Gena Rowlands and John Cassavetes: A Timeline of Their Iconic Hollywood Romance

Film icons Gena Rowlands and John Cassavetes were one of Hollywood’s original power couples. Their relationship, which spanned over three decades, was also a successful work partnership. The Cassavetes-Rowlands partnership became a cornerstone of independent film in the 1960s and 1970s. Often hailed as the father of independent cinema, John directed a series of movies that pushed the boundaries of storytelling and emotion. Gena was his muse and leading lady in many of these productions.

And while Gena became the visible star in their romance, she has always applauded John’s work. “It’s mostly due to John’s wonderful talent. And he saw things in a very easy, protective way,” Gena said during a 2016 interview with Beverly Cinema. “Movies that are made by studios are different, or they were at the time we started especially. They were bigger, expensive and they have their own quality that’s fun.”

Here is a look at the timeline of their love, which began in the 1950s.

Gena Rowlands and John Cassavetes first met in 1954 in New York City. Gena, an aspiring actress from Wisconsin, had just moved to New York to pursue her dreams. They quickly fell deeply in love and married that same year. Their early years together were marked by struggle and determination as they both fought to establish themselves in the competitive theater and film industries. In 1959, John directed his first film, Shadows, which became a seminal work of independent cinema.

John continued directing into the 1960s, earning a name for himself as one of the leading independent filmmakers of the time. He directed several films that would later become classics, including 1968’s Faces and Husbands in 1970. His wife, Gena Rowlands, had a prominent role in both films.

One of the most significant moments in John and Gena’s relationship came in 1974 with the release of A Woman Under the Influence. John wrote and directed the film for Gena, who delivered a showstopping performance as Mabel Longhetti, a woman struggling with mental illness. A Woman Under the Influence was also a critical and commercial success, earning Gena an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. The film later became a landmark in John’s career.

“It’s my favorite role of all time because it was just so well written and it felt so real,” Gena told Beverly Cinema. She went on to exclaim that “John gets all the credit,” for how great the film turned out.

Throughout the 1980s, Gena and John continued to work together on various projects, including Gloria and Love Streams. Tragedy struck in 1989, when John passed away at the age of 59 due to complications from cirrhosis of the liver. In the years following John’s death, Gena continued to act in both film and television. She appeared in 1996’s Unhook the Stars and The Notebook, which was directed by their son, Nick Cassavetes. Gena died on August 14.