American actress Gena Rowlands, known for her leading roles in films by her first husband, director John Cassavetes, passed away at the age of 94, according to U.S. media reports. The website "TMZ" reported that Rowlands died surrounded by her family at her home in Indian Wells, California. The report did not mention the cause of death, but her son Nick Cassavetes announced in June that his mother had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for the past five years, according to The New York Times.
Rowlands starred in ten films directed by John Cassavetes, whom she was married to for 35 years until his death in 1989. For her performance in "A Woman Under the Influence" (1974), where she portrayed a housewife whose mental health deteriorates, she won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She received a second Oscar nomination for her role in "Gloria" (1980). Throughout her career, she participated in stage productions and television work, earning four Emmy Awards and another Golden Globe. Her son Nick directed the romantic film "The Notebook" (2004) in which she had a role. She retired from acting in 2015, the same year she received a lifetime achievement award.
