Gena Rowlands, older ‘Allie’ in ‘The Notebook,’ passes away at 94

Gena Rowlands, known for the movies A Woman Under the Influence, Gloria and The Notebook, passed away at 94.

Gena’s director-son, Nick Cassavetes, has confirmed the news to the Associated Press.

TMZ reported that the actress died at her home in Indian Wells, California, US, where her family members surrounded her including her husband, Robert Forrest.

Last June, Nick said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly for the 20th anniversary of The Notebook that her mother has dementia.

“She’s in full dementia. And it’s so crazy — we lived it, she acted it, and now it’s on us.”

Nick, the oldest child of Gena and John Cassavetes, has directed the 2004 classic film The Notebook where Gena played the role of older Allie, who later on succumbed to dementia in the movie.

In a 2004 interview with O Magazine, Gena shared that if not for his son, she would decline the role of Allie.

“If Nick hadn’t directed the film, I don’t think I would have gone for it — it’s just too hard. It was a tough but wonderful movie.”

With a fruitful movie career spanning over six decades, Rowlands has earned various awards, including the Best Actress in a Motion Picture nod at the Golden Globes last 1975 for her movie A Woman Under the Influence and Best Actress Award in a Supporting Role in the Satellite Awards last 2005 for The Notebook.

Gena Rowlands married John Cassavetes, a Greek-American director and actor in 1954, and the two have collaborated in various films together, including Gloria and A Woman Under the Influence, for which Gena earned an Oscar nomination for both films.

In 2012, the famed actress remarried Robert Forrest, a retired businessman.

Gena is survived by her husband, Robert, and her children, Nick, Alexandra and Zoe.