children, all actor-directors: Nick, Alexandra, and Zoe.

Rowlands married retired businessman Robert Forrest in 2012.[36]

Rowlands stated that she was a fan of actress Bette Davis while growing up. She played Davis's daughter in the 1979 made-for-TV film Strangers.[37]

Illness and death

On June 24, 2024, Nick Cassavetes announced that his mother had been living with Alzheimer's disease for the previous five years.[38] Rowlands died from complications of Alzheimer's disease at her home in Indian Wells, California, on August 14, 2024, at the age of 94.[39]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1958The High Cost of LovingJenny Fry
1959ShadowsWoman in NightclubUncredited
1962Lonely Are the BraveJerry Bondi
The Spiral RoadEls
1963A Child Is WaitingSophie Widdicombe
1967Tony RomeRita Kosterman
1968FacesJeannie Rapp
1969Machine Gun McCainRosemary Scott
1971Minnie and MoskowitzMinnie Moore
1974A Woman Under the InfluenceMabel Longhetti
1976Two-Minute WarningJanet
1977Opening NightMyrtle Gordon
1978The Brink's JobMary Pino
1980GloriaGloria Swenson
1982TempestAntonia Dimitrius
1984Love StreamsSarah Lawson
I'm Almost Not Crazy:
John Cassavetes, the Man & His Work
HerselfDocumentary Short (released in 1989)
1987Light of DayJeanette Rasnick
1988Another WomanMarion Post
1990Hollywood MavericksHerselfDocumentary
1991Once AroundMarilyn Bella
Night on EarthVictoria Snelling
Ted & VenusMrs. Turner
1993Silent CriesPeggy Sutherland
1995Something to Talk AboutGeorgia King
The Neon BibleMae Morgan
1996Unhook the StarsMildred "Millie" Hawks
1997She's So LovelyMiss Jane Green
1998PaulieIvy
Hope FloatsRamona Calvert
The MightyGram
Playing by HeartHannah
1999The WeekendLaura Ponti
2000Light Keeps Me CompanyHerself – intervieweeDocumentary
2003Broadway: The Golden AgeHerself
2004Taking LivesMrs. Asher
The NotebookOlder Allie Calhoun
2005The Skeleton KeyViolet Devereaux
2006Paris, je t'aimeGenaSegment: Quartier Latin
2007Broken EnglishVivien Wilder-Mann
PersepolisGrandmotherVoice; English dubbed version
2011OliveTess M Powell
2012YellowMimi
2013Parts Per BillionEsther
2014Six Dance Lessons in Six WeeksLily Harrison

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1954Top SecretPowellEpisode: "This Man Is Death"
1955The Way of the WorldPaula Graves
Robert Montgomery PresentsMyrtle WilsonSeason 6 Episode 33: "The Great Gatsby"
Ponds TheaterJanetSeason 2 Episode 34: "The Ways of Courage"
Armstrong Circle TheatreLugeneSeason 5 Episode 40: "Time for Love"
Studio One on HollywoodBettySeason 7 Episode 50: "A Chance of Love"
Appointment with Adventure(1) Lorri
(2) Sally Mason
(1) Season 1 Episode 14: "Caribbean Cruise"
(2) Season 1 Episode 23: "The Pirate's House"
The United States Steel HourLilySeason 3 Episode 7: "Ashton Buys a Horse"
Goodyear Television Playhouse(1) Eve
(2) Betty
(1) Season 4 Episode 15: "Do It Yourself"
(2) Season 5 Episode 3: "The Expendable House"
1958General Electric TheaterDorothy DickensonSeason 7 Episode 12: "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair"
1959LaramieLaurel DeWaltSeason 1 Episode 9: "The Run to Tumavaca"
Johnny StaccatoNina Van NessSeason 1 Episode 9: "Fly Baby, Fly"
MarkhamRita EvansSeason 1 Episode 28: "The Altar"
RiverboatRose TraynorSeason 1 Episode 14: "Guns for Empire"
1960Adventures in ParadiseDr. Abigail BrentSeason 1 Episode 28: "The Death-Divers"
Alfred Hitchcock PresentsLucille JonesSeason 6 Episode 2: "The Doubtful Doctor"
The Tab Hunter ShowBarbara / PenelopeSeason 1 Episode 8: "Double Trouble"
1961The IslandersPepper MintSeason 1 Episode 20: "Island Witness"
Target: The Corruptors!Marian PraisewaterSeason 1 Episode 5: "The Poppy Vendor"
1961–196287th PrecinctTeddy Carella(1) Season 1 Episode 1: "The Floater" (1961)
(2) Season 1 Episode 2: "Lady in Waiting" (1961)
(3) Season 1 Episode 6: "Occupation, Citizen" (1961)
(4) Season 1 Episode 25: "Step Forward" (1962)
1962The Alfred Hitchcock HourHelen MartinSeason 1 Episode 11: "Ride the Nightmare"
1963The Dick Powell TheatreMrs. CanfieldSeason 2 Episode 15: "Project X"
The Lloyd Bridges ShowLeslie KaufmanSeason 1 Episode 20: "A Personal Matter"
77 Sunset StripBarbara AdamsSeason 5 Episode 25: "Flight 307"
BonanzaRagan MillerSeason 5 Episode 1: "She Walks in Beauty"
The VirginianSavannahSeason 2 Episode 3: "No Tears for Savannah"
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler TheatreJuneSeason 1 Episode 9: "It's Mental Work"
Breaking PointShelley Osborne PetersSeason 1 Episode 14: "Heart of Marble, Body of Shame"
The Alfred Hitchcock HourLouise HendersonSeason 1 Episode 23: "The Lonely Hours"
Kraft Suspense TheatreJanet CordSeason 1 Episode 6: "One Step Down"
1964The Alfred Hitchcock HourDiana JustinSeason 2 Episode 19: "Murder Case"
Dr. KildareHelen ScottSeason 3 Episode 20: "To Walk in Grace"
Burke's Law(1) Paulette Shane
(2) Mitzi Carlisle
(1) Season 1 Episode 17: "Who Killed What's His Name?"
(2) Season 1 Episode 28: "Who Killed Annie Foran?"
1965Kraft Suspense TheatreLois BaxterSeason 2 Episode 18: "Won't It Ever Be Morning?
1966Run for Your LifeCharlotte HydeSeason 1 Episode 17: "The Rediscovery of Charlotte Hyde"
The Long, Hot SummerKaren RobertsSeason 1 Episode 20: "From This Day Forward"
1967The Road WestKaren CollierSeason 1 Episode 16: "Beyond the Hill"
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.Baroness IngridSeason 1 Episode 20: "The Fountain of Youth Affair"
Peyton PlaceAdrienne Van Leyden39 episodes
1968Garrison's GorillasDuchessSeason 1 Episode 24: "The Frame-Up"
1971Medical CenterFrances DelaneySeason 2 Episode 23: "The Man in Hiding"
1972Circle of FearKate LucasSeason 1 Episode 2: "The Concrete Captain"
1973Medical CenterKaren CoberlySeason 5 Episode 8: "Child of Violence"
1974Marcus Welby, M.D.Lorrain DenbySeason 6 Episode 13: "The 266 Days"
1975ColumboElizabeth Van WyckSeason 4 Episode 5: "Playback"
1978A Question of LoveLinda Ray GuettnerTelevision movie
1979Strangers:
The Story of a Mother and Daughter
Abigail Mason
1983Thursday's ChildVictoria Alden
Faerie Tale TheatreWitchSeason 2 Episode 1: "Rapunzel"
1985An Early FrostKatherine PiersonTelevision movie
1987The Betty Ford StoryBetty Ford
1990MontanaBess Guthrie
1991Face of a StrangerPat Foster
1992Crazy in LoveHonora Swift
1993Anything for JohnHerselfTelevision documentary
1994Parallel LivesFrancie PomerantzTelevision movie
1998Grace and GlorieGrace Stiles
Best Friends for LifeMrs. Harriet Cahill
2000The Color of Love: Jacey's StoryGeorgia Porter
2001Wild IrisMinnie Brinn
2002Charms for the Easy LifeMs. Charlie Kate
2003Broadway: The Golden AgeHerselfDocumentary series
Hysterical BlindnessVirginia MillerTelevision movie
2004The Incredible Mrs. RitchieEvelyn Ritchie
2006Numb3rsMrs. HellmanSeason 3 Episode 3: "Provenance"
2007What If God Were the Sun?Melissa EisenbloomTelevision movie
2009MonkMarge JohnsonSeason 7 Episode 12: "Mr. Monk & the Lady Next Door"
2010NCISJoann FieldingSeason 7 Episode 16: "Mother's Day"

Awards and nominations

Rowlands was nominated for two Academy Awards, eight Primetime Emmy Awards, one Daytime Emmy Award, eight Golden Globe Awards, three Satellite Awards, and two SAG Awards.[40]

Some of her notable wins are a Silver Bear for Best Actress, three Primetime Emmy Awards and one Daytime Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, two National Board of Review Awards, and two Satellite Awards.

In January 2015, Rowlands was presented with a lifetime achievement award by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.[41] She was also chosen by the Academy Awards board of governors to receive an Honorary Academy Award that same year.

At the Governors Awards ceremony, she was honored by Laura Linney and Cate Blanchett who offered up tributes, and Rowlands' son Nick Cassavetes presented the award to her.

The press release described Rowlands as "an original talent" whose "devotion to her craft has earned her worldwide recognition as an independent film icon".[42]

Academy Awards

YearCategoryNominated workResult
1974Best ActressA Woman Under the InfluenceNominated
1980GloriaNominated
2015Honorary Academy AwardWon

Primetime Emmy Award

YearCategoryNominated workResult
1986Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or a MovieAn Early FrostNominated
1987The Betty Ford StoryWon
1992Face of a StrangerWon
2000The Color of Love: Jacey's StoryNominated
2002Wild IrisNominated
2003Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or MovieHysterical BlindnessWon
2007Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or MovieWhat If God Were the Sun?Nominated
2009Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy SeriesMonkNominated

Golden Globe Awards

YearCategoryNominated workResult
1974Best Actress – Motion Picture DramaA Woman Under the InfluenceWon
1977Opening NightNominated
1980GloriaNominated
1983Best Actress – Miniseries or Television FilmThursday's ChildNominated
1985An Early FrostNominated
1987The Betty Ford StoryWon
1992Best Supporting Actress – TelevisionCrazy in LoveNominated
2002Hysterical BlindnessNominated

Other Awards

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult
1971New York Film Critics CircleBest ActressMinnie and MoskowitzNominated
1974National Board of ReviewBest ActressA Woman Under the InfluenceWon
1974New York Film Critics CircleBest ActressNominated
1974Kansas City Film Critics CircleBest ActressWon
1974San Sebastián International Film FestivalBest ActressWon
1977Berlin International Film FestivalSilver Bear for Best ActressOpening NightWon
1980Boston Society of Film CriticsBest ActressGloriaWon
1994Sundance Film FestivalTribute to Independent Vision AwardWon
1996National Board of ReviewCareer Achievement AwardWon
1996Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Actress – FilmUnhook the StarsNominated
1999Seattle International Film FestivalExcellence for Ensemble CastThe WeekendWon
2000Satellite AwardBest Actress – Mini-Series or Television FilmThe Color of Love: Jacey's StoryNominated
2004Daytime Emmy AwardOutstanding Performer in a Children's SpecialThe Incredible Mrs. RitchieWon
2004Satellite AwardBest Supporting Actress – Motion PictureThe NotebookNominated
2005Saturn AwardBest Supporting ActressThe Skeleton KeyNominated
2008Screen Actors Guild AwardActress in a Miniseries or TV MovieWhat If God Were the SunNominated
2014Los Angeles Film Critics AssociationCareer Achievement AwardWon

References

Further reading