Gena Rowlands — most famously from “The Notebook” — is sadly battling Alzheimer’s disease… a touching update after she played a key character with the same disease.
Son of the actress and director of ‘Notebook’ Nick Cassavetes shared the news on Tuesday with Weekly entertainment – this while celebrating the 20th anniversary of his beloved and iconic romance film… which he directed and his mother starred in as Allie in her old age.
NC says… “I got my mom to play the 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. . And it’s so crazy – we lived it, she performed it and now it’s on us.
Remember… the big screen adaptation of Nicholas Sparks‘starry romance James Garner as Duke, a resident at a nursing home telling Gena’s Allie a love story… who, of course, also starred Ryan Gosling It is Rachel McAdams.
At the end of the film, it’s revealed that Duke is actually the older version of Ryan’s character Noah… and he’s trying to help the older Allie get her memories back.
It’s a tearjerker, to say the least… and with this latest real-life twist, doubly so.
While “The Notebook” may be hitting too close to home for Gena and her loved ones, Nick told the outlet he’s proud of his film… and that it still holds up two decades later.
He continued… “It’s always a shock to hear that so much time has passed, but it makes sense. I’m really glad it exists. It seems to have worked and I’m really proud of it.”
Gena – daughter of the actress Lady Rowlandwho was also diagnosed with Alzheimer’s before her death – won 4 Emmy Awards, 2 Golden Globes and 2 Oscar nominations before retiring in 2015.
She collaborated with her filmmaker husband, João Cassaveteson several occasions – including “A Woman Under the Influence” and “Gloria”.
A living legend, without a doubt.