25 June 2024 , 21:31
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Gena Rowlands, the iconic actress from The Notebook, is now battling Alzheimer's in real life.
Her son, Hollywood director Nick Cassavetes, confirmed the heartbreaking news in a recent interview, describing the situation as "crazy". He revealed that his mother, who portrayed an Alzheimer's patient in the 2004 film, is now in "full dementia". The 93-year-old actress was diagnosed with the condition over five years ago.
Cassavetes, who directed The Notebook, shared: "I got my mom to play older Allie, and we spent a lot of time talking about Alzheimer's and wanting to be authentic with it, and now, for the last five years, she's had Alzheimer's," He added: "She's in full dementia. And it's so crazy - we lived it, she acted it, and now it's on us."
Rowlands, who received an honorary Academy Award in 2015 after two nominations, previously spoke about her role in a resurfaced interview. In a heartfelt 2004 interview with O magazine, she confessed: "The Notebook, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks - was particularly hard because I play a character who has Alzheimer's. I went through that with my mother, and if Nick hadn't directed the film, I don't think I would have gone for it. It's just too hard. It was a tough but wonderful movie."
Gena's son admitted she had been suffering for five years (Getty Images)Gena Rowlands isn't alone in her battle with dementia in Tinseltown; Bruce Willis is also facing his own fight with the cruel disease. The Die Hard legend has been grappling with frontotemporal dementia for over a year now.
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Since the heartbreaking revelation, there's been an outpouring of support and awareness-raising from his loved ones, including his spouse Emma Heming Willis and their daughter Tallulah Willis.
Bruce's illness initially presented subtle symptoms that went unnoticed by him and his family due to a lack of awareness about what to watch out for. In a May 2023 article for Vogue, Tallulah reflected on her father's 2022 aphasia diagnosis and how it eventually led to the discovery of his frontotemporal dementia.
Aphasia often leaves those affected struggling with speech, comprehension, as well as reading and writing difficulties.