Washington: Actress Gena Rowlands, renowned for her strong acting skills and groundbreaking work in cinema, has died at the age of 94. According to The Hollywood Reporter, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, Rowlands died at her home in Indian Wells with family by her side.
Rowlands’ remarkable career spanned more than six decades, during which she earned critical acclaim for her roles in both television and film.
She received Oscar nominations for her performances in ‘A Woman Under the Influence’ (1974) and ‘Gloria’ (1980). In ‘A Woman Under the Influence’, Rowlands played an emotionally fragile housewife, while in ‘Gloria’ she played a tough protester tangled with the mob.
Despite her nominations, she received no Academy Awards, although she was later awarded an honorary Oscar at the 2015 Governors Awards. Throughout her career, Rowlands worked closely with her late husband, director John Cassavetes.
Cassavetes directed Rowlands in several influential films, including “Faces” (1968), “Opening Night” (1977) and “Love Streams” (1984).
Together they pushed the boundaries of traditional filmmaking and explored complex human emotions and social issues.
“You don’t just live one life — your own — you live many lives,” Rowlands reflected on her acting career in an interview at the 2015 Governors Awards, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Rowlands also made significant contributions to television, winning three Emmy Awards for her roles in “The Betty Ford Story” (1987) and “Hysterical Blindness” (2002).
Her versatility extended to roles in ‘The Notebook’ (2004), where she played an elderly woman suffering from dementia, and ‘Unhook the Stars’ (1996), in which she played a lonely widow.
Born Virginia Katherine Rowlands on June 19, 1930, in Madison, Wisconsin, she began her acting career in theater and television before making her mark in films, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
After studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, Rowlands met Cassavetes and the two married in 1954.
Rowlands’ legacy is carried on by her children Nick, Zoe, and Xan Cassavetes, all of whom have followed in their parents’ footsteps in the film industry.
Her last films include ‘Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks’ (2014) and ‘The Skeleton Key’ (2005).
Paying tribute to Rowlands, Sidney Lumet once said, according to The Hollywood Reporter, “The greatest compliment I can pay him — anyone — is that his talent frightens me, makes me realize how many people lack it and what power it has to those who have it and use it well.”
