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Remembering Gena Rowland's Glorious Life And Career As She Passes Away At 94
Let's take a look back at Gena Rowland’s inspiring decades-long career and her glorious life as the actress dies at 94.
Trigger warning: This article contains a reference to death.
Gena Rowland created an imprint in the world of acting as she played multiple iconic characters and made a name for herself. The star, who had been battling Alzheimer's, sadly passed away at 94 on August 14, 2024. The actress was widely known for portraying the older version of Allie in The Notebook and had an impressive filmography.
According to People Magazine, the actress's full name was Virginia Cathryn ‘Gena’ Rowland. She was born on June 19, 1930. The actress was brought up in Wisconsin. She went off to attend the University of Wisconsin and later studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.
During her time at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she crossed paths with director John Cassavetes, and the two tied the knot in 1954. They were together until his passing on February 3, 1989.
Both have worked with one another on multiple projects, including A Child Is Waiting, Machine Gun McCain, Faces, Minnie and Moskowitz, Two-Minute Warning A Woman Under The Influence, Opening Night, Gloria, Tempest, and Love Streams.
The pair birthed three kids, including Nick Cassavetes, Alexandra ‘Xan’ Cassavetes, and Zoe Cassavetes. Just like their parents, all the children ventured into showbiz.
The late actress received her first Academy Award nomination in 1974 for A Woman Under Influence, which was directed by her husband. She won her first Golden Globe in 1974 for the same. She went on to win one more Golden Globe for her performance in The Betty Ford Story. As per people, Rowland had garnered eight Golden Globe nominations in her career, per the outlet.
The Notebook star’s last project with her husband was Gloria; after this, he passed away in 1989. For this project, she received her second Oscar nomination and another Golden Globe nomination.
This is not it; she grabbed her first Emmy win for Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her work in the Betty Ford Story. In her inspirational career, she earned eight Emmys in total. She went on to star in multiple iconic ventures, including Another Woman, Love Streams, and Hysterical Blindness.
As per the Wall Street Journal, the actress and businessman Robert Forrest got together. Forrest was a close friend of the former pair. The businessman and the actress went on to tie the knot in 2012.
In 2015, during the 7th yearly Governors Awards event, Rowland was awarded an Honorary Academy Award. During her speech, she expressed her gratitude for her late husband and his contribution to her filmography. In the same year, while conversing with the Hollywood Reporter, Rowland announced that she was retiring from acting.
During her interview with the publication, she wittily stated that she would be open to reading the script if the legendary filmmaker, Steven Spielberg approached the actress. Since then, the actress had opted to live her life privately until her passing.
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