The Notebook author Nicholas Sparks has said his “thoughts and prayers” are with Gena Rowlands after her Alzheimer’s diagnosis was revealed.
Gena, 94, played Rachel McAdams’ older version of Allie in the film adaptation of Sparks’ book The Notebook, and her character battled dementia on screen.
On X, Sparks, 58, shared a post reflecting on Gena’s performance in the 2004 romance film and describing what an “honor” it was to work with the actress.
‘Alzheimer’s is a very cruel disease. On days like today, I remember Gena’s powerful portrayal of Allie and the depth she brought to the character. Her performance touched millions of hearts and helped bring my story to life in a way I never imagined.
“I am truly honored to have worked with such a talented artist, and my thoughts and prayers are with Gena, Nick and their family during this difficult time. I will always cherish his legacy in film and his impact on The Notebook.”
Notebook author Nicholas Sparks has said his “thoughts and prayers” are with Gena Rowlands after her Alzheimer’s diagnosis was revealed; Sparks photographed in March 2024
He shared this message addressing Gena’s health battle on his X account on Tuesday.
Accompanying the tweet was a photo of Rowland and her son Nick Cassavetes, who directed The Notebook, on the set of the film.
The tweet was shared on the same day Gena’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis was revealed. His son Nick announced his health battle with Entertainment Weekly.
Emmy and Golden Globe winner Rowlands has suffered from the disease for five years and is now “in the throes of dementia”, according to her devastated family.
Cassavetes said, “I got my mom to play the older Allie and we spent a lot of time talking about Alzheimer’s and wanting to be real with it, and now, for the last five years, she’s had Alzheimer’s.”
‘She is in full dementia. And she is crazy: we lived it, she acted and now she falls on us.”
Although it had a decades-long career, Rowlands’ portrayal of old Allie in The Notebook made the film a forever love story.
Now he faces the same battle his character faced.
The Notebook, based on Sparks’ 1996 novel, tells a touching love story between working-class Noah and wealthy Allie, who fall deeply in love while defying social differences.
Gena with her son Nick Cassavetes on the set of The Notebook; a similar snap accompanied Sparks’ tweet
The acting legend, 94, played Rachel McAdams’ older version of Allie in The Notebook, a character who battled dementia on screen.
Gena’s battle with Alzheimer’s was revealed on Tuesday; in the photo 2016
The Notebook, based on Sparks’ 1996 novel, tells a moving love story between working-class Noah and wealthy Allie, who fall deeply in love while defying social differences.
Although it had a decades-long run, Rowlands’ (left) portrayal of Old Allie, Rachel McAdams’ (right) older version of the character, made the film a love story for the ages. She now faces the same battle that her character faced. (Pictured: Gena Rowlands and Rachel McAdams during the premiere of ‘The Notebook’ at the Mann Village Theatre)
Nick Cassavettes (left) directed The Notebook (2004), where his mother Gena Rowlands (right) was cast as Older Allie.
The film cuts between the unlikely couple’s passionate youth and the present day, where an elderly Noah, disguised as ‘Duke’, reads his story in a notebook to a fellow nursing home resident: his wife Allie (Gena Rowlands), who now suffers from dementia.
To keep the spark alive and rekindle their romance despite his memory loss, Noah has been reading a notebook written by Allie in the early stages of her illness, detailing their love story so he can help her remember it.
In a 2004 interview with O Magazine, Rowlands talked about how her mother’s struggle with the disease affected her decision to play Allie.
“I went through that with my mother, and if Nick hadn’t directed the movie, I don’t think I would have done it; it’s too difficult. It was a tough but wonderful movie.”
Nick, reflecting on his experience directing his mother in ‘The Notebook,’ shared a bittersweet memory with Entertainment Weekly.
After showing the completed film to studio executives, they requested a reshoot. Specifically, they wanted Rowlands to show stronger emotions when her character rediscovered her memories and reunited with her love, Noah.
Pictured: Nick Cassavetes presents his mother, Gena Rowlands, with the Honorary Award from the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
‘She is in full dementia. And she’s crazy: we lived it, she acted it and now it’s up to us,” announced her son Nick Cassavetes (pictured: Rowlands with three children, Alexandra, Nick and Zoe, and granddaughter Gina).
Cassavetes recounted the awkward moment of informing his mother about the new shots, and she was not happy; ‘Let me understand. Are we going to reshoot because of my performance? she said.
“We’re going back to filming, and now it’s one of those things where mom is mad and I’m like, ‘Can you do it, mom?’ She says, “I can do anything,” Rowland’s son recalled.
‘I promise you, on my father’s life, this is true: Tears came to his eyes when he saw (Garner) and he burst into tears. And I was like, okay, well, we get it… That’s the only time I had problems on set.’
Cassavetes said he is not only proud of the success of the film, established as a “cult classic” of romance for the past 20 years, but also fondly remembers the moments he shared with his mother on the set.
‘It’s always a surprise to hear that it’s been so long, but it makes sense. “I’m just happy it exists,” he says, adding, “It seems to have worked and I’m very proud of it.”
Pictured: Gena Rowlands playing baseball with her son Nick Cassavetes, who would eventually follow his father’s place as principal, at their home in 1964, Los Angeles, California.
Many of her best performances were in collaboration with her husband, the actor and director John Cassavetes (left), who died in 1989, notably A Woman Under the Influence (1974) and Gloria (1980).
Wisconsin-born Rowlands dazzled on the big screen and stage for seven decades before retiring from her stellar career in 2014, at the age of 84.
Many of her best performances were in collaboration with her husband, the actor and director John Cassavetes, who died in 1989, notably A Woman Under the Influence (1974) and Gloria (1980).
She also starred in Woody Allen’s film Another Woman (1988), where she played philosophy professor Marion Post who becomes fascinated with a psychiatric patient named Hope.