Actor Gena Rowlands has Alzheimer’s disease, as revealed by her son, filmmaker Nick Cassavetes.
Cassavetes, who directed his mom in “The Notebook,” shared this news during a discussion of the film’s 20th anniversary with Entertainment Weekly. In the romantic cult classic, Rowlands portrayed the older version of the lead character Allie, played in her younger years by Rachel McAdams, who develops dementia.
“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,” Cassavetes said. “She’s in full dementia. And it’s so crazy — we lived it, she acted it, and now it’s on us.”
With a career spanning nearly seven decades across screen and stage, Rowlands boasts a resume with more than 100 film and TV credits, two Academy Award nominations, an Honorary Academy Award, four Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and numerous other recognitions. The 94-year-old is renowned for her collaborations with her husband, John Cassavetes, the father of her three children, including Nick.
John also directed Rowlands’ mother, Lady, in multiple films. In a 2004 interview with O magazine, Rowlands mentioned that her decision to portray Allie in “The Notebook” was challenging due to her mother’s health before her passing in 1999.
“This last one — ‘The Notebook,’ based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks — was particularly hard because I play a character who has Alzheimer’s,” Rowlands 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.”
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain condition that leads to brain shrinkage and cell death, according to Mayo Clinic. It is the most common cause of dementia, resulting in a gradual decline in memory, thinking, social skills, and behavior, which can impact a person’s ability to function.
The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease remains unclear, but it is likely influenced by a combination of age, genetics, environment, and lifestyle factors, as noted by the National Institute on Aging. While having a family history of the illness does not guarantee its development, it does increase the risk. Furthermore, advancing age is the primary known risk factor for the disease.
According to Mayo Clinic, approximately 6.5 million people aged 65 and older in the U.S. have Alzheimer’s disease, and of the 55 million individuals worldwide with dementia, an estimated 60% to 70% are presumed to have Alzheimer’s disease.
