In a poignant twist of fate, acclaimed actress Gena Rowlands is living with Alzheimer’s disease, a condition she portrayed with heartbreaking authenticity in the 2004 film “The Notebook.” This news comes from her son, actor and director Nick Cassavetes, who directed the iconic romance movie, Entertainment Weekly reported.
Rowlands, a four-time Emmy winner and two-time Golden Globe recipient, drew from personal experience for her role as older Allie in “The Notebook,” according to Cassavetes. Her own mother, Lady Rowlands, had battled Alzheimer’s, making the part particularly challenging yet deeply meaningful. “It was a tough but wonderful movie,” Rowlands said in a 2004 interview with O magazine.
Now, life imitates art as Cassavetes describes his mother as being “in full dementia” for the past five years.
“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.”
Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, affects millions worldwide. While its exact cause remains elusive, experts believe it results from a combination of age-related brain changes, genetics, environment and lifestyle factors, Mayo Clinic reports. Memory loss, particularly difficulty recalling recent events or conversations, is often an early sign.
Despite the heartbreaking circumstances, Cassavetes told the entertainment publication he remains proud of the film he and his mother created together. “It’s always a shock to hear that as much time has gone by as it has, but it makes sense. I’m just happy that it exists,” he said, adding, “It seems to have worked, and I’m very proud of it.”
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