One of the most prolific actors to ever practice the craft, Gena Rowlands, had a net worth of $15 to $20 million before she took her last breath on 14 August 2024.
Key Takeaways
- Gena Rowlands, the legendary actress with a career spanning nearly seven decades, had a net worth of $15-20 million.
- Rowlands’ collaborations with her husband, John Cassavetes, and son, Nick Cassavetes, contributed significantly to her success and financial standing.
- The actress lived in a California home worth over $20 million and earned substantial income from her roles, with her salary increasing to over $100,000 per role later in her career.
The legendary actress was confirmed to have passed away by representatives for her son, filmmaker Nick Cassavetes, after battling Alzheimer’s disease.
Gena Rowlands had a long and successful career, nearly seven decades, with many chart-topping movies and series.
In 2021, the New Yorker magazine said,
“The most important and original movie actor of the past half century-plus is Gena Rowlands.”
New Yorker
Huge Net Worth
Due to her illustrious career, four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner Gena Rowlands had a net worth of $15-20 million.
Her salary for the 1999 film “Playing by Heart” was $60K, which is the same as $113K in 2024 after adjusting for inflation.
Hence, with time, her income also started to increase, and she was earning more than $100K per role.
Being the wife of the late director’s husband, John Cassavetes, propelled her trajectory of success.
The two collaborated on ten movies: “A Woman Under the Influence” (1974) and “Gloria” (1980), which were Oscar-nominated.
However, it wasn’t always the same for them. They had a humble beginning.
Rowlands and Cassavetes met at the American School of Dramatic Arts and married four months later.
In 1960, her husband used his earnings from the TV series “Johnny Stacatto” to finance his first film, “Shadows.”
With a budget of $40K, they improvised and shot with natural light on New York locations, and critics applauded it for its stark realism.
Similarly, Gena also worked with her director son, Nick, producing many commercially successful cinema.
Box office sales of the movies “She’s So Lovely” and “Unhook the Stars” were around $253 million, where she portrayed the character of Miss Jane Green and Mildred “Millie” Hawks.
Likewise, she was part of the cult classic 2004 film “The Notebook,” in which she played Older Allie Calhoun; the film collected $116 million.
Furthermore, according to public records, Gena lived in a 4,305-square-foot Californian home, a five-bedroom, four-bath house built in 1940 worth more than $20 million.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- After her former husband passed away in 1989, Gena Rowlands married again in 2012 to businessman Robert Forrest.
- She received an Honorary Academy Award for her unique screen performances in 2015.
- Rowlands studied drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
