Amid all the Academy Award hoopla, one would be lax if one did not cite the trio of film folk whom the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored with special Oscars. In a ceremony this past fall, Debbie Reynolds was given the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award while Honorary Oscars went to Spike Lee and Gena Rowlands.
For very different reasons, Lee and Reynolds have long been high-profile mainstream celebrities. But not so GenaRowlands, a two-time Best Actress nominee for A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE in 1974 and GLORIA in 1980. Both were directed by her husband, the late, legendary John Cassavetes.
In a press release, Rowlands, who now is 85 years old, was correctly described as “an original talent” and “an independent film icon.” It was noted in the release that “she got her start on the New York stage and in live television in the 1950s and has appeared in 40 feature films to date, from THE HIGH COST OF LOVING in 1958 to SIX DANCE LESSONS IN SIX WEEKS, which she starred in (last) year. Her other notable films include LONELY ARE THE BRAVE, FACES, MINNIE AND MOSKOWITZ, OPENING NIGHT, ANOTHER WOMAN, UNHOOK THE STARS, HOPE FLOATS, PLAYING BY HEART, THE NOTEBOOK, and BROKEN ENGLISH.”
A number of years ago, I interviewed Rowlands for a film magazine. In the piece, I described her as “no vain Hollywood prima donna: She wears no make-up and makes no attempt to hide the lines under her eyes. She speaks softly and firmly, her hand occasionally squeezing an interviewer’s arm as she discusses her craft.” And in general, her acting may be described as “magnificently unselfconscious. Any intellectualizing she may have done about (her character) is eliminated once the cameras roll. Rowlands does not act (the character). She is (the character).”
As for the roles that most appeal to her, Rowlands explained: “I love a character who finds herself acting without realizing what she’s doing” and “I love a character who comes in terrific conflict with her conscious and unconscious.” At the same time, she would not overly verbalize about the ins and outs of her craft. Rowlands observed: “I like to let my performances speak for themselves. I always feel I say as much as I can when I work.”
However, one of Rowlands’ most telling comments had nothing to do with her approach to her craft. She noted: “Film hasn’t been an actor’s medium for a long time. It’s a director’s medium. Sometimes, I almost think it’s an automobile’s medium. How many films are going to be made with cars all crashing into each other? It’s incredible. There must be thousands of them by now.” Still, she added: “But I’m very happy working as I do. I’m very lucky as an actress. I’m satisfied, because I’m doing the work that I want to.”
Let me conclude by noting that this would be a perfect time to program your own GenaRowlands film festival. You can start with LONELY ARE THE BRAVE, and FACES, and ANOTHER WOMAN-- and A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE and GLORIA.
Rob Edelman as written several books on film, television, and baseball, and was a longtime Contributing Editor of Leonard Maltin’s annual Movie Guide. He teaches film history at the University at Albany.
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