Gena Rowlands

Born
June 19, 1930 · Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Died
August 14, 2024 · Indian Wells, California, USA (complications from dementia)
Birth name
Virginia Cathryn Rowlands
Height
5′ 6″ (1.68 m)

Pedro Almodóvar dedicated his movie All About My Mother (1999) to her, Bette Davis and Romy Schneider.
Her performance as Mabel Longhetti in A Woman Under the Influence (1974) is ranked #63 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).
Has suppressed the first version of her husband's (John Cassavetes) film Shadows (1958) and will neither allow it to be shown, nor acknowledge its existence.
As of 2013, she is one of six women who has received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for a performance directed by her spouse. She is the only one who has received two such nominations, for A Woman Under the Influence (1974) and Gloria (1980) (both directed by John Cassavetes). The other five are Elisabeth Bergner for Escape Me Never (1935) (directed by Paul Czinner), Jean Simmons for The Happy Ending (1969) (directed by Richard Brooks), Frances McDormand for Fargo (1996) (directed by Joel Coen), Julie Andrews for Victor/Victoria (1982) (directed by Blake Edwards), and Joanne Woodward for Rachel, Rachel (1968) (directed by Paul Newman). Jules Dassin also directed his future wife Melina Mercouri in a Best Actress Oscar nominated performance (Never on Sunday (1960)), but they weren't married yet at the time of the nomination.
Saw Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel 38 times while ushering in theater in New York in her early twenties. Has been a fan of Dietrich's ever since.

[on working with Bette Davis on the TV movie Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter (1979)] When they offered that part opposite her, I didn't want to do it. I thought, what if all my illusions were broken? But I couldn't resist the temptation. She's no pussycat -- she's just a great and independent artist and I loved every minute working with her.
[on John Cassavetes] We had a great deal of freedom when John acted. We traveled a lot and it was fun. But with directing ... really. I think people don't have all their marbles who prefer directing to acting because you write for three months, you cut for maybe six months. He's the most terrifying perfectionist about what he wants. As an artist, I love him. As a husband, I hate him.
[on her role in A Woman Under the Influence (1974)] I knew many girls who had had breakdowns. I drew little touches from each of them and a lot from myself. I don't mean I'm really going mad, but I'm a little crazy - we all are - and sometimes I let things go.
Children are everything actors say they are. They're unpredictable; they steal scenes, but that's what makes them so much fun. They're not brainwashed and that's very exciting. You never know what they're going to do or say - how they'll respond.
[on receiving an honorary Oscar] I didn't think for a minute that I was going to get it. I think it's awfully nice.