Gena Rowlands, 'Notebook' Star, Dies at 94

Gena Rowlands, the Oscar-nominated actress whose career spanned nearly seven decades, has died at the age of 94. The news was confirmed by the office of agent Danny Greenberg, who represents Rowlands' son, Nick Cassavetes.

Rowlands was celebrated for her work in both early independent cinema alongside her first husband, director John Cassavetes, and mainstream titles later in her career. She is known for her roles in films like "Hope Floats" (1998), opposite Sandra Bullock, and the romantic drama "The Notebook" (2004).

She received two Academy Award nominations for her performances in John Cassavetes' films "A Woman Under the Influence" (1974) and "Gloria" (1980). In 2015, Rowlands was awarded an honorary Oscar for her "extraordinary lifetime achievement" in cinema.

In a June interview with Entertainment Weekly, her son Nick Cassavetes revealed that Rowlands had been living with Alzheimer's disease for the past five years. He reflected on the poignancy of his mother's portrayal of an ageing Allie Calhoun in "The Notebook," who struggles with the condition.

Cassavetes explained that they had spent considerable time discussing Alzheimer's while filming "The Notebook" to ensure authenticity. He remarked on the striking coincidence that his mother, who played a character facing dementia, subsequently developed the condition herself.

"I got my mom to play older Allie, and we spent a lot of time talking about Alzheimer’s and wanting to be authentic with it, and now, for the last five years, she’s had Alzheimer’s," Cassavetes said. "She’s in full dementia. And it’s so crazy — we lived it, she acted it, and now it’s on us.”

Rowlands' legacy extends beyond her on-screen work. Her collaborations with John Cassavetes helped to define a new wave of independent cinema, known for its gritty realism and raw emotional depth.

The actress' passing marks the end of an era in film history, and her performances will continue to be admired and cherished for generations to come.