2013 (Production)

2013-03-13 (Production)

English (Original)

Interviewee: Gena Rowlands
Interviewer: Laura Dern

Professional production

United States

Actress Gena Rowlands is interviewed by actress Laura Dern in Rowlands’ home in Los Angeles, California in 2013. Rowlands begins with her childhood, education, and the start of her career. The majority of the interview is spent discussing Rowlands’ various film and television roles, with particular emphasis on her work with husband John Cassavetes. Rowlands remarks on her films from LONELY ARE THE BRAVE (1962) to BROKEN ENGLISH (2007).

Actress Gena Rowlands is interviewed by actress Laura Dern in Rowlands’ home in Los Angeles, California on March 16, 2013. Rowlands describes her childhood in Wisconsin and Washington, DC. She wanted to act from a young age and particularly admired Bette Davis, with whom she later appeared in the television movie STRANGERS: THE STORY OF A MOTHER AND A DAUGHTER (1979). Rowlands discusses her education and early career, from college in Wisconsin to attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, where she met husband John Cassavetes. She describes New York in the 1950s, an era in the city when production was dominated by movies made for television. She compares the process of live broadcast to feature filmmaking, as well as to Cassavetes improvisational approach. Rowlands discusses Cassavetes' career a great deal--not limiting herself to her own collaborations with him. She details his transition from actor to director with his first production, SHADOWS (1959). Other titles she discusses in great detail include A CHILD IS WAITING (1963), FACES (1968), MINNIE AND MOSKOWITZ (1971), and A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE (1974). Rowlands describes Cassavetes' working style and philosophies from her perspective as an actor, emphasizing the ways he promoted emotionally rich roles for women and the steps he took to create an environment for his performers to embrace improvisation. Other themes that Rowlands touches on include dealing with rejection, what drives people to act, and the challenges that confront independent filmmakers. She reflects on the pleasures of working with her children, who have followed her into the film industry. She closes relating the awards show advice she received from Shelley Winters and how a joke that backfired spoiled her acceptance of her Golden Globe Award for A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE.

Actress Gena Rowlands (born 1930) is best known for films made in collaboration with her husband John Cassavetes, including FACES (1968), A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE (1974), and GLORIA (1980). Rowlands began acting in high school and local theater productions in Virginia, going on at age 20 to enroll at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Her early roles alternated between Broadway productions, including a starring role Paddy Chayefsky’s THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, and appearances on anthology television series like Kraft Television Theatre, and syndicated shows like RIVERBOAT and THE ISLANDERS. Her film debut came in THE HIGH COST OF LIVING (1958) followed by LONELY ARE THE BRAVE (1962) with Kirk Douglas and Walter Matthau and her first film with Cassavetes, A CHILD IS WAITING (1963) starring Judy Garland. Rowlands would spend the next few decades primarily working with Cassavetes, receiving Oscar nominations for her roles in A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE and GLORIA. She worked with independent director Jim Jarmusch in NIGHT ON EARTH (1991) and has repeatedly worked with her children, including UNHOOK THE STARS (1996) and THE NOTEBOOK (2004) with her son Nick Cassavetes and BROKEN ENGLISH (2007) with her daughter Zoe. In 2016 she received an honorary Academy Award in recognition of her contributions to the craft of acting over the course of her career.

Films discussed:
A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE (1974)
SHADOWS (1959)

Additional people discussed:
John Cassavetes
Richard Harris
Bette Davis
Jean Shepherd

General:
Crowdfunding
Acting School
Independent Filmmaking

W1181688