Actress Gena Rowlands, best known for her role in The Notebook, has died at age 94 after a battle with Alzheimer’s.
Rowlands died Wednesday at her home in Indian Wells, California, surrounded by loved ones, according to TMZ. Her husband, Robert Forrest, and daughter, Alexandra Cassavetes, 58, were present.
Her son, Nick Cassavetes, directed her in the 2004 romance hit that featured Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling. He paid her several visits in the week before her death.
Rowlands is best known for playing the older version of McAdams in The Notebook. In the movie, her character had Alzheimer’s and an older version of Gosling narrated their love story to her to help her memory.
Nick spoke publicly about Gena’s diagnosis in June while celebrating the 20th anniversary of the film.
“I got my mom to play older Allie, and we spent a lot of time talking about Alzheimer’s and wanting to be authentic with it, and now, for the last five years, she’s had Alzheimer’s,” he said at the time.
“She’s in full dementia. And it’s so crazy – we lived it, she acted it, and now it’s on us,” The Notebook director said.
At the time of the film’s release, Rowlands spoke with O Magazine about her own mother’s struggles with Alzheimer’s.
“This last one – The Notebook was particularly hard because I play a character who has Alzheimer’s,” she said. “I went through that with my mother, and if Nick hadn’t directed the film, I don’t think I would have gone for it – it’s just too hard. It was a tough but wonderful movie.”
In addition to The Notebook, Rowlands was also known for films A Woman Under the Influence, Hope Floats and Gloria.