Gena Rowlands, the 94-year-old Golden Globe winner who portrayed an older model of Rachel McAdam’s character, Allie, within the 2004 movie “The Notebook,” has been residing with Alzheimer’s illness for the previous 5 years.
Nick Cassavetes, the director of the film and Rowlands’ son, revealed his mom’s diagnosis whereas describing the total circle second for the 20th anniversary of the movie.
“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 instructed Entertainment Weekly of Rowlands’ character, who additionally had dementia. “She’s in full dementia. And it’s so crazy — we lived it, she acted it, and now it’s on us.”
When reached by Fox News Digital, a consultant for Cassavetes had no additional remark.
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Rowlands portrayed Allie, who had dementia, in “The Notebook.” (The Everett Collection)
According to the Mayo Clinic, Alzheimer’s illness is the most typical explanation for dementia — a gradual decline in reminiscence, pondering, habits and social abilities. These modifications have an effect on an individual’s capacity to operate.
In 2004, Rowlands — whose mom, actress Lady Rowlands, additionally suffered from the disease — defined why enjoying Allie was “particularly hard.”
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“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 instructed O magazine. “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.”
Rowlands’ son, Nick Cassavetes, directed the movie. (The Everett Collection)
Recalling a candy reminiscence from their days filming on set, Cassavetes mentioned his mom was really gifted in that she dealt with the position with grace.
After studio executives instructed Cassavetes that they wanted to see extra tears from Rowlands when her character lastly acknowledges her longtime love, Noah (James Garner), the director mentioned his mom took the notes to coronary heart.
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“She said, ‘Let me get this straight. We’re reshooting because of my performance?'” he recalled.
Rowlands has been residing with Alzheimer’s illness for 5 years. (Getty Images)
“We go to reshoots, and now it’s one of those things where mama’s pissed, and I had asked her, ‘Can you do it, Mom?’ She goes, ‘I can do anything,'” he mentioned. “I promise you, on my father’s life, this is true: Teardrops came flying out of her eyes when she saw [Garner], and she burst into tears. And I was like, OK, well, we got that… It’s the one time I was in trouble on set.”
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