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Nicholas Sparks is honoring The Notebook actress Gena Rowlands after her Alzheimer’s diagnosis was revealed. In a recent Instagram post, the author penned a heartfelt tribute to the film star, calling Alzheimer’s a “cruel disease” while sharing a photo of Gena, 94, from the film set.
“Alzheimer’s is such a cruel disease,” Nicholas captioned his Instagram post on Wednesday, June 26. “On days like today, I’m reminded of Gena’s powerful portrayal of Allie and the depth she brought to the character. Her performance touched millions of hearts and helped bring my story to life in ways I never imagined.”
Noting that he is “truly honored to have worked with such a talented artist,” Nicholas offered his “thoughts and prayers” to Gena and her family “during this challenging time.”
“I will always cherish her legacy in film and her impact on The Notebook,” Nicholas concluded his caption.
Gena portrayed the older version of Rachel McAdams‘ character, Allie Hamilton, in the film. It’s revealed in the movie that Allie eventually lost her memory and could not remember her and her husband Noah Calhoun’s love story. The younger version of Noah is played by Ryan Gosling, while the older version is played by James Garner.
Alzheimer’s Disease is one of the most common forms of dementia in patients. Per the National Institute on Aging, scientists have not yet discovered what causes the illness, but the number of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s doubles every five years after the age of 65.
The Notebook director Nick Cassavetes is Gena’s son, and he recently revealed his mother’s diagnosis during an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
“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,” the director told the publication in an interview that was published on Tuesday, June 25. “She’s in full dementia. And it’s so crazy — we lived it, she acted it, and now it’s on us.”
Despite her diagnosis, Gena established herself as a hard-working and dedicated actress. With a film career that has spanned decades, Gena was determined to give a heart-wrenching performance on screen. While speaking to the outlet, Nick recalled one incident on set when his mom got “pissed” at him.
“We go to reshoots, and now it’s one of those things where mama’s pissed, and I had asked her, ‘Can you do it, mom?’ She goes, ‘I can do anything,’” the filmmaker said, before adding, “I promise you, on my father’s life, this is true: Teardrops came flying out of her eyes when she saw [James], and she burst into tears.”
