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Gena Rowlands’s son, filmmaker Nick Cassavetes, disclosed in June 2024 that she had been living with Alzheimer’s for about five years. Rowlands, who died on August 14, 2024, aged 94, played older Allie in The Notebook—a character with Alzheimer’s.
What Nick Cassavetes said about his mother’s diagnosis
In June 2024, Cassavetes told AARP and the Associated Press that Rowlands had Alzheimer’s. He said she had been living with the disease for about five years and described her as being in “full dementia.” This account came from her son; Rowlands did not make a public announcement about her diagnosis.
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Notebook, The / Lucky One, The (DBFE)(BD) | $8.08 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Notebook [Blu-ray] [2019] [Region Free] | $17.79 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Notebook: Ultimate Collector's Edition (Blu-ray + DVD Combo) | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Cassavetes also connected the news to their work on The Notebook. He told AARP: “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,”
How The Notebook connected Rowlands’s life and role
In the 2004 film, Rowlands played older Allie, who has Alzheimer’s. The part also resonated with Rowlands because her own mother had the disease. In a 2004 interview with O Magazine, reproduced by The Guardian, Rowlands said: “This last one – The Notebook, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks – was particularly hard because I play a character who has Alzheimer’s,” She explained that her experience of her mother’s illness made the role especially difficult.
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That connection is part of the story behind her performance, not evidence that Rowlands publicly discussed her own diagnosis. Her son’s 2024 disclosure came years after the film was made.
Rowlands’s death and career
Rowlands died on August 14, 2024, aged 94, according to the Los Angeles Times. The report described a years-long battle with Alzheimer’s but did not establish an official cause of death, so the diagnosis alone should not be treated as one.
Although The Notebook brought Rowlands to a new generation of viewers, her career extended well beyond the film. She was acclaimed for her work with her husband, director John Cassavetes, including A Woman Under the Influence, as well as other films noted in the Los Angeles Times obituary.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What Alzheimer’s means—and what is known about Rowlands
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) describes Alzheimer’s as a brain disorder affecting memory and thinking, and the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer’s and dementia are related terms, but they are not interchangeable: dementia describes a group of symptoms that interfere with daily life, while Alzheimer’s is a disease that can cause those symptoms.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteAccording to the NIA Alzheimer’s Disease Fact Sheet, diagnosis generally involves a clinician’s assessment. It may include a medical history, cognitive testing, lab work, or brain imaging, in part to check whether another condition is causing memory symptoms. The fact sheet says more than 6 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s; the accessed page does not state a publication year for that estimate.
Those are general facts about Alzheimer’s, not details of Rowlands’s individual care. The cited accounts do not establish which tests she had, what treatment she received, or her complete medical history.
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