Actress Gena Rowlands, who played Rachel McAdams's character's older version in 'The Notebook', is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, her son and film's director Nick Cassavetes revealed. In the 2004 film, her character also suffered from similar disease. "I got my mom to play older Allie...It's so crazy, we lived it, she acted it, and now it's on us," Nick added.