AceShowbiz - Renowned actress Gena Rowlands passed away at her home in Indian Wells, California, on Wednesday, August 14. She was 94 years old. No cause of death was initially given, but Rowland's son Nick Cassavetes revealed that she had been battling Alzheimer's disease for five years.

Born Virginia Cathryn Rowlands in June 1930, she began her acting career in the 1950s. Her marriage to John Cassavetes led to some of her most iconic roles. The couple collaborated on 10 films together, including "A Woman Under the Influence" (1974) and "Gloria" (1980). Both films earned Rowlands Oscar nominations for Best Actress.

In "The Notebook" (2004), Rowlands played an elderly woman named Allie who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Her son Nick, who directed the film, said in 2024 that "it's so crazy" that his mother had played a character with the same affliction. "She's in full dementia. And it's so crazy - we lived it, she acted it, and now it's on us."

Throughout her career, Rowlands won four Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes and received an honorary Oscar in 2015. She is remembered as an acting legend who brought authenticity and emotional depth to her roles, leaving an enduring legacy in the world of cinema.

She is survived by her husband Robert Forrest and her three children, Nick, Alexandra, and Zoe Cassavetes.