Rowlands, Gena 1930–

(Gena Rowland)

PERSONAL

Full name, Virginia Cathryn Rowlands; born June 19, 1930, in Cambria, WI; daughter of Edwin Merwin (a banker and state senator) and Mary Allen (a painter; maiden name, Neal) Rowlands; married John Cassavetes (actor, director, producer, and writer), March 19, 1958 (died, February 3, 1989); children: Nicholas (an actor and director), Alexandra, Zoe R. (an actress and director). Education: Attended the University of Wisconsin, 1947-50; American Academy of Dramatic Arts, 1950-51. Avocational Interests: Playing the piano, painting, sculpting, swimming, tennis, and astrology.

Addresses:

Agent—International Creative Management, 10250 Constellation Way, 9th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067. Manager—The Pitt Group, 9465 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 420, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Career:

Actress. Performed in stock companies, 1951-53.

Member:

Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, American Guild of Variety Artists.

Awards, Honors:

New York Film Critics Award nomination, best actress, 1971, for Minnie and Moscowitz; National Board of Review Award, best actress, New York Film Critics Award nomination, best actress, 1974, Academy Award nomination, best actress in a leading role, Golden Globe, best motion picture actress—drama, and Prize San Sebastian, San Sebastian International Film Festival, best actress, 1975, all for A Woman Under the Influence; Golden Globe nomination, best motion picture actress—drama, Silver Berlin Bear, best actress, Berlin International Film Festival, 1978, both for Opening Night; Academy Award nomination, best actress in a leading role, Golden Globe nomination, best motion picture actress—drama, and Boston Society of Film Critics Award, best actress, 1981, all for Gloria; Golden Globe nomination, best performance by an actress in a miniseries or motion picture made for television, 1984, for Thursday's Child; Silver Ribbon, best foreign actress, Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists, 1984, for Love Streams; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or special, Golden Globe nomination, best performance by an actress in a miniseries or motion picture made for television, 1986, both for An Early Frost; Emmy Award, outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or special, 1987, and Golden Globe, best performance by an actress in a miniseries or motion picture made for television, 1988, both for The Betty Ford Story; Emmy Award, outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or a special, 1992, for Face of a Stranger; Golden Globe, best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a series, miniseries, or motion picture made for television, 1993, for Crazy in Love; Career Achievement Award, Sundance Film Festival, 1994; Career Achievement Award, National Board of Review, 1996; Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role, 1997, for Unhook the Stars; Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination, favorite supporting actress—drama or romance, and Lone Star Film and Television Award, best supporting actress, Dallas/Fort Worth Film Critics Association, both 1999, for Hope Floats; New American Cinema Award (with others), citation of excellence for ensemble cast performance, Seattle International Film Festival, 2000, for The Weekend; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or movie, 2000, Golden Satellite Award nomination, best performance by an actress in a miniseries or a motion picture made for television, International Press Academy, 2001, both for The Color of Love: Jacey's Story; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or a movie, 2002, for Wild Iris; Emmy Award, outstanding supporting actress in a miniseries or movie, Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a series, miniseries or motion picture made for television, 2003, both for Hysterical Blindness; Golden Starfish Award for Career Achievement, Hamptons International Film Festival, 2004; Daytime Emmy Award, outstanding performer in a children/youth/family special, 2004, for The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie; Golden Satellite Award, best actress in a supporting role, drama, 2005, for The Notebook; Mary Pickford Award, Satellite Awards, 2005; Lifetime Achievement Award, Ojai Film Festival, 2005; Saturn Award nomination, best supporting actress, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, 2006, for The Skeleton Key; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or movie, 2007, for What If God Were the Sun?.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

(Film debut) Virginia Fry, The High Cost of Loving, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1958.

(Uncredited) Woman in nightclub audience, Shadows, 1959.

Jerri Bondi, Lonely Are the Brave (also known as Last Hero), Universal, 1962.

Sophie Widdicombe/Benham, A Child Is Waiting, United Artists, 1962.

Els, The Spiral Road, Universal, 1962.

Rita Kosterman, Tony Rome, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1967.

Jeannie Rapp, Faces, Continental, 1968.

The Vatican Affair, 1968.

Rosemary Scott, Gli Intoccabili (also known as Machine Gun McCain), Columbia, 1969.

The Happy Ending, 1969.

At Any Price, 1970.

Minnie Moore, Minnie and Moskowitz, Universal, 1971.

Mabel Longhetti, A Woman Under the Influence, Faces International, 1974.

Janet, Two-Minute Warning, Universal, 1976.

Myrtle Gordon, Opening Night, 1977.

Mary Pino, The Brink's Job (also known as Big Stickup at Brink's), Universal, 1978.

One Summer Night, 1979.

Gloria Swenson (title role), Gloria, Columbia, 1980.

Antonia Dimitrious, Tempest, Columbia, 1982.

Herself, … Almost Not Crazy … John Cassavetes: The Man and His Work, 1983.

Sarah Lawson, Love Streams, Cannon, 1984.

Jeanette Rasnick, Light of Day, TriStar, 1987.

Marion Post, Another Woman, Orion, 1988.

Herself, Hollywood Mavericks, 1990.

Victoria Snelling, Night on Earth (also known as Une nuit sur terre), Fine Line, 1991.

Marilyn Bella, Once Around, Universal, 1991.

Mrs. Turner, Linda's mother, Ted & Venus, Double Helix Films, 1991.

Anything for John (also known as Cassavetes: Anything for John), 1993.

Georgia King, Something to Talk About (also known as Grace Under Pressure), Warner Bros., 1995.

Aunt Mae, The Neon Bible (also known as La Biblia de neon), Strand Releasing, 1995.

Mildred "Millie" Hawks, Unhook the Stars (also known as Decroche les etoiles), Miramax, 1996.

Miss Green, She's So Lovely (also known as Call It Love), Miramax, 1997.

Ivy, Paulie, DreamWorks, 1998.

Ramona Calvert, Hope Floats, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1998.

Susan Pinneman, The Mighty, Miramax, 1998.

Hannah, Playing by Heart, Miramax, 1998.

Herself, The Making of "The Mighty" (documentary short), Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 1999.

Herself, A Constant Forge, 2000.

Laura Ponti, The Weekend, Strand Releasing, 2000.

Herself, Ljuset haaller mig saellskap (documentary; also known as Light Keeps Me Company), 2000.

Herself, A Constant Forge: The Life and Art of John Cassavetes, 2001.

Herself, Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There (documentary; also known as Broadway, Broadway: The Golden Age, and Broadway: The Movie), 2003.

Mrs. Asher, Taking Lives, Warner Bros., 2004.

Allie Calhoun, The Notebook, New Line Cinema, 2004.

Violet Devereaux, The Skeleton Key, Universal, 2005.

Gene, "Quartier Latin," Paris, je t'aime (also known as Paris, I Love You), First Look International, 2006.

Vivien Wilder-Mann, Broken English, Magnolia Pictures, 2007.

(English version) Voice of grandmother, Persepolis (animated), Sony Pictures Classics, 2007.

Television Appearances; Series:

Powell, Top Secret U.S.A. (also known as Top Secret), syndicated, 1954.

Paula Graves, The Way of the World, 1955.

Teddy Carella, 87th Precinct, NBC, 1961-62.

Adrienne Van Leyden, Peyton Place, ABC, 1967-68.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Nick Quarry, 1968.

Linda Ray Guettner, A Question of Love (also known as A Purely Legal Matter), ABC, 1978.

Abigail Mason, Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter (also known as Strangers), CBS, 1979.

Victoria Alden, Thursday's Child, CBS, 1983.

Katherine Pierson, An Early Frost, NBC, 1985.

Geinterwiewd actrice, Nederland C, 1985.

Title role, The Betty Ford Story, ABC, 1987.

Bess Guthrie, Montana, TNT, 1990.

Pat Foster, Face of a Stranger (also known as My Shadow), CBS, 1991.

Honora, Crazy in Love, TNT, 1992.

Dr. Peggy Sutherland, Silent Cries (also known as Guests of the Emperor), NBC, 1993.

Francie Pomerantz, Parallel Lives, 1994.

Mrs. Harriet Cahill, Best Friends for Life, CBS, 1998.

Grace Stiles, Grace and Glorie, CBS, 1998.

Georgia Porter, The Color of Love: Jacey's Story, CBS, 2000.

Minnie Brinn, Wild Iris, Showtime, 2001.

Virginia Miller, Hysterical Blindness, HBO, 2002.

Charlie Kate Birch, Charms for an Easy Life, Showtime, 2002.

Mrs. Evelyn Ritchie, The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie (also known a L'incroyable Mme Richie), Showtime, 2003.

Melissa, What If God Were the Sun?, Lifetime, 2007.

Television Appearances; Specials:

The 38th Annual Golden Globe Awards, CBS, 1981.

Edward G. Robinson: Little Big Man, 1996.

AFI 100 Years … 100 Stars, CBS, 1999.

The 3rd Annual Family Television Awards, CBS, 2001.

Intimate Portrait: Brooke Shields, Lifetime, 2001.

Women on Top: Hollywood and Power, AMC, 2003.

Stardust: The Bette Davis Story, TCM, 2006.

Edge of Outside (documentary), TCM, 2006.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Myrtle Wilson, "The Great Gatsby," Robert Montgomery Presents, NBC, 1955.

"Do It Yourself," Goodyear Television Playhouse (also known as Goodyear Playhouse), NBC, 1955.

"Time for Love," Armstrong Circle Theatre, NBC, 1955.

Betty, "A Chance at Love," Studio One (also known as Westinghouse Studio One), CBS, 1955.

"The Pirate's House," Appointment with Adventure, CBS, 1955.

"Caribbean Cruise," Appointment with Adventure, CBS, 1955.

Lily, "Ashton Buys a Horse," United States Steel Hour (also known as The U.S. Steel Hour), CBS, 1955.

"The Expendable House," Goodyear Television Playhouse (also known as Goodyear Playhouse), NBC, 1955.

"The Ways of Courage," Kraft Television Theatre (also known as Ponds Theatre), ABC, 1955.

Toast of the Town (also known as The Ed Sullivan Show), 1957.

Person to Person, 1958.

(As Gena Rowland) Dorothy Dickenson, "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair," General Electric Theatre (also known as G.E. Theater), CBS, 1958.

"The Run to Tumavaca," Laramie, NBC, 1959.

Nina, "Fly, Baby, Fly," Johnny Staccato (also known as Staccato), NBC, 1959.

"The Altar," Markham, CBS, 1959.

Rose Traynor, "Guns for Empire," Riverboat, NBC, 1959.

Dr. Abigail Brent, "The Death-Divers," Adventures in Paradise, ABC, 1960.

Lucille Jones, "The Doubtful Doctor," Alfred Hitchcock Presents, NBC, 1960.

Barbara/Penelope, "Double Trouble," The Tab Hunter Show, NBC, 1960.

Pepper Mint, "Island Witness," The Islanders, ABC, 1961.

Marian Praisewater, "The Poppy Vendor," Target: The Corrupters, ABC, 1961.

Teddy Carella, "The Floater," 87th Precinct, 1961.

Helen Martin, "Ride the Nightmare," The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, CBS, 1962.

Leslie, "A Personal Matter," The Lloyd Bridges Show, CBS, 1963.

Mrs. Canfield, "Project X," The Dick Powell Show (also known as The Dick Powell Theatre), NBC, 1963.

Louise Henderson, "The Lonely Hours," The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, CBS, 1963.

Barbara Adams, "Flight 307," 77 Sunset Strip, ABC, 1963.

Savannah, "No Tears for Savannah," The Virginian (also known as The Man from Shiloh), NBC, 1963.

Janet Cord, "One Step Down," Kraft Suspense Theatre, NBC, 1963.

Shelley Osborne Peters, "Heart of Marble, Body of Stone," Breaking Point, ABC, 1963.

June, "It's Mental Work," Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (also known as The Chrysler Theater and Universal Star Time), NBC, 1963.

"Who Killed Victor Barrows?" Burke's Law (also known as Amos Burke, Secret Agent), ABC, 1963.

Regan Miller, "She Walks in Beauty," Bonanza (also known as Ponderosa), NBC, 1963.

Diana Justin, "Murder Case," The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, CBS, 1964.

Helen Scott, "To Walk in Grace," Dr. Kildare, NBC, 1964.

Mitzi Carlisle, "Who Killed Annie Foran?," Burke's Law (also known as Goodyear Playhouse), ABC, 1964.

Paullette Shane, "Who Killed What's His Name?," Burke's Law (also known as Goodyear Playhouse), ABC, 1964.

House Party (also known as Art Linkletter's "House Party" and The Linkletter Show), 1964.

Lois Baxter, "Won't It Ever Be Morning?," Kraft Suspense Theatre, NBC, 1965.

Charlotte Hyde, "The Rediscovery of Charlotte Hyde," Run for Your Life, NBC, 1965.

Karen Roberts, "From This Day Forward," The Long, Hot Summer, ABC, 1966.

Karen Collier, "Beyond the Hill," The Road West, NBC, 1966.

Baroness Ingrid Blangstead, "The Fountain of Youth Affair, " The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., NBC, 1967.

Duchess, "The Frame-Up," Garrison's Gorillas, ABC, 1968.

The Dick Cavett Show, 1968.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC, 1971.

Frances Delaney, "The Man in Hiding," Medical Center, CBS, 1971.

Kate Lucas, "The Concrete Captain," Ghost Story (also known as Circle of Fear), NBC, 1972.

Karen Coberly, "Child of Violence," Medical Center, CBS, 1973.

"The 266 Days," Marcus Welby, M.D., ABC, 1974.

Elizabeth Van Wick, "Playback," Columbo, NBC, 1975.

The Wicked Queen, "Rapunzel," Faerie Tale Theatre (also known as Shelley Duvall's "Faerie Tale Theatre "), Showtime, 1983.

Actors on Acting, PBS, 1984.

Champlin on Film, Bravo, 1989.

American Cinema, 1995.

Herself, "France-Amerique!," Campus, le magazine de l'ecrit (also known as Campus), 2004.

Erika Hellman, "Provenance," Numb3rs (also known as Num3ers), CBS, 2006.

The View, ABC, 2007.

Also appeared in Philco Playhouse, NBC; Danger, CBS; Suspense, CBS; Martin Kane, NBC.

Stage Appearances:

Mistress of ceremonies, All About Love, Versailles Night Club Theatre, New York City, 1951.

(Broadway debut; first as understudy, then assumed role) The Girl, The Seven Year Itch, New York City, 1952.

Dangerous Corners, off-Broadway production, 1953.

Betty Price, The Middle of the Night, American National Theatre and Academy (ANTA), New York City, 1956-57.

Major Tours:

The Girl, The Seven Year Itch, U.S. cities, 1953.

Also toured in Time Out for Ginger, U.S. cities.

WRITINGS

"Quarter Latin," Paris, je t'aime (also known as Paris, I Love You), 2006.