Gena Rowlands

Gena Rowlands

Pedro Almodóvar dedicated his movie All About My Mother (1999) to her, Bette Davis and Romy Schneider.

As of 2007, she is one of six women who have received Best Actress nominations for performances directed by their spouses. She is the only one who has had two Best Actress nominations directed by her spouse, those two being for A Woman Under the Influence (1974) & Gloria (1980). The other five women are Frances McDormand for Fargo (1996), Joanne Woodward for Rachel, Rachel (1968), Julie Andrews for Victor Victoria (1982), Elisabeth Bergner for Escape Me Never (1935) and Jean Simmons for The Happy Ending (1969). Jules Dassin also directed his future wife Melina Mercouri in an Oscar-nominated performance (Never on Sunday (1960)), but they weren't married yet at the

Attended the University of Wisconsin from 1947 to 1950, when she left for New York City to study drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Born to Edwyn Myrwyn Rowlands, a banker and a state legislator (Assembly, 1927-1935; Senate, 1935-1939), and his wife Mary Allen Neal, a painter, she was raised in Cambria, Wisconsin, until her father was appointed to a position in the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1939. After the Washington years, the family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1942.

Daughter of Lady Rowlands.



Favorite actress of Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Graduated from Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia, class of 1947. Other alumni include Forrest Tucker, Shirley MacLaine, Warren Beatty and Sandra Bullock.

Grandmother of Sasha Cassavetes and Virginia Cassavetes.

Has suppressed the first version of her husband's (John Cassavetes) film Shadows (1959) and will neither allow it to be shown, nor acknowledge its existence.

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).

Mother of Nick Cassavetes, Xan Cassavetes and Zoe R. Cassavetes .

Mother-in-law of Heather Wahlquist.

Name rhymes with henna.

She and John Cassavetes made 10 movies together: A Child Is Waiting (1963), Faces (1968/I), Gloria (1980), Love Streams (1984), Minnie and Moskowitz (1971), Opening Night (1977), A Woman Under the Influence (1974), Machine Gun McCain (1969), Two-Minute Warning (1976) and Tempest (1982).

Sister of David Rowlands.

Sister of Kappa Kappa Gamma women's fraternity.


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