Background
Rowlands was the daughter of Tennessee Virginia (Hickey) and William Joel Neal.
Rowlands was the daughter of Tennessee Virginia (Hickey) and William Joel Neal.
They had two children, David and Virginia (later known as Gena Rowlands). She lived as a housewife, but practised music, acting and painting as hobbies. Cassavetes began directing films, and cast Rowlands in three of his pictures.
In and, she played the mother of her real-life daughter.
Her home was used for the filming of Faces (1968) and The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976). Aside from her work with Cassavetes, Rowlands also appeared in two television movies and had a role in the film.
Her grandchildren, Nick Cassavetes, Alexandra Cassavetes and Zoe Cassavetes, are all film directors.