'The Notebook' actress Gena Rowlands has Alzheimer's disease, son says

Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
Updated ·3-min read

Screen legend Gena Rowlands has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

The actress' son, Nick Cassavetes, shared the news with Entertainment Weekly while reflecting on her role in the movie "The Notebook." In the 2004 romance film directed by Cassavetes, Rowlands played the older version of Rachel McAdams' character, Allie, who is suffering from dementia.

"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 told Entertainment Weekly. "She's in full dementia."

The filmmaker and actor added, "It's so crazy — we lived it, she acted it, and now it's on us."

Rowlands' acting career dates back to the 1950s, and she worked with her late husband John Cassavetes on films like "A Woman Under the Influence," which earned her a best actress Oscar nomination in 1975. Rowlands was again nominated for the best actress Oscar for her role in "Gloria," also directed by Cassavetes, in 1981.

Rowlands has also won multiple Emmys for her performances in "The Betty Ford Story," "Face of a Stranger" and "Hysterical Blindness." Her other movie credits include "Opening Night" and "The Skeleton Key," and she has appeared in dozens of TV shows, from "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "Columbo" to, more recently, "Monk" and "NCIS."

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Rowlands received an honorary Academy Award in 2015. At the time, Cate Blanchett described her as an "actress who has had the most profound influence on my work," while Laura Linney reflected that Rowlands "smashed and destroyed the female stereotype of her time."

In her acceptance speech, Rowlands remembered her late husband, John Cassavetes.

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"He wrote me the most magnificent parts, and for other actresses too, and sometimes he directed them," she said. "I surely do have to thank him for that."

Rowlands' mother also suffered from Alzheimer's disease. The actress previously told O magazine, "('The Notebook') was particularly hard because I play a character who has Alzheimer's. I went through that with my mother, and if Nick hadn't directed the film, I don't think I would have gone for it — it's just too hard."

'The Notebook' author Nicholas Sparks honors Gena Rowlands after Alzheimer's diagnosis

"The Notebook" author Nicholas Sparks, who wrote the book that inspired the popular film, paid tribute to Rowlands in an X post Tuesday.

"Alzheimer's is such a cruel disease. On days like today, I'm reminded of Gena's powerful portrayal of Allie and the depth she brought to the character," Sparks said in his tribute to the legendary actress. "Her performance touched millions of hearts and helped bring my story to life in ways I never imagined."

Sparks wrote that he was "truly honored to have worked with such a talented artist, and my thoughts and prayers are with Gena, Nick and their family during this challenging time,' adding that he "will always cherish her legacy in film and her impact on 'The Notebook.'"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gena Rowlands has Alzheimer's, son Nick Cassavetes says

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