Gena Rowlands in full dementia, son Nick Cassavetes reveals
"It's surreal—we depicted it in the movie, she performed it, and now it's our reality."
Twenty years ago, Oscar winner Gena Rowlands took on the role of an older version of Rachel McAdams' character in "The Notebook," portraying a woman living with Alzheimer's. Today, Rowlands herself is battling the disease.
The 94-year-old actress has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, as revealed by her son Nick Cassavetes, who directed "The Notebook."
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Nick reflected on the film's 20th anniversary and discussed one of its most poignant scenes featuring his mother.
"I cast my mom as the older Allie, and we had extensive discussions about portraying Alzheimer's authentically," Nick shared in the interview.
"For the past five years, she’s been living with Alzheimer’s herself."
Nick added, "She's in full dementia now. It's surreal—we depicted it in the movie, she performed it, and now it's our reality."
In "The Notebook," Rowlands' Allie and James Garner’s Noah, the older version of Ryan Gosling's character, revisit their long romance through a journal.
According to Mayo Clinic, Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder that leads to brain shrinkage and the death of brain cells.
It is the most common cause of dementia, characterised by a gradual decline in memory, thinking, behavior, and social skills, impacting daily life.
