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Gena Rowlands, celebrated for her powerful performances in independent cinema, has died at the age of 94. Her passing was confirmed by her son, filmmaker Nick Cassavetes, who revealed in June that Rowlands had been battling Alzheimer's disease. She died at her home in Indian Wells, California.
Rowlands' illustrious career began in the 1950s on stage and television, but she gained prominence through her collaborations with her husband, director John Cassavetes. Together, they created seminal works of independent cinema, including "Faces"(1968), "Minnie and Moskowitz" (1971), "A Woman Under the Influence" (1974), and "Gloria" (1980). These films highlighted her talent for portraying complex, troubled women, earning her Oscar nominations for both A Woman Under the Influence and Gloria.
Born Virginia Cathryn Rowlands on June 19, 1930, in Cambria, Wisconsin, she trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, where she met Cassavetes. Their marriage in 1954 marked the beginning of a dynamic partnership. Rowlands' Broadway debut in "Middle of the Night" (1956) and her subsequent film roles demonstrated her remarkable range and depth. "I always wanted to be an actress; I read so much when I was little, and it revealed to me there were other things to be," she said in 2016.
Rowlands' career was punctuated by her work with Cassavetes, which set new standards for emotional intensity in film. She once described her acting philosophy, saying, "You know what's wonderful about being an actress? You don't just live one life. You live many lives." Her role as Mabel Longhetti in "A Woman Under the Influence" was particularly noted for its raw portrayal of mental illness, a performance Pauline Kael called "enough for a half a dozen tours de force."
Following Cassavetes' death in 1989, Rowlands continued to act, receiving acclaim for her roles in Woody Allen's "Another Woman" (1988) and "The Notebook" (2004), which introduced her to a new generation. She won three Primetime Emmy Awards, one Daytime Emmy, and two Golden Globes, and was honored with an Academy Honorary Award in 2015.
