Gena Rowlandsa historical figure of cinema with a career spanning almost seven decades and 93 years of age, was diagnosed with Alzheimer disease. The news was revealed by his son, the director Nick Cassavetesin a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly.
The announcement of the diagnosis came while Nick Cassavetes reflected on the 20th anniversary of Diary of a passion (2004), a film directed by him and in which his mother played the older version of the character Rachel McAdamswho also suffered from dementia in the plot.
“I got my mom to play Allie when I was older, and we spent a lot of time talking about Alzheimer’s and wanting to be authentic about it. Now, For the past five years, she has had Alzheimer’s”explained the director. “He is in complete dementia. And he is so crazy: we lived it, she acted it, and now she turns it to us.”
The connection between Rowlands’s role in The Notebook (original English title of the film) is unexpected, however, when it was recorded, it was a very complex situation to portray for Gena Rowlands and her son Nick, because she was a neurodegenerative disease present in your family tree.
In a 2004 interview with the magazine EITHERshe had mentioned that playing the character was particularly difficult due to her personal experience with the disease. his mother, Lady Rowlands, who also suffered from Alzheimer’s.
“If Nick hadn’t directed the movie, I don’t think I would have accepted it, it’s too harsh“, he commented then.
During production, anecdotes emerged that reflect the actress’s professionalism. Nick Cassavetes recalled a time when studio executives requested to reshoot the ending so that the character Gena Rowlands I would cry more.
Initially upset by the request, the veteran Hollywood star demonstrated her skill by filming the perfect shot on the first try during reshoots. “I promise you, on my father’s life, this is true: Tears welled up in her eyes when she saw James Garner, and she burst into tears.. And I thought, well, we already have it,” the director recalled.
Rowlands made his last appearance in the film Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks of 2014, together with Cheyenne Jackson. Throughout his career, has won four Emmy Awards and two Golden Globesin addition to those mentioned Oscar nominations and the honorary award from the Academy.
The film industry and the actress’s followers have received the news of her diagnosis with shock. The Alzheimer’s Association and the American Alzheimer’s Foundation They offer resources to learn more about the disease, support services, and opportunities to donate to research.
The legacy of Gena Rowlands in the cinema it is still valid, with Diary of a passion as one of his most remembered works. According to the official synopsis available on IMDB, it is described like this: “An old man reads to a woman with dementia the story of two young lovers whose romance is threatened by the difference in their respective social classes.”
The film, which grossed $117 million at the global box office, continues to be considered one of the most popular love stories of the 2000s. In addition to Rowlands and McAdams, it starred Ryan Gosling, James Marsden, Joan Allen, David Thornton, James Garneramong others.
Gena is widely recognized for her collaborations with her late husband, the filmmaker John Cassavetes. Among his most notable works are A woman under the influence (1974) and Glory (1980), films that earned her Oscar nominations for best actress. In 2015, The Academy awarded him an honorary Oscar in recognition of his long career in Hollywood.
