Nick Cassavetes, director and son of legendary screen actress Gena Rowlands, has confirmed that his mother is living with Alzheimer’s disease. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cassavetes discussed his unique experience of directing his mother as a character with dementia in the 2004 romantic drama, The Notebook. Rowlands, now 94 years old, has reportedly been living with the condition for the past five years.
The revelation came as Cassavetes marked the 20th anniversary of the film, which sees Rowlands play the older version of Rachel McAdams’ character, Allie. James Garner and Ryan Gosling play the elder and younger versions of her partner, Noah. Cassavetes revealed that he had talked at length with his mother about Alzheimer’s when filming The Notebook, aiming to ensure authenticity in portraying the condition. Reflecting on the situation now, he said, “She’s in full dementia, and it’s so crazy — we lived it, she acted it, and now it’s on us.”
Rowlands was married to cult independent filmmaker John Cassavetes, directing her in ten of his films and earning Oscar nominations for her performances in A Woman Under The Influence (1974) and Gloria (1980). She also won the Silver Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1977 for Opening Night, along with starring in Woody Allen’s Another Woman (1988). In 2015, Rowlands was awarded an honorary Oscar in recognition of her career achievements.
Despite her extended absence from acting, Rowlands’ legacy remains deeply felt. Actress Jenna Ortega recently named A Woman Under The Influence as her favourite film of all time, while Rowlands’ most recent screen role was in 2014’s Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, opposite Cheyenne Jackson
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