Gena Rowlands

Actresses

Virginia Cathryn “Gena” Rowlands (born June 19, 1930) is an American actress, whose career in film, stage, and television has spanned over six decades. A four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner, she is known for her collaborations with her late actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films, including A Woman Under the Influence (1974) and Gloria (1980), which earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She also won the Silver Bear for Best Actress for Opening Night (1977). She is also known for her performances in Woody Allen‘s Another Woman (1988), and her son, Nick Cassavetes’ film, The Notebook (2004). In November 2015, Rowlands received an Honorary Academy Award in recognition of her unique screen performances.

Other notable films include Jim Jarmusch‘s anthology film Night on Earth (1991), with Winona Ryder; Playing by Heart (1998) with Gillian Anderson, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Connery, and Angelina Jolie; and The Skeleton Key (2005), with Kate Hudson, Peter Sarsgaard, and John Hurt;

Each review will be linked to to the title below.

(*seen originally in theaters)

(**seen rereleased in theaters)

Film

  • The High Cost of Loving (1958) – directed by Jose Ferrer
  • Shadows (1959) – directed by John Cassavetes – uncredited
  • Lonely Are the Brave (1962) – directed by David Miller
  • The Spiral Road (1962) – directed by Robert Mulligan
  • A Child Is Waiting (1963) – directed by John Cassavetes
  • Tony Rome (1967) – directed by Gordon Douglas
  • Faces (1968) – directed by John Cassavetes
  • Machine Gun McCain (1969) – directed by Giuliano Montaldo
  • Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) – directed by John Cassavetes
  • A Woman Under the Influence (1974) – directed by John Cassavetes
  • Two-Minute Warning (1976) – directed by Larry Peerce
  • Opening Night (1977) – directed by John Cassavetes
  • The Brink’s Job (1978) – directed by William Friedkin
  • Gloria (1980) – directed by John Cassavetes
  • Tempest (1982) – directed by Paul Mazursky
  • Love Streams (1984) – directed by John Cassavetes
  • I’m Almost Not Crazy: John Cassavetes, the Man & His Work (1984) – documentary short
  • Light of Day (1987) – directed by Paul Schrader
  • Another Woman (1988) – directed by Woody Allen
  • Hollywood Mavericks (1990) – directed by Florence Dauman & Dale Ann Stieber – documentary
  • Once Around (1991) – directed by Lasse Hallström
  • Night on Earth (1991) – directed by Jim Jarmusch
  • Ted & Venus (1991) – directed by Bud Cort
  • Something to Talk About (1995) – directed by Lasse Hallström
  • The Neon Bible (1995) – directed by Terence Davies
  • Unhook the Stars (1996) – directed by Nick Cassavetes
  • She’s So Lovely (1997) – directed by Nick Cassavetes
  • Paulie (1998) – directed by John Roberts
  • Hope Floats (1998) – directed by Forest Whitaker
  • The Mighty (1998) – directed by Peter Chelsom
  • Playing by Heart (1998) – directed by Willard Carroll
  • The Weekend (1999) – directed by Brian Skeet
  • Light Keeps Me Company Herself (2000) – directed by Carl-Gustav Nykvist documentary
  • Taking Lives (2004) – directed by D.J. Caruso
  • The Notebook (2004)* – directed by Nick Cassavetes
  • The Skeleton Key (2005) – directed by Iain Softley
  • Paris, je t’aime (2006) – directed by Emmanuel Benbihy, Joel & Ethan Coen, Nobuhiro Suwa, Olivier Assayas, Gus Van Sant, Gurinder Chadha, Frédéric Auburtin & Gérard Depardie, Sylvain Chomet, Vincenzo Natali, Richard LaGravenese, Tom Tykwer, Isabel Coixet Castillo, Christopher Doyle, Alexander Payne, Walter Salles & Daniela Thomas, Alfonso Cuarón, Bruno Podalydès, Oliver Schmitz, & Wes Craven – anthology
  • Broken English (2006) – directed by Zoe Cassavetes
  • Persepolis (2006) – directed by Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud – English dub
  • Olive (2011) – directed by Tess M. Powell
  • Yellow Mimi (2012) – directed by Nick Cassavetes
  • Parts Per Billion (2012) – directed by Brian Horiuchi
  • Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks (2014) – directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman
  • Unfortunate Circumstances (2017) – short

TV

  • Top Secret (1954) – 1 episode
  • The Way of the World (1955) – 1 episode
  • Robert Montgomery Presents (1950-1957) – 1 episode (1955)
  • Ponds Theater (1953-19569) – anthology, 1 episode (1955)
  • Armstrong Circle Theatre (1950-1963) – anthology, 1 episode (1955)
  • Studio One on Hollywood (1948-1958) – anthology, 1 episode (1955)
  • Appointment with Adventure (1955-1956) – anthology, 1 episode (1955)
  • The United States Steel Hour (1953-1963) – anthology, 1 episode (1955)
  • Goodyear Television Playhouse (1951-1957) – anthology, 1 episode (1955)
  • General Electric Theater (1953-1962) – anthology, 1 episode (1955)
  • Laramie (1959-1963) – 1 episode (1959)
  • Johnny Staccato (1959-1960 – 1 episode (1959)
  • Markham (1959-1960) – 1 episode (1959)
  • Riverboat (1959-1961) – 1 episode (1959)
  • Adventures in Paradise (1959-1962) – 1 episode (1960)
  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1962) – anthology, 1 episode (1960)
  • The Tab Hunter Show (1960-1961) – 1 episode (1960)
  • The Islanders (1961-1962) – 1 episode (1961)
  • Target: The Corruptors! (1961-1962) – 1 episode (1961)
  • 87th Precinct (1961-1962) – 4 episodes (1961, 1962)
  • 1963 The Dick Powell Theatre (1961-1963) – anthology, 1 episode (1963)
  • The Lloyd Bridges Show (1962-1963) – anthology, 1 episode (1963)
  • 77 Sunset Strip (1958-1964) – anthology, 1 episode (1963)
  • Bonanza (1959-1973) – 1 episode (1963)
  • The Virginian (1962-1971) – 1 episode (1963)
  • Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963-1967) – anthology, 1 episode (1963)
  • Breaking Point (1962-1964) – 1 episode (1963)
  • Dr. Kildare (1961-1966) – 1 episode (1964)
  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962-1965) – anthology, 3 episodes (1962, 1964)
  • Burke’s Law (1963-1966) – 2 episodes (1964)
  • Kraft Suspense Theatre (1963-1965) – anthology, 2 episodes (1963, 1964)
  • Run for Your Life (1965-1968) – 1 episode (1966)
  • The Long, Hot Summer (1965-1966) – 1 episode (1966)
  • The Road West (1966-1967) – 1 episode (1967)
  • The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. (1966-1967) – 1 episode (1967)
  • Peyton Place (1964-1969) – 39 episodes (1967)
  • Garrison’s Gorillas (1967-1968) – 1 episode (1968)
  • Nick Quarry (1968) – TV short
  • Circle of Fear (1972-1973) –  anthology, 1 episode (1973)
  • Medical Center (1969-1973) – 1 episode (1971, 1973)
  • Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969-1976) – 1 episode (1974)
  • Columbo (1971-2003) – 1 episode (1975)
  • A Question of Love (1978) – TV movie
  • Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter (1979) – directed by Milton Katselas – TV movie
  • Thursday’s Child (1983) – directed by David Lowell Rich – TV movie
  • Faerie Tale Theatre (1982-1987) – 1 episode (1983)
  • An Early Frost (1985) – directed by John Erman – TV movie
  • The Betty Ford Story (1987) – directed by David Greene – TV movie
  • Montana (1990) – directed by William Graham – TV movie
  • Face of a Stranger (1991) – TV movie
  • Crazy in Love (1992) – directed by Martha Coolidge – TV movie
  • Anything for John (1993) – documentary
  • Parallel Lives (1994) – directed and produced by Linda Yellen – TV movie
  • Best Friends for Life (1998) – TV movie
  • Grace & Glorie (1998) – TV movie
  • The Color of Love: Jacey’s Story (2000) – TV movie
  • Wild Iris (2001) – directed by Daniel Petrie – TV movie
  • Hysterical Blindness (2002) – directed by Mira Nair – TV movie
  • Charms for the Easy Life (2002) – TV movie
  • The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie (2004) – TV movie
  • Numb3rs (2005-2010) – 1 episode (2006)
  • What If God Were the Sun? (2007) – directed by Stephen Tolkin – TV movie
  • Monk (2002-2009) – 1 episode (2009)
  • NCIS (2003- ) – 1 episode (2010)