LOS ANGELES, Aug 15, (AP): Gena Rowlands, celebrated as one of the most remarkable actors in the history of cinema and a pioneering figure in independent film, passed away at the age of 94. Known for her captivating performances in groundbreaking films directed by her husband, John Cassavetes, Rowlands also charmed modern audiences in her son’s poignant film, "The Notebook." Her passing was confirmed on Wednesday by representatives for her son, filmmaker Nick Cassavetes, who had revealed earlier this year that his mother was battling Alzheimer’s disease. According to TMZ, Rowlands died at her home in Indian Wells, California, on Wednesday.

Operating outside the traditional Hollywood studio system, the dynamic husband-and-wife duo of John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands crafted unforgettable portrayals of working-class individuals and underdogs in films like "A Woman Under the Influence," "Gloria," and "Faces." Over four decades, Rowlands appeared in ten films directed by Cassavetes, including "Minnie and Moskowitz" in 1971, "Opening Night" in 1977, and "Love Streams" in 1984. Her work in these films earned her critical acclaim and two Academy Award nominations for Best Actress, for her roles in "A Woman Under the Influence" (1974), where she played a wife and mother struggling under the weight of domestic life, and "Gloria" (1980), in which she portrayed a woman helping a young boy escape from the mob.

Rowlands once remarked that Cassavetes had a deep empathy for women and their struggles in society, which was evident in the strong female characters he created. "He had a particular sympathetic interest in women and their problems in society, how they were treated and how they solved and overcame what they needed to, so all his movies have some interesting women, and you don’t need many," she told the Associated Press in 2015.

In addition to her Oscar nominations, Rowlands garnered three Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy, and two Golden Globe Awards. Her contributions to cinema were further recognized in 2015 when she was honored with an honorary Academy Award. Reflecting on her career at the time, she said, "You know what’s wonderful about being an actress? You don’t just live one life. You live many lives."

A new generation of moviegoers became acquainted with Rowlands through her role in her son Nick Cassavetes' hit film "The Notebook," where she played an elderly woman reflecting on a lifelong romance as her memory fades. Her younger self in the film was portrayed by Rachel McAdams. Rowlands also appeared in another of her son’s films, "Unhook the Stars" (1996).

In her later years, Rowlands continued to grace the screen with her presence, appearing in films and television series such as "The Skeleton Key" and the detective series "Monk." Her final film role was in 2014, where she portrayed a retiree who befriends her gay dance instructor in "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks."

One of Rowlands’ most acclaimed performances was in the 1974 film "Woman Under the Influence," where she played a lower-middle-class housewife overwhelmed by her circumstances. In "Gloria" (1980), she delivered another powerful performance as a former showgirl entangled with the mob. Both roles earned her Academy Award nominations for Best Actress.

Rowlands and Cassavetes met at the American School of Dramatic Arts when both were at the outset of their careers. They married four months later. In 1960, Cassavetes used his earnings from the TV series "Johnny Staccato" to finance his first film, "Shadows." The film, which was partly improvised and shot with natural light on New York locations on a modest $40,000 budget, was praised by critics for its raw realism.

Gena (pronounced Jenna) Rowlands honed her acting skills through live television dramas and stage tours in productions like "The Seven Year Itch" and "Time for Ginger," as well as off-Broadway plays. Her big break came when director Josh Logan cast her opposite Edward G. Robinson in Paddy Chayefsky’s play "Middle of the Night." Her portrayal of a young woman in love with her much older boss garnered her rave reviews and established her as a rising star.

MGM quickly offered Rowlands a contract for two films a year. Her first movie, a comedy directed by and co-starring José Ferrer, titled "The High Cost of Loving," drew comparisons between Rowlands and the legendary 1930s star Carole Lombard. However, Rowlands requested to be released from her contract when she became pregnant. Throughout her career, she often took breaks from acting to focus on her family.

Rowlands and Cassavetes had three children: a son, Nick, and two daughters, Alexandra and Zoe, who also pursued careers in acting. After John Cassavetes passed away from cirrhosis of the liver in 1989, Rowlands returned to acting to cope with her grief. In the years that followed, she frequently attended film festivals and events honoring Cassavetes' work, expressing her desire for more people to see his films. "I want everyone to see his films," she said at the San Sebastián Film Festival in 1992. "John was one of a kind, the most totally fearless person I’ve ever known. He had a very specific view of life and the individuality of people."

Virginia Cathryn Rowlands was born in 1930 (though some sources suggest a later date) in Cambria, Wisconsin, where her Welsh ancestors had settled in the early 19th century. Her father was a banker and state senator, while her mother fostered Rowlands’ early love for books and make-believe, encouraging her ambition to become an actress.

Rowlands left the University of Wisconsin in her junior year to pursue an acting career in New York. Like many actors of her generation, she gained invaluable experience in the burgeoning field of television drama during the 1950s, appearing on all the major series of the time.

After leaving MGM, Rowlands was able to choose her film roles more selectively. When nothing caught her interest, she appeared in popular TV series such as "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Bonanza," "Dr. Kildare," and "The Virginian." One of her career highlights was co-starring with her idol, Bette Davis, in the 1979 TV movie "Strangers."

Throughout her career, Rowlands appeared in numerous other films, including "Lonely Are the Brave" with Kirk Douglas, "The Spiral Road" with Rock Hudson, "A Child Is Waiting" with Burt Lancaster and Judy Garland (directed by Cassavetes), "Two-Minute Warning" with Charlton Heston, and "Tempest," in which she co-starred with Cassavetes and a young Molly Ringwald in her screen debut. She also played a mother trying to do right by her children in Paul Schrader’s 1987 film "Light of Day," a study of a blue-collar family.

In her middle age and beyond, Rowlands continued to take on challenging roles. In Woody Allen’s "Another Woman," she portrayed a writer whose sheltered life is disrupted by a series of emotional crises. In the groundbreaking TV movie "An Early Frost," she played a mother grappling with her son’s AIDS diagnosis.

Rowlands reflected in 1992 that her characters often stayed with her. "Sometimes, those white nights when I have no sleep and a lot of time to think about everything, I’ll examine different possibilities of different characters and what they might be doing now," she said.