Rowlands was the daughter of Tennessee Virginia (née Hickey) and William Joel Neal, who was of
Irish 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. 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. ==Filmography==