All of Gena Rowlands's Children Became Actors and Directors, Just Like Their Famous Parents
Gena shared three children with her husband, famous director John Cassavetes.
Published Aug. 15 2024, 10:06 a.m. ET
Actor Gena Rowlands died on Wednesday at the age of 94. She left a legacy of classic films, including Gloria and The Notebook, one of her later classics.
In June 2024, Gena's son, Nick Cassavetes, revealed she had lived with Alzheimer's disease for five years. Nick was one of Gena's three children. Here's what we know about them.
Who were Gena Rowlands's children?
During her lifetime, Gena was married twice. Her first husband, John Cassavetes, who died in 1989, was the father of her three children: Nick, Alexandra "Xan," and Zoe Cassavetes. Gena and John were life and creative partners known for their collaborations, including A Woman Under the Influence.
Their parents' work likely inspired the couple's children, as they all went on to work in Hollywood in different capacities. Nick is a renowned actor, writer, and director. He even directed his mother in The Notebook. Gena's daughters are also actors and directors. Alexandra is known for her role in Alpha Dog, which Nick also directed. She went on to direct several films, like her 2012 horror/romance film, Kiss of the Damned.
Zoe also dabbled in acting but is now a well-known director and screenwriter. Her recent directing credits include episodes of Hulu's The Summer I Turned Pretty and Max's The Sex Lives of College Girls. Gena's children's career paths were seemingly bound to happen. She and John often involved them in their work. They appeared in several of the duo's movies when they were small children, including one of Gena's other classics, Minnie and Moskowitz.
Nick's agent confirmed Gena's passing on Aug. 14, 2024. In the wake of his mother's death, the director reposted multiple Instagram posts of Gena. One post was of his mother and father with the caption, "Another great team reunited, RIP Gena Rowlands."
