Gena Rowlands

June 19, 1930 - August 14, 2024 Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Virginia Cathryn "Gena" Rowlands (June 19, 1930 – August 14, 2024) was an American actress. 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).

Her titles like The Notebook, The Skeleton Key, and Taking Lives - her biggest roles first.
Last updated: August 17, 2026

Watched: 0/58

Weighted avg: 7.01 /10

1

1

The Notebook

2004June 2004 by Nick Cassavetes

Starring as Older Allie

Starring as Older Allie

7.57 Excellent-
2

2

The Skeleton Key

2005July 2005 by Iain Softley

Starring as Violet Devereaux

Starring as Violet Devereaux

6.17 Good--
3

3

Taking Lives

2004March 2004 by D.J. Caruso

Supporting as Mrs. Rebecca Asher

Supporting as Mrs. Rebecca Asher

5.90 Okay++
4

4

Night on Earth

1991December 1991 by Jim Jarmusch

Starring as Victoria Snelling

Starring as Victoria Snelling

7.11 Good++
5

5

A Woman Under the Influence

1974November 1974 by John Cassavetes

Lead role as Mabel Longhetti

Lead role as Mabel Longhetti

7.36 Excellent--
6

6

Paulie

1998April 1998 by John Roberts

Lead role as Ivy

Lead role as Ivy

6.51 Good-
7

7

Hope Floats

1998May 1998 by Forest Whitaker

Starring as Ramona Calvert

Starring as Ramona Calvert

5.96 Okay++
8

8

Another Woman

1988October 1988 by Woody Allen

Lead role as Marion

Lead role as Marion

6.35 Good-
9

9

Gloria

1980October 1980 by John Cassavetes

Lead role as Gloria Swenson

Lead role as Gloria Swenson

6.40 Good-
10

10

Opening Night

1977December 1977 by John Cassavetes

Lead role as Myrtle Gordon

Lead role as Myrtle Gordon

7.05 Good++
11

11

Faces

1968November 1968 by John Cassavetes

Starring as Jeannie Rapp

Starring as Jeannie Rapp

6.57 Good
12

12

The Mighty

1998June 1998 by Peter Chelsom

Supporting as Gram

Supporting as Gram

6.74 Good
13

13

Love Streams

1984March 1984 by John Cassavetes

Lead role as Sarah Lawson

Lead role as Sarah Lawson

6.64 Good
14

14

Something to Talk About

1995August 1995 by Lasse Hallström

Supporting as Georgia King

Supporting as Georgia King

5.25 Okay-
15

15

Lonely are the Brave

1962April 1962 by David Miller

Starring as Jerry Bondi

Starring as Jerry Bondi

6.79 Good+
16

16

Minnie and Moskowitz

1971December 1971 by John Cassavetes

Lead role as Minnie Moore

Lead role as Minnie Moore

6.15 Good--
17

17

Playing by Heart

1998December 1998 by Willard Carroll

Minor role as Hannah

Minor role as Hannah

6.16 Good--
18

18

Unhook the Stars

1996September 1996 by Nick Cassavetes

Lead role as Mildred

Lead role as Mildred

5.77 Okay+
19

19

Light of Day

1987February 1987 by Paul Schrader

Starring as Janette Rasnick

Starring as Janette Rasnick

5.45 Okay
20

20

Broken English

2007June 2007 by Zoe Cassavetes

Supporting as Vivien Wilder-Mann

Supporting as Vivien Wilder-Mann

5.65 Okay
21

21

Tony Rome

1967November 1967 by Gordon Douglas

Supporting as Rita Kosterman

Supporting as Rita Kosterman

5.96 Okay++
22

22

A Child Is Waiting

1963February 1963 by John Cassavetes

Starring as Sophie Widdicombe Benham

Starring as Sophie Widdicombe Benham

6.21 Good--
23

23

Two-Minute Warning

1976November 1976 by Larry Peerce

Supporting as Janet

Supporting as Janet

5.88 Okay+
24

24

Tempest

1982August 1982 by Paul Mazursky

Starring as Antonia

Starring as Antonia

5.72 Okay+
25

25

The Brink's Job

1978December 1978 by William Friedkin

Supporting as Mary Pino

Supporting as Mary Pino

5.83 Okay+
26

26

Once Around

1991January 1991 by Lasse Hallström

Supporting as Marilyn Bella

Supporting as Marilyn Bella

5.79 Okay+
27

27

Parts Per Billion

2014March 2014 by Brian Horiuchi

Supporting as Esther

Supporting as Esther

4.77 Mediocre+
28

28

An Early Frost

1985May 1985 by John Erman

Starring as Katherine Pierson

Starring as Katherine Pierson

5.68 Okay+
29

29

1001 Nights

1998April 1998 by Yoshitaka Amano

Lead role as Narrator (voice)

Lead role as Narrator (voice)

6.13 Good--
30

30

Hysterical Blindness

2002January 2002 by Mira Nair

Starring as Virginia Miller

Starring as Virginia Miller

5.85 Okay+
31

31

The Neon Bible

1995August 1995 by Terence Davies

Starring as Mae Morgan

Starring as Mae Morgan

5.87 Okay+
32

32

Machine Gun McCain

1969April 1969 by Giuliano Montaldo

Minor role as Rosemary Scott

Minor role as Rosemary Scott

5.81 Okay+
33

33

A Question of Love

1978November 1978 by Jerry Thorpe

Lead role as Linda Ray Guettner

Lead role as Linda Ray Guettner

5.77 Okay+
34

34

Stardust: The Bette Davis Story

2006May 2006 by Mark A. Catalena

Starring as Self

Starring as Self

6.07 Okay++
35

35

Crazy in Love

1992August 1992 by Martha Coolidge

Starring as Honora Swift

Starring as Honora Swift

5.66 Okay
36

36

Wild Iris

2001January 2001 by Daniel Petrie

Lead role as Minnie Brinn

Lead role as Minnie Brinn

Needs more reviews
37

37

Montana

1990February 1990 by William A. Graham

Starring as Bess Guthrie

Starring as Bess Guthrie

Needs more reviews
38

38

Grace & Glorie

1998December 1998 by Arthur Allan Seidelman

Lead role as Grace Stiles

Lead role as Grace Stiles

Needs more reviews
39

39

The Color of Love: Jacey's Story

2000March 2000 by Sheldon Larry

Lead role as Georgia Porter

Lead role as Georgia Porter

Needs more reviews
40

40

The Spiral Road

1962August 1962 by Robert Mulligan

Starring as Els

Starring as Els

5.82 Okay+
41

41

Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks

2014December 2014 by Arthur Allan Seidelman

Lead role as Lily Harrison

Lead role as Lily Harrison

Needs more reviews
42

42

The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie

2004March 2004 by Paul Johansson

Lead role as Mrs. Evelyn Ritchie

Lead role as Mrs. Evelyn Ritchie

Needs more reviews
43

43

The Weekend

1999June 1999 by Brian Skeet

Lead role as Laura Ponti

Lead role as Laura Ponti

Needs more reviews
44

44

A Constant Forge

2000October 2000 by Charles Kiselyak

Minor role as Self

Minor role as Self

6.10 Okay++
45

45

I'm Almost Not Crazy: John Cassavetes — The Man and His Work

1984July 1984 by Michael Ventura

Starring as Self

Starring as Self

Needs more reviews
46

46

Peter Falk versus Columbo

2019March 2019 by Pascal Cuissot

Supporting as Self (archive footage)

Supporting as Self (archive footage)

6.17 Good--
47

47

Gena Rowlands: A Life on Film

2019June 2019 by Sabine Carbon

Starring as Self

Starring as Self

Needs more reviews
48

48

Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter

1979May 1979 by Milton Katselas

Starring as Abigail Mason

Starring as Abigail Mason

Needs more reviews
49

49

Yellow

2014August 2014 by Nick Cassavetes

Supporting as Mimi

Supporting as Mimi

Needs more reviews
50

50

The High Cost of Loving

1958May 1958 by José Ferrer

Starring as Ginny Fry

Starring as Ginny Fry

Needs more reviews
51

51

Rapunzel

1983February 1983 by Gilbert Cates

Starring as The Witch

Starring as The Witch

Needs more reviews
52

52

Light Keeps Me Company

2000August 2000 by Carl-Gustav Nykvist

Minor role as Self

Minor role as Self

Needs more reviews
53

53

87th Precinct

1961–1962

Supporting as Teddy Carella

Supporting as Teddy Carella

Needs more reviews
54

54

Ted & Venus

1991August 1991 by Bud Cort

Minor role as Mrs. Turner

Minor role as Mrs. Turner

5.60 Okay
55

55

What If God Were the Sun?

2007May 2007 by Stephen Tolkin

Supporting as Melissa Eisenbloom

Supporting as Melissa Eisenbloom

Needs more reviews
56

56

Hollywood Mavericks

1990September 1990 by Florence Dauman

Supporting as Self (archive footage)

Supporting as Self (archive footage)

Needs more reviews
57

57

Anything for John

1993September 1993 by Doug Headline

Supporting as Self

Supporting as Self

Needs more reviews
58

58

Cannes: All Access

2007October 2007 by Richard Schickel

Minor role as Self

Minor role as Self

Needs more reviews