Gena Rowlands

She was recently in The Notebook, which was directed by her son, Nick Cassavetes. See also: Cinema of France. In recent years she has appeared in Paulie and in Mira Nair's HBO movie, Hysterical Blindness. The late American singer, pianist and composer Nina Simone took her stage name from Signoret. She starred in The Neon Bible. She died of pancreatic cancer in Auteuil-Anthouillet, France, and is buried in Le Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France. Teaming with her husband, writer and director John Cassavetes, Rowlands starred in many productions, including Staccato, A Child Is Waiting, Faces, Gloria (nomination for Academy Award for Best Actress), Love Streams, Minnie and Moskowitz, She's So Lovely, Two Minute Warning and A Woman Under the Influence (Academy Award nomination). Her second marriage was to the Italian-born actor Yves Montand.

In 1961 she starred in the well-received television series 87th Precinct, and in 1964 in Peyton Place. First married to the filmmaker Yves Allégret, with whom she had a daughter Catherine Allégret, herself an actress. She starred in several anthology television series, including Robert Montgomery Presents, Kraft Television Theatre and Studio One, among many others. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1959 for her performance in Room at the Top. Rowlands appeared in Broadway in the late 1950s, and made her film debut in The High Cost of Loving in 1958. She was born in Wiesbaden, Germany. Her father was a state Assemblyman. Simone Signoret (March 25, 1921 - September 30, 1985), was the pseudonym (after her mother's last name) of Simone Kaminker, a French actress.

Born Virginia Cathryn Rowlands in Cambria, Wisconsin, she attended the University of Wisconsin. Boléro (1942). Gena Rowlands (born June 19, circa 1930) is an American actress. Le Prince charmant (1942). Les Visiteurs du soir (1942). Le Voyageur de la Toussaint (1943).

Adieu Léonard (1943). L'Ange de la nuit (1944). Béatrice devant le désir (1944). Service de nuit (1944).

Le Mort ne reçoit plus (1944). La Boîte aux rêves (1945). Les Démons de l'aube (1946). Le Couple idéal (1946).

Macadam (1946). Fantômas (1947). Against the Wind (1948). Dédée d'Anvers (1948).

Impasse des deux anges (1948). Manèges (1949). Swiss Tour (1950). La Ronde (1950).

Le Traqué (1950). Gunman in the Streets (1950). Sans laisser d'adresse (1951). Ombre et lumière (1951).

Casque d'or (1952). Thérèse Raquin (1953). Les Diaboliques (1955) (Diabolique). Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder (1955).

La Mort en ce jardin (1956). Un matin comme les autres (1956). Die Windrose (1957). Les Les Sorcières de Salem (1957).

Room at the Top (1959). Les Mauvais coups (1960). Adua e le compagne (1960). Amours célèbres (1961).

Barabbas (1962). Term of Trial (1962). Il Giorno più corto (1962). Le Jour et l'heure (1963).

Dragées au poivre (1963). Ship of Fools (1965). Compartiment tueurs (1965). Paris brûle-t-il? (1966).

The Deadly Affair (1966). Games (1967). The Sea Gull (1968). Freedom (1969).

Mr. L'Armée des ombres (1969). L'Américain (1969). L'Aveu (1970).