Gena Rowlands
Gena Rowlands
Virginia Cathryn "Gena" Rowlandsis an American film, stage, and television actress, whose career in the entertainment industry 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 Influenceand Gloria, which earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She also won the Silver Bear for Best Actress for Opening Night. In November 2015, Rowlands...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMovie Actress
Date of Birth19 June 1930
CityMadison, WI
CountryUnited States of America
It was more freedom than I think most people get when they're starting out - or even when they're not starting out. He [John Cassavetes] did his thing and I did whatever I thought.
I think that I was lucky to have that period of time [ like coming to New York] because everything was so exciting and new.
I think I have the only parents in the world who would not have said something against become an actress.
So many people mistakenly think that the rest of his [John Cassavetes] pictures and the ones we did were improvised, which isn't true. He wrote all the rest of them.
It was a very hard play [Woman Under the Influence] to do every night. And John Cassavetes said, "Don't worry. Don't even think about it, you're right. I hadn't thought of that." He said, "Just forget it."
After you play a part, you think of it as your own.
It was when A Woman Under the Influence played at the New York Film Festival. It would be hard to top that. It was one of the most extraordinary nights of my life.
Getting a good role is hard for anyone.
But you base everything on people you know.
I like subtitles. Sometimes I wish all movies had subtitles.
The thing about acting is you don't want to let on how enjoyable it is or then everybody would want to become an actress. But it really is. It's a pleasure to go and exchange your identity.
I can never have a poker face. Anybody looking at me can tell exactly what I'm thinking.
I always do make a back story for myself, but I'm not sure how necessary it is. I just like to.
I think everybody has tried the Ouija board, ... I used to be into astrology and such, but then I got more fatalistic about things. I'd rather be surprised.