1. Virginia Cathryn "Gena" Rowlands was an American actress, whose career in film, stage, and television spanned nearly seven decades.
31 Facts About Gena Rowlands
1. 2.
Gena Rowlands was a four-time Emmy Award and two-time Golden Globe winner, was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
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Gena Rowlands rose to prominence for her collaborations with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films, including A Woman Under the Influence and Gloria, both of which earned her Oscar nominations.
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Gena Rowlands won the Silver Bear for Best Actress for Opening Night.
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Gena Rowlands was born on June 19,1930, in Madison, Wisconsin.
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Gena Rowlands's mother, Mary Allen, was a housewife who later worked as an actress under the stage name Lady Rowlands.
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Gena Rowlands's father, Edwin Myrwyn Rowlands, was a banker and state legislator.
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Gena Rowlands was a member of the Wisconsin Progressive Party, and was of Welsh descent.
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Gena Rowlands's family moved to Washington, DC, in 1939, when Edwin was appointed to a position in the United States Department of Agriculture; moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1942, when he was appointed branch manager of the Office of Price Administration; and later moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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Gena Rowlands left for New York City to study drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
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Gena Rowlands made her Broadway debut in The Seven Year Itch and toured in a national production of the play.
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Gena Rowlands costarred with Paul Stewart in the 26-episode syndicated TV series Top Secret.
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Gena Rowlands guest-starred on such anthology television series as Robert Montgomery Presents, Armstrong Circle Theatre, Studio One, Appointment with Adventure, The United States Steel Hour, and Goodyear Television Playhouse, all in 1955.
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In 1959, Gena Rowlands appeared in the Western series Laramie, alongside her husband John Cassavetes in the detective series Johnny Staccato, and in the Western series Riverboat, starring Darren McGavin.
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Gena Rowlands guest-starred in The Lloyd Bridges Show, the detective series 77 Sunset Strip, Kraft Suspense Theatre, the Westerns Bonanza and The Virginian, and Breaking Point, all in 1963.
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Gena Rowlands appeared in four episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, three of which were after the series had been renamed The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
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Gena Rowlands made her film debut in The High Cost of Loving in 1958.
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Gena Rowlands played the former lover of the Kirk Douglas character, now the wife of the Douglas character's best friend.
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Gena Rowlands became involved in the screenings of Husbands and Love Streams, according to Carney.
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In 1985, Gena Rowlands played the mother in the critically acclaimed made-for-TV movie An Early Frost.
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Gena Rowlands won an Emmy for her portrayal of former First Lady of the United States Betty Ford in the 1987 made-for-TV movie The Betty Ford Story.
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In 1988, Gena Rowlands starred in Woody Allen's dramatic film Another Woman.
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Gena Rowlands played Marion Post, a middle-aged professor who is prompted to a journey of self-discovery when she overhears the therapy sessions of another woman.
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In 1995, Gena Rowlands appeared as Julia Roberts's mother in the comedy-drama film Something to Talk About, and in 1998, she played Sandra Bullock's mother in the dramatic film Hope Floats.
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In 2002, Gena Rowlands appeared in Mira Nair's HBO movie Hysterical Blindness, for which she won her third Emmy.
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Gena Rowlands played a Nazi survivor whose whole family was killed.
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Gena Rowlands has been a spokesperson for people who were persecuted by the Nazis.
28.
Gena Rowlands was married to John Cassavetes from March 9,1954, until his death on February 3,1989.
29.
Gena Rowlands stated that she was a fan of actress Bette Davis while growing up.
30.
Gena Rowlands played Davis's daughter in the 1979 made-for-TV film Strangers.
31.
Gena Rowlands died from complications of Alzheimer's disease at her home in Indian Wells, California, on August 14,2024, at the age of 94.