Gena Rowland tributes flood social media: 'Irreplaceable'

Gena Rowlands, a highly acclaimed actress and muse of John Cassavetes, passed away on Wednesday at 94, surrounded by her family at her home in Indian Wells, California.

Rowlands, who had been battling Alzheimer's since 2019, left behind a legacy of powerful performances in films like Faces, A Woman Under the Influence, Opening Night, and Gloria.

She received two Oscar nominations for her portrayals of complex, dynamic women in A Woman Under the Influence and Gloria.

In those Oscar Award races, she was defeated by Sissy Spacek of Coal Miner's Daughter and Ellen Burstyn of Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Not until she won an honorary Oscar at the 2015 Governors Awards was her magnificence officially recognised by the Academy.

“You know what’s wonderful about being an actress?” Rowlands said at the ceremony. “You don’t just live one life — yours — you live many lives.”

Rowland was fan favourite star. The news of her demise left many fans sad, pouring heart warming tribute for the late legendary actress.

"Gena Rowlands was the type of actor who was universally admired by other actors, as well as movie goers. What a blazing talent. Thank you for all the great work," another post on X (formerly known as Twitter) added.
The third chimed in, "oh, Gena. the greatest actress to ever do it. gone, but continuous."

Another post reads: "R.I.P. Gena Rowlands, a brilliant actress who was married to John Cassavetes for 35 years and starred in several of his films."