Lady Rowlands

 ( 1904 Births ) 

Lady Rowlands (born Mary Allen Neal; April 12, 1904 – May 28, 1999) was an American film actress. Most of her work came in the films of John Cassavetes, who was married to her daughter, actress Gena Rowlands.

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Life and career Rowlands was the daughter of Tennessee Virginia (née Hickey) and William Joel Neal, who was of Irish people descent. She was married to Edwin Myrwyn Rowlands, a Welsh-American banker and statesman, with whom she lived in Cambria, Wisconsin. They had two children, David and Virginia (later known as Gena Rowlands). She lived as a housewife, but practiced music, acting and painting as hobbies.

Rowlands later moved to California along with her daughter and son-in-law, actor John Cassavetes. Cassavetes began directing films, and cast Rowlands in three of his pictures. She adopted the screen-name "Lady Rowlands", a nickname given by her grandchildren. In Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) and A Woman Under the Influence (1974), 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 Ted & Venus (1991).

Her grandchildren, Nick Cassavetes, Alexandra Cassavetes and Zoe Cassavetes, are all actors and film directors.

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Filmography

TV movie

(final film role)

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External links

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