Gena Rowlands
Encyclopedia
Gena Rowlands is an American
actress of film, stage and television. The four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner is best known for her collaborations with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes
in ten films, in two of which, Gloria and A Woman Under the Influence
, she gave Academy Award-nominated performances.
, Her father, Edwin Myrwyn Rowlands
, was a banker and a state legislator, and her mother, Mary Allen (née
Neal), was a painter
and housewife originally from Arkansas
. The family moved to Washington, D.C.
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 as branch manager of the Office of Price Administration
; and later moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota
. From 1947-50, she attended the University of Wisconsin
, where she was a popular student already renowned for her beauty. She left for New York City
to study drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
.
. She made her Broadway
debut in The Seven Year Itch
and toured in a national production of the play. Rowlands guest starred on such anthology television series as Robert Montgomery Presents
, Appointment with Adventure
, Kraft Television Theatre
, and Studio One (1955). In 1956, she starred in Middle of the Night opposite Edward G. Robinson
. She appeared alongside husband Cassavetes on an episode ("Fly Baby, Fly") of the 1959–60 NBC
detective
series Johnny Staccato
.
In 1961–62, she starred as the deaf-mute
wife of Robert Lansing
on 87th Precinct
. In that same season, she appeared on Target: The Corruptors!
Thereafter, she guest starred in The Lloyd Bridges Show
and Breaking Point. In 1963 she guest-starred in an episode on the television series Bonanza
and The Virginian
. In 1967, she was cast as socialite Adrienne Van Leyden in the prime time soap opera
Peyton Place
. She also guest-starred that year in the western
series The Road West
, starring Barry Sullivan
, Andrew Prine
and Glenn Corbett
. In 1975, she appeared with Peter Falk
, Oskar Werner
, and Martha Scott
in the Columbo episode Playback, playing wheelchair-using Elizabeth Van Wick, whose husband (Werner) murders her wealthy mother (Scott).
In 1985, Rowlands played the mother in the critically acclaimed made-for-TV movie An Early Frost
. She appeared in Mira Nair
's HBO movie Hysterical Blindness for which she won her third Emmy. She also won an Emmy for her portrayal of former first lady Betty Ford
in the 1987 made-for-TV movie The Betty Ford Story
.
(1963), Faces
(1968), Machine Gun McCain
(1969), Minnie and Moskowitz
(1971), A Woman Under the Influence
(1974; nomination for Academy Award for Best Actress
), Two-Minute Warning
(1976), Opening Night (1977), Gloria (1980; nomination for Academy Award for Best Actress
), Tempest
(1982), and Love Streams
(1984).
According to Boston University
film scholar Ray Carney
, Rowlands sought to suppress an early version of Cassavetes' first film, Shadows, that Carney says he rediscovered after decades of searching.
Rowlands also became involved in the screenings of Husbands
and Love Streams
, according to Carney. The UCLA Film and Television Archive
mounted a restoration of Husbands, as it was pruned down (without Cassavetes' consent, and in violation of his contract) by Columbia Pictures
several months after its release, in an attempt to restore as much of the removed content as possible. At Rowlands' request, UCLA created an alternate print with almost ten minutes of content edited out, as Rowlands felt that these scenes were in poor taste. The alternate print is the only one that has been made available for rental.
, which was directed by her son Nick Cassavetes, opposite James Garner
. In 2004, she won her first Daytime Emmy for her role as Mrs. Evelyn Ritchie in The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie.
Rowlands has been nominated for two Academy Awards, eight Emmies, one Daytime Emmy, eight Golden Globes, three Satellite Awards
, and one SAG Award. Some of her notable wins include a Silver Berlin Bear; three Emmy Awards and one Daytime Emmy; two Golden Globes; two National Board of Review Award
s; two Satellite Awards
; and one Prize San Sebastián. In 2005, she appeared opposite Kate Hudson
, Peter Sarsgaard
, and John Hurt
in the gothic thriller The Skeleton Key
.
In 2007, she played a supporting role opposite Parker Posey
and Melvil Poupaud
in Broken English
, an independent American feature written and directed by her daughter Zoe Cassavetes
. In 2009, she appeared on an episode of Monk
("Mr. Monk and the Lady Next Door"). On March 2, 2010, she appeared on an episode of NCIS
as lead character Leroy Jethro Gibbs
's former mother-in-law, who is embroiled in a murder investigation.
from April 9, 1954, until his death on February 3, 1989. They had three children, all actor-directors: Nick, Alexandra
, and Zoe
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress of film, stage and television. The four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner is best known for her collaborations with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes
John Cassavetes
John Nicholas Cassavetes was an American actor, screenwriter and filmmaker. He acted in many Hollywood films, notably Rosemary's Baby and The Dirty Dozen...
in ten films, in two of which, Gloria and A Woman Under the Influence
A Woman Under the Influence
A Woman Under the Influence is a 1974 American drama film written and directed by John Cassavetes. It focuses on a woman whose psychotic behavior leads her husband to commit her for psychiatric treatment and the effect this has on their family. It received two Academy Award nominations for Best...
, she gave Academy Award-nominated performances.
Early years
Born as Virginia Cathryn Rowlands in Madison, WisconsinMadison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, Her father, Edwin Myrwyn Rowlands
Edwin Myrwyn Rowlands
Edwin Myrwyn Rowlands was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate.-Biography:Rowlands was born on April 1, 1901 in Cambria, Wisconsin. He was the father of Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award nominated actress Gena Rowlands....
, was a banker and a state legislator, and her mother, Mary Allen (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Neal), was a painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and housewife originally from Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. The family moved to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1939 when Edwin was appointed to a position in the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
; moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1942 when he was appointed as branch manager of the Office of Price Administration
Office of Price Administration
The Office of Price Administration was established within the Office for Emergency Management of the United States government by Executive Order 8875 on August 28, 1941. The functions of the OPA was originally to control money and rents after the outbreak of World War II.President Franklin D...
; and later moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. From 1947-50, she attended the University of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, where she was a popular student already renowned for her beauty. She left for New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to study drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts is a fully accredited two-year conservatory with facilities located in Manhattan, New York City – at 120 Madison Avenue, in a landmark building designed by noted architect Stanford White as the original Colony Club – and in Hollywood, California...
.
Stage and television
In the early 1950s, Rowlands performed with repertory theatre companies and at the Provincetown PlayhouseProvincetown Playhouse
The Provincetown Playhouse is a theater in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. It is named for the Provincetown Players, who converted the former bottling plant into a theater in 1918. Much of the original building was torn down in 2009 as New York University School of Law planned a new building on the...
. She made her Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut in The Seven Year Itch
The Seven Year Itch
The Seven Year Itch is a 1955 American film based on a three-act play with the same name by George Axelrod. The film was co-written and directed by Billy Wilder, and starred Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, reprising his Broadway role...
and toured in a national production of the play. Rowlands guest starred on such anthology television series as Robert Montgomery Presents
Robert Montgomery Presents
Robert Montgomery Presents is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950 until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its seven-year run, and the title was altered to feature the sponsor, usually Lucky Strike cigarettes, for example,...
, Appointment with Adventure
Appointment with Adventure
Appointment with Adventure is a half-hour adventure/dramatic anthology television series broadcast live on CBS from 1955-1956. The program has no host. It aired at 10 p.m...
, Kraft Television Theatre
Kraft Television Theatre
Kraft Television Theatre is an American drama/anthology television series that began May 7, 1947 on NBC, airing at 7:30pm on Wednesday evenings until December of that year. In January 1948, it moved to 9pm on Wednesdays, continuing in that timeslot until 1958. Initially produced by the J...
, and Studio One (1955). In 1956, she starred in Middle of the Night opposite Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
. She appeared alongside husband Cassavetes on an episode ("Fly Baby, Fly") of the 1959–60 NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
series Johnny Staccato
Johnny Staccato
Johnny Staccato is an American private detective series which ran for 27 episodes on NBC from September 10, 1959 through March 24, 1960.-Synopsis:...
.
In 1961–62, she starred as the deaf-mute
Deaf-mute
For "deafness", see hearing impairment. For "Deaf" as a cultural term, see Deaf culture. For "inability to speak", see muteness.Deaf-mute is a term which was used historically to identify a person who was both deaf and could not speak...
wife of Robert Lansing
Robert Lansing (actor)
Robert Lansing was an American stage, film and television actor.Born in San Diego, California as Robert Howell Brown, he reportedly took his acting surname from the state capital of Michigan. As a young actor in New York City, he was hired to join a stock company in Michigan, but was told he would...
on 87th Precinct
87th Precinct (TV series)
87th Precinct is an American crime drama starring Robert Lansing, Gena Rowlands, and Ron Harper, which aired on NBC on Monday evenings during the 1961–1962 television season.-Synopsis:...
. In that same season, she appeared on Target: The Corruptors!
Target: The Corruptors!
Target: The Corruptors! is a 35-episode crime drama starring Stephen McNally as newspaper reporter Paul Marino, which aired on ABC from September 29, 1961 to June 8, 1962. The character Jack Flood, Marino's undercover agent, was portrayed by Robert Harland...
Thereafter, she guest starred in The Lloyd Bridges Show
The Lloyd Bridges Show
The Lloyd Bridges Show is an American anthology drama series produced by Aaron Spelling, which aired on CBS from September 11, 1962 to May 28, 1963, starring and hosted by Lloyd Bridges.-Synopsis:...
and Breaking Point. In 1963 she guest-starred in an episode on the television series Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
and The Virginian
The Virginian (TV series)
The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
. In 1967, she was cast as socialite Adrienne Van Leyden in the prime time soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Peyton Place
Peyton Place (TV series)
Peyton Place is an American prime-time soap opera which aired on ABC in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964 to June 2, 1969.Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. A total of 514 episodes were broadcast, in...
. She also guest-starred that year in the western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
series The Road West
The Road West
The Road West is an American Western television series that aired on NBC from September 12, 1966 to May 1, 1967 for twenty-nine episodes with rebroadcasts continuing until August 28. The hour-long series, sponsored by Kraft Foods, aired in the 9 p.m...
, starring Barry Sullivan
Barry Sullivan (actor)
Barry Sullivan was an American movie actor who appeared in over 100 movies from the 1930s to the 1980s.Born in New York City, Sullivan fell into acting when in college playing semi-pro football...
, Andrew Prine
Andrew Prine
Andrew Lewis Prine is an American film, stage, and television actor.-Early life and career:Prine was born in Jennings, Florida. After graduation from Andrew Jackson High School in Miami, Prine made his acting debut three years later in an episode of CBS U.S. Steel Hour...
and Glenn Corbett
Glenn Corbett
Glenn Corbett was an American actor best known for his role on CBS's adventure drama Route 66.-Acting career:...
. In 1975, she appeared with Peter Falk
Peter Falk
Peter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
, Oskar Werner
Oskar Werner
-Early life:Born Oskar Josef Bschließmayer in Vienna, Werner spent much of his childhood in the care of his grandmother, who entertained him with stories about the Burgtheater, the Austrian state theatre, where he was accepted at the age of eighteen by Lothar Müthel. He was the youngest person ever...
, and Martha Scott
Martha Scott
Martha Ellen Scott was an American actress best known for her roles as mother of the lead character in numerous films and television shows.-Early life:...
in the Columbo episode Playback, playing wheelchair-using Elizabeth Van Wick, whose husband (Werner) murders her wealthy mother (Scott).
In 1985, Rowlands played the mother in the critically acclaimed made-for-TV movie An Early Frost
An Early Frost
An Early Frost was a 1985 TV movie, and the first major film to deal with the topic of HIV/AIDS. It was first broadcast on the NBC television network on November 11, 1985...
. She appeared in Mira Nair
Mira Nair
Mira Nair is an Indian film director and producer based in New York. Her production company is Mirabai Films.She was educated at Delhi University and Harvard University. Her debut feature film, Salaam Bombay! , won the Golden Camera award at the Cannes Film Festival and also earned the nomination...
's HBO movie Hysterical Blindness for which she won her third Emmy. She also won an Emmy for her portrayal of former first lady Betty Ford
Betty Ford
Elizabeth Ann Bloomer Warren Ford , better known as Betty Ford, was First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977 during the presidency of her husband Gerald Ford...
in the 1987 made-for-TV movie The Betty Ford Story
The Betty Ford Story
The Betty Ford Story is a 1987 television film directed by David Greene and written by Karen Hall. This biographical film was based on the book The Times of My Life written by Chris Chase and Betty Ford.-Cast:*Gena Rowlands as Betty Ford...
.
Cassavetes films
Rowlands made her film debut in The High Cost of Loving in 1958. She and Cassavetes made ten films together: A Child is WaitingA Child Is Waiting
A Child Is Waiting is a 1963 American drama film written by Abby Mann and directed by John Cassavetes. Burt Lancaster portrays the director of a state institution for mentally handicapped and emotionally disturbed children, and Judy Garland is a new teacher who challenges his methods.-Plot:Jean...
(1963), Faces
Faces (film)
Faces is a 1968 drama film, directed by John Cassavetes and starring John Marley, Cassavetes' wife Gena Rowlands, Seymour Cassel and Lynn Carlin, who both received Academy Award nominations for this film....
(1968), Machine Gun McCain
Machine Gun McCain
Machine Gun McCain is a 1969 Italian crime film directed by Giuliano Montaldo based on the 1961 novel Candyleg by Ovid Demaris. It was entered into the 1969 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* John Cassavetes - Hank McCain* Britt Ekland - Irene Tucker...
(1969), Minnie and Moskowitz
Minnie and Moskowitz
Minnie and Moskowitz is a film by John Cassavetes, starring his wife, Gena Rowlands, and actor Seymour Cassel in the title roles of Minnie and Moskowitz, respectively.-Plot:...
(1971), A Woman Under the Influence
A Woman Under the Influence
A Woman Under the Influence is a 1974 American drama film written and directed by John Cassavetes. It focuses on a woman whose psychotic behavior leads her husband to commit her for psychiatric treatment and the effect this has on their family. It received two Academy Award nominations for Best...
(1974; nomination for Academy Award for Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
), Two-Minute Warning
Two-Minute Warning
Two-Minute Warning is a 1976 suspense and action film directed by Larry Peerce and starring Charlton Heston, John Cassavetes, Martin Balsam, Beau Bridges, Jack Klugman, Gena Rowlands, and David Janssen. It was based on the novel of the same name written by George La Fountaine, Sr...
(1976), Opening Night (1977), Gloria (1980; nomination for Academy Award for Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
), Tempest
Tempest (1982 film)
Tempest is an American comedy-drama film directed by Paul Mazursky. It is a very loose adaptation of the William Shakespeare play, The Tempest....
(1982), and Love Streams
Love Streams
Love Streams is an 1984 American film directed by John Cassavetes that tells the story of a middle-aged brother and sister who find themselves caring for one another after the other loves in their lives abandon them. The visual style of the film is decidedly different from Cassavetes' other works,...
(1984).
According to Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
film scholar Ray Carney
Ray Carney
Ray Carney, also known as Raymond Carney, Ph.D, is an American scholar and critic, primarily known for his work as a film theorist, although he writes extensively on American art and literature as well. He is known for his study of the works of actor and director John Cassavetes...
, Rowlands sought to suppress an early version of Cassavetes' first film, Shadows, that Carney says he rediscovered after decades of searching.
Rowlands also became involved in the screenings of Husbands
Husbands (film)
Husbands is a 1970 film written and directed by John Cassavetes. This ensemble film, which describes three middle class men in the throes of a midlife crisis, stars Ben Gazzara, Peter Falk and Cassavetes....
and Love Streams
Love Streams
Love Streams is an 1984 American film directed by John Cassavetes that tells the story of a middle-aged brother and sister who find themselves caring for one another after the other loves in their lives abandon them. The visual style of the film is decidedly different from Cassavetes' other works,...
, according to Carney. The UCLA Film and Television Archive
UCLA Film and Television Archive
The UCLA Film and Television Archive is an internationally renowned visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles. It holds more than 220,000 film and television titles and 27 million feet of...
mounted a restoration of Husbands, as it was pruned down (without Cassavetes' consent, and in violation of his contract) by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
several months after its release, in an attempt to restore as much of the removed content as possible. At Rowlands' request, UCLA created an alternate print with almost ten minutes of content edited out, as Rowlands felt that these scenes were in poor taste. The alternate print is the only one that has been made available for rental.
Post-Cassavetes films
Rowlands was seen in The NotebookThe Notebook
The Notebook is a 1996 romantic novel by American novelist Nicholas Sparks, based on a true story. The novel was later adapted into a popular romance film by the same name in 2004.-Background:...
, which was directed by her son Nick Cassavetes, opposite James Garner
James Garner
James Garner is an American film and television actor, one of the first Hollywood actors to excel in both media. He has starred in several television series spanning a career of more than five decades...
. In 2004, she won her first Daytime Emmy for her role as Mrs. Evelyn Ritchie in The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie.
Rowlands has been nominated for two Academy Awards, eight Emmies, one Daytime Emmy, eight Golden Globes, three Satellite Awards
Satellite Awards
The Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.- Film :*Best Actor – Drama*Best Actor – Musical or Comedy*Best Actress – Drama...
, and one SAG Award. Some of her notable wins include a Silver Berlin Bear; three Emmy Awards and one Daytime Emmy; two Golden Globes; two National Board of Review Award
National Board of Review of Motion Pictures
The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures was founded in 1909 in New York City, just 13 years after the birth of cinema, to protest New York City Mayor George B. McClellan, Jr.'s revocation of moving-picture exhibition licenses on Christmas Eve 1908. The mayor believed that the new medium...
s; two Satellite Awards
Satellite Awards
The Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.- Film :*Best Actor – Drama*Best Actor – Musical or Comedy*Best Actress – Drama...
; and one Prize San Sebastián. In 2005, she appeared opposite Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson
Kate Garry Hudson is an American actress. She came to prominence in 2001 after winning a Golden Globe and receiving several nominations, including a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in Almost Famous. She then starred in the hit film How to Lose a Guy in 10...
, Peter Sarsgaard
Peter Sarsgaard
John Peter Sarsgaard is an American film and stage actor. He landed his first feature role in the movie Dead Man Walking in 1995. He then appeared in the 1998 independent films Another Day in Paradise and Desert Blue. That same year, Sarsgaard received a substantial role in The Man in the Iron...
, and John Hurt
John Hurt
John Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor, known for his leading roles as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in The Hit, Stephen Ward in Scandal, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York...
in the gothic thriller The Skeleton Key
The Skeleton Key
The Skeleton Key is a 2005 American supernatural horror film starring Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, John Hurt, Peter Sarsgaard, and Joy Bryant. The film focuses on a young hospice nurse who acquires a job at a Terrebonne Parish plantation home, and becomes entangled in a mystery involving the house,...
.
In 2007, she played a supporting role opposite Parker Posey
Parker Posey
Parker Christian Posey is an American actress. She became known during the 1990s after a series of roles in several well-received independent films. As a result, she has often been referred to as the "Queen of the Indies"....
and Melvil Poupaud
Melvil Poupaud
Melvil Poupaud is a French actor.He was named after Herman Melville by his screenwriter mother. At the age of ten, he launched into acting with a role in La Ville des Pirates , directed by Raul Ruiz. At the age of 15, he was nominated for a César...
in Broken English
Broken English (2007 film)
-Plot:Nora Wilder , a single, career woman works at a Manhattan boutique hotel where her excellent skills in guest relations lack in the romantic department. If it is not her loving and dominant mother attempting to set her up that consistently fail, she has her friend’s disastrous blind dates to...
, an independent American feature written and directed by her daughter Zoe Cassavetes
Zoe Cassavetes
Zoe Rowlands Cassavetes is an American film director, screenwriter and actress best known for her 2007 film Broken English and as the daughter of American actor and filmmaker John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands....
. In 2009, she appeared on an episode of Monk
Monk (TV series)
Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
("Mr. Monk and the Lady Next Door"). On March 2, 2010, she appeared on an episode of NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
as lead character Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Leroy Jethro Gibbs is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the CBS TV series NCIS. He is portrayed by Mark Harmon.-Background:...
's former mother-in-law, who is embroiled in a murder investigation.
Personal life
Rowlands was married to John CassavetesJohn Cassavetes
John Nicholas Cassavetes was an American actor, screenwriter and filmmaker. He acted in many Hollywood films, notably Rosemary's Baby and The Dirty Dozen...
from April 9, 1954, until his death on February 3, 1989. They had three children, all actor-directors: Nick, Alexandra
Alexandra Cassavetes
Alexandra Cassavetes , nicknamed "Xan", is an American actress and director. She is the daughter of Greek actor-director John Cassavetes and actress Gena Rowlands. She is the granddaughter of actress Katherine Cassavetes...
, and Zoe
Zoe Cassavetes
Zoe Rowlands Cassavetes is an American film director, screenwriter and actress best known for her 2007 film Broken English and as the daughter of American actor and filmmaker John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands....
.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Jenny Fry | |||
| 1959 | Shadows | Woman in Nightclub Audience | Uncredited | |
| 1962 | Lonely Are the Brave Lonely are the Brave Lonely are the Brave is a 1962 film adaptation of the Edward Abbey novel The Brave Cowboy. It stars Kirk Douglas as cowboy Jack Burns, Gena Rowlands as his best friend's wife, and Walter Matthau as a sheriff who sympathizes with Burns but must do his job and chase him down... |
Jerry Bondi | ||
| 1962 | Els | |||
| 1963 | Sophie Widdicombe Benham | |||
| 1967 | Tony Rome Tony Rome Tony Rome is a 1967 detective film starring Frank Sinatra and directed by Gordon Douglas, adapted from Marvin Albert's novel Miami Mayhem. Filming took place on location in Miami, Florida, with some scenes being shot during the day at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, where Sinatra was performing in... |
Rita Kosterman | ||
| 1968 | Faces Faces (film) Faces is a 1968 drama film, directed by John Cassavetes and starring John Marley, Cassavetes' wife Gena Rowlands, Seymour Cassel and Lynn Carlin, who both received Academy Award nominations for this film.... |
Jeannie Rapp | ||
| 1969 | Machine Gun McCain Machine Gun McCain Machine Gun McCain is a 1969 Italian crime film directed by Giuliano Montaldo based on the 1961 novel Candyleg by Ovid Demaris. It was entered into the 1969 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* John Cassavetes - Hank McCain* Britt Ekland - Irene Tucker... |
Rosemary Scott | Aso known as Gli intoccabili | |
| 1971 | Minnie and Moskowitz Minnie and Moskowitz Minnie and Moskowitz is a film by John Cassavetes, starring his wife, Gena Rowlands, and actor Seymour Cassel in the title roles of Minnie and Moskowitz, respectively.-Plot:... |
Minnie Moore | ||
| 1974 | Mabel Longhetti | Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress The Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress is an award given by the Kansas City Film Critics Circle to honor the best achievements in acting.-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:*... National Board of Review Award for Best Actress National Board of Review Award for Best Actress The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Award for Best Actress is one of the annual film awards given by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures.-1940s:-1950s:- 1960s :- 1970s :- 1980s :- 1990s :- 2000s :-2010s:... San Sebastián International Film Festival San Sebastián International Film Festival The San Sebastián International Film Festival is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of San Sebastián .-History:The festival was founded in 1953... Prize for Best Actress Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actress Academy Award for Best Actress Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry... |
||
| 1975 | Columbo: Playback | Elizabeth Van Wick | ||
| 1976 | Two-Minute Warning Two-Minute Warning Two-Minute Warning is a 1976 suspense and action film directed by Larry Peerce and starring Charlton Heston, John Cassavetes, Martin Balsam, Beau Bridges, Jack Klugman, Gena Rowlands, and David Janssen. It was based on the novel of the same name written by George La Fountaine, Sr... |
Janet | ||
| 1977 | Opening Night | Myrtle Gordon | Silver Bear for Best Actress Silver Bear for Best Actress The Silver Bear for Best Actress is the Berlin International Film Festival's award for achievement in performance by an actress.-Awards:- External links :*... Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama |
|
| 1978 | Mary Pino | |||
| 1978 | Linda Ray Guettner | |||
| 1979 | Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter is a 1979 television film drama directed by Milton Katselas.It stars Bette Davis and Gena Rowlands as a mother and daughter, long estranged who attempt to repair their relationship when the daughter is diagnosed with cancer... |
Abigail Mason | ||
| 1980 | Gloria | Gloria Swenson | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress The Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress is one of the annual film awards given by the Boston Society of Film Critics.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actress Academy Award for Best Actress Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry... Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama |
|
| 1982 | Tempest Tempest (1982 film) Tempest is an American comedy-drama film directed by Paul Mazursky. It is a very loose adaptation of the William Shakespeare play, The Tempest.... |
Antonia Dimitrius | ||
| 1982 | Shelly Duvall's Faerie Tale Theater: Season 2 - Rapunzel | The Witch | ||
| 1983 | Thursday's Child Thursday's Child (1983 film) Thursday's Child is a 1983 television film directed by David Lowell Rich, based on the book by Victoria Poole.- Plot :Sam Alden is the 17-year-old high school star player in baseball who seems to have it all. However, his family notices that he is often bothered with fits of coughing... |
Victoria Alden | Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | |
| 1984 | Love Streams Love Streams Love Streams is an 1984 American film directed by John Cassavetes that tells the story of a middle-aged brother and sister who find themselves caring for one another after the other loves in their lives abandon them. The visual style of the film is decidedly different from Cassavetes' other works,... |
Sarah Lawson | Nastro d'Argento Best Actress Nastro d'Argento Best Actress A list of the Nastro d'Argento awards for Best Actress.*1946 - Clara Calamai - L'adultera*1947 - Alida Valli - Eugenia Grandet*1948 - Anna Magnani - L'onorevole Angelina*1949 - Anna Magnani - L'amore*1950 -... |
|
| 1985 | Katherine Pierson | Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film |
||
| 1987 | Light of Day Light of Day The soundtrack to the film was released in 1987. As a single, "Light of Day" reached number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received additional album-oriented rock airplay due to the connection of Joan Jett and Bruce Springsteen.... |
Jeanette Rasnick | ||
| 1987 | Betty Ford | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film |
||
| 1988 | Another Woman Another Woman Another Woman is a 1988 film written and directed by Woody Allen. It stars Gena Rowlands and Mia Farrow and does not feature Allen in an acting role.-Plot:... |
Marion Post | ||
| 1990 | Hollywood Mavericks | Herself | ||
| 1991 | Once Around Once Around Once Around is a 1991 romantic comedy-drama film about a young woman who falls for and eventually marries an overbearing older man who proceeds to rub her close-knit family the wrong way... |
Marilyn Bella | ||
| 1991 | Night on Earth | Victoria Snelling | ||
| 1991 | Ted & Venus Ted & Venus Ted & Venus is a 1991 film directed by Bud Cort. This comedy is written by Bud Cort and Paul Ciotti, and features and all-star cast including Brian Thompson. The original music is composed by David Robbins.... |
Mrs. Turner | ||
| 1991 | Face of a Stranger | Pat Foster | Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie | |
| 1992 | Crazy in Love | Honora Swift | Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | |
| 1993 | Silent Cries | Peggy Sutherland | ||
| 1993 | Anything for John | Herself | ||
| 1994 | Parallel Lives Parallel Lives (film) Parallel Lives is a 1994 TV movie, directed by Linda Yellen. The movie resumes some actors and similar patterns of the previous Yellen's work, Chantilly Lace... |
Francie Pomerantz | ||
| 1995 | Something to Talk About Something to Talk About (film) Something to Talk About is a 1995 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, from a screenplay written by Callie Khouri. It stars Julia Roberts and Dennis Quaid as an estranged couple, Kyra Sedgwick as Roberts's sister, and Robert Duvall and Gena Rowlands as their parents. The... |
Georgia King | ||
| 1995 | Mae Morgan | |||
| 1996 | Unhook the Stars Unhook the Stars Unhook the Stars is a 1996 drama film starring Gena Rowlands, Marisa Tomei, and Gerard Depardieu. The movie was directed by Nick Cassavetes, son of Gena Rowlands. Rowlands and Tomei both received SAG Award nominations for their performances... |
Mildred 'Millie' Hawks | Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role | |
| 1997 | She's So Lovely She's So Lovely She's So Lovely is a 1997 film directed by Nick Cassavetes, written by the late John Cassavetes. At the time of its release, it received special attention because, eight years after his death, it was the first film to posthumously feature new material from John Cassavetes.The film stars Sean Penn... |
Miss Jane Green | ||
| 1998 | Paulie Paulie Paulie is a 1998 family film about a talking parrot named "Paulie". It was directed by John Roberts and written by Laurie Craig, and it was produced by Mark Gordon, Gary Levinsohn, and Allyson Lyon Segan for Mutual Film Company and DreamWorks... |
Ivy | ||
| 1998 | Hope Floats Hope Floats Hope Floats is a 1998 American romantic drama film directed by Forest Whitaker, and starring Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick, Jr. and Gena Rowlands.... |
Ramona Calvert | Lone Star Film & Television Award for Best Supporting Actress | |
| 1998 | Gram | |||
| 1998 | Playing by Heart Playing by Heart Playing by Heart is a 1998 comedy-drama film, which tells the story of several seemingly unconnected characters.-Plot:Among the characters are a mature couple about to renew their vows ; a woman who accepts a date offer from a stranger ; a gay man dying of AIDS and his mother who has... |
Hannah | ||
| 1999 | Laura Ponti | Nominated — Seattle International Film Festival Seattle International Film Festival The Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees... Citation of Excellence for Ensemble Cast Performance |
||
| 2000 | Light Keeps Me Company | Herself - interviewee | ||
| 2000 | Georgia Porter | Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film -1990s:*1996: Helen Mirren - Prime Suspect 5: Errors of Judgment**Kirstie Alley - Suddenly**Lolita Davidovich - Harvest on Fire**Laura Dern - The Siege of Ruby Ridge**Jena Malone - Hidden in America... |
||
| 2001 | Wild Iris | Minnie Brinn | Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie | |
| 2003 | Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There Broadway: The Golden Age is a 2004 documentary by Rick McKay, telling the story of the "golden age" of Broadway by the oral history of the legendary actors of the 40s and 50s, incorporating rare lost footage of actual performances and never-before-seen personal home movies and photos.-The Cast:The... |
Herself | ||
| 2003 | Hysterical Blindness | Virginia Miller | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film |
|
| 2004 | The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie | Evelyn Ritchie | Daytime Emmy Award Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming... for Outstanding Performer in a Children/Youth/Family Special |
|
| 2004 | Taking Lives Taking Lives (film) Taking Lives is a 2004 psychological thriller film starring Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke. The film was marketed with the tagline "He would kill to be you."... |
Mrs. Asher | ||
| 2004 | Allie Calhoun | Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture The Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture is one of the Satellite Awards presented annually by the International Press Academy.- 1990s :Best Supporting Actress – Drama*1996: Courtney Love - The People vs... |
||
| 2005 | Violet Devereaux | Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress | ||
| 2006 | Paris, je t'aime Paris, je t'aime Paris, Je t'aime is a 2006 anthology film starring an ensemble cast of actors of various nationalities. The two-hour film consists of eighteen short films set in different arrondissements... |
Gena | (segment "Quartier Latin") | |
| 2007 | Broken English Broken English (2007 film) -Plot:Nora Wilder , a single, career woman works at a Manhattan boutique hotel where her excellent skills in guest relations lack in the romantic department. If it is not her loving and dominant mother attempting to set her up that consistently fail, she has her friend’s disastrous blind dates to... |
Vivien Wilder-Mann | ||
| 2007 | Persepolis Persepolis (film) Persepolis is a 2007 French animated film based on Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel of the same name. The film was written and directed by Satrapi with Vincent Paronnaud. The story follows a young girl as she comes of age against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution. The story... |
Marjane's grandmother | ||
| 2007 | What If God Were the Sun? What If God Were the Sun? What If God Were the Sun? is a 2007 American television movie directed by Stephen Tolkin. The teleplay by Janet Dulin Jones and Jamie Pachino, based in part on a novel by John Edward, explores the relationship between a grieving nurse and her terminally ill patient... |
Melissa Eisenbloom | Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie |
|
| 2009 | Monk Monk (TV series) Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July... |
Marge Johnson | Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | |
| 2010 | NCIS NCIS (TV series) NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S... |
Joann Fielding |