John [Cassavetes] loved actors. He gave them a lot of freedom. So if something came up that a certain actor just felt at the moment and said - that kind of improvisation he would accept. He gave very little direction. Gena Rowlands More Quotes by Gena Rowlands More Quotes From Gena Rowlands all creative writers need a certain amount of time when they're creating something where nobody should criticize them at all - at all. Even if the criticism is valid or good, they should just shut up, and let that person create. Because at a certain point you have to make it your own - not the world's, but your own. Gena Rowlands creating creative criticism People in independent film have a passion; they're not in it for the money. Gena Rowlands independent passion people You just can't complain about being alive. It's self-indulgent to be unhappy. When asked how she has coped since husband's death. Gena Rowlands husband self death Never in my life have I ever even thought about anything else [ being anything other than an actress]. Gena Rowlands actresses If I have something I like to forget, then I forget it. Gena Rowlands forget-it ifs forget It was more freedom than I think most people get when they're starting out - or even when they're not starting out. He [John Cassavetes] did his thing and I did whatever I thought. Gena Rowlands starting-out people thinking I love independent filmmaking. I don't agree with a lot of it, but that's the point. Gena Rowlands movie independent actors [John Cassavetes] came backstage afterwards and introduced himself and we talked a bit, and then went for a little coffee at the Russian Tea Room next door. It just...started. Gena Rowlands coffee tea doors I only watch my movies that I make once, so I can just see how it hangs together, but after that, I don't watch them again. A lot of people have disappeared from Earth that you've worked with, and they make me sort of sad once in a while, and there's really no necessity for me to watch them. I've made them, and it's on film and that's that. Gena Rowlands together watches people I'd wanted to be [an actress] all my life. Gena Rowlands actresses wanted John Cassavetes wrote A Woman Under the Influence as a play. He said, "Hey, I wrote you a play." And I said, "Great, let's read it." I read it and I said, "John, I couldn't do this every night and twice on Wednesday and Saturday". Gena Rowlands hey play night I went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, which was in Carnegie Hall, which itself was exciting - just to walk into it. Gena Rowlands carnegie dramatic art I think I have the only parents in the world who would not have said something against become an actress. Gena Rowlands parent world thinking I read the script of [Woman Under the Influence ] 50 times. And I thought about it. And then I did it. Gena Rowlands scripts influence When I went to my parents I was at the University of Wisconsin, and I just couldn't wait anymore to go be an actress. Gena Rowlands wisconsin parent waiting It was a very hard play [Woman Under the Influence] to do every night. And John Cassavetes said, "Don't worry. Don't even think about it, you're right. I hadn't thought of that." He said, "Just forget it." Gena Rowlands play night thinking John Cassavetes was a year ahead of me but we met there. What you do when you are at a school for drama, you do a play as opposed to a final. Anyone who wanted to come could just come. So he came, and I can't remember the name of the play, of course, it was a long time ago. Gena Rowlands drama years school A Woman Under the Influence was my favorite. I loved doing that. And it was challenging. Gena Rowlands my-favorite influence challenges So after the Shadows he acted and directed. And it worked out very nicely. And he wrote, obviously. Gena Rowlands very-nice shadow John [Cassavetes] had shot a great deal of Shadows and I had to go fulfill my contract in California, so he and all the rest of the Shadows cast came out to California and they finished it off and he cut it. He turned the garage into an editing room and he was by then a director of Shadows. That's the only thing he'd directed. But, he loved it. Gena Rowlands california cutting editing
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