THE NOTEBOOK star Gena Rowlands has died at the age of 94 after a five-year battle with Alzheimer's.
The actress passed away on Wednesday surrounded by her loved ones.
6
6
Nick Cassavetes, the son of Gena's director, announced in June that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, reports TMZ.
The medium confirmed that he was one of the family members visiting her home in Indian Wells, California, when she died.
No official cause of death has been released, but Gena's son said in June that she had been battling Alzheimer's for five years and was suffering from “full-blown dementia.”
Her character in The Notebook, Allie, also suffered from Alzheimer's.
MEMORIES OF GENA
After her death was announced, fans responded en masse on social media.
Popular X account @FilmUpdates shared a photo of the actress, along with the caption: “Gena Rowlands has sadly passed away at the age of 94.”
In the comments, fans expressed their condolences.
“I'm looking at the notebook tonight,” one fan wrote.
6
“Rest in peace!” said a second.
“OMG no,” tweeted a third.
“This is such sad news RIP,” a fourth exclaimed.
“What an amazing actress! RIP,” wrote a fifth.
“Wow, what an incredibly long life,” wrote someone else.
“She's completely demented. And it's so crazy – we've been through it, she's played it, and now it's our fault.
Nick Cassavetes
“Not my notebook grandma,” added another commenter.
“This hurts a lot [sic]“…Rest in peace,” wrote an eighth commenter.
GENA'S BATTLE
In June, as the film world celebrated the 20th anniversary of The Notebook, Gena's son spoke openly about her personal health issues.
Nick opened up for Entertainment weekly about his mother's diagnosis of Alzheimer's.
“I got my mom to play the older Allie, and we talked a lot about Alzheimer's. We wanted to be authentic about it. And now, for five years, she's had Alzheimer's,” he told the outlet.
“She's completely demented. And it's so crazy – we lived it, she played it, and now it's our fault.”
Gena played the role of the older Allie in the 2004 film, portraying her battle with the disease.
The younger Allie was played by Mean Girls star Rachel McAdams.
After the film's premiere, Gena said the role was special to her because her mother also had Alzheimer's disease.
“This last one was particularly difficult because I play a character who has Alzheimer's,” she revealed in an interview with O-magazine.
“I went through that with my mother, and if Nick hadn't directed the film, I don't think I would have done it – it's just too hard. It was a tough film, but it was a great film.”
THE LEGACY OF GENA
Although Gena is best known to many for her role as Allie in The Notebook, she has also played many other iconic roles.
She appeared in many television roles in the 1950s and 1960s before making her film debut in 1958's The High Cost of Loving.
Four years later, she starred in Lonely Are the Brave, opposite Kirk Douglas and Walter Matthau.
Gena and her late first husband, John Cassavetes, also made nearly a dozen films in the 1960s and 1980s.
John died in 1989 and is the father of all three of Gena's children: Nick, Alexandra and Zoe.
All three of their children are actors and/or directors.
6
6
6
More to come… For the latest on this story, stay tuned to The US Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, breathtaking photos, and must-see videos..
Like us on Facebook at TheZonVS and follow us on X on @TheUSSun