caption years_active children birth_place birth_date spouse image article_title birth_name occupation
rowlands in 1955 1954 -- present nick cassavetes alexandra cassavetes zoe cassavetes madison , wisconsin , u.s. 19 june 1930 john -rrb- cassavetes -lrb- 1954 -- 1989 ; his death gena rowlands - 1955.jpg gena rowlands
 virginia cathryn rowlands actress
gena rowlands

virginia cathryn `` gena '' rowlands -lrb- born june 19 , 1930 -rrb- is an american film , stage and television actress , best known for her career in the entertainment industry stretching over six decades .
the four-time emmy and two-time golden globe winner is best known for her collaborations with her late actor-director husband john cassavetes in ten films , in two of which , `` gloria '' and `` a woman under the influence '' , she was nominated for the academy award for best actress .
in august 2015 , it was announced rowlands would be the recipient of an honorary academy award , in recognition of her unique screen performances .
