== Opvækst ==
Rowlands blev født som Virginia Cathryn Rowlands den [[19. juni]] [[1930]] i [[Madison (Wisconsin)|Madison]], [[Wisconsin]].<ref> Dane County Register of Deeds, Madison, Wisconsin.</ref> Hendes mor, Mary Allen (født Neal), var en husmor, der senere arbejdede som skuespiller under scenenavnet Lady Rowlands.<ref> U.S. Census, 1. april, 1930, state of Wisconsin, county of Columbia, village of Cambria, enumeration district 3, side 4-B, family 130</ref> <ref>[http://www.filmreference.com/film/38/Gena-Rowlands.html "Gena Rowlands Biography (1930?-)"]</ref> Hendes far, Edwin Myrwyn Rowlands, var bankmand og statslovgiver.<ref>Assembly, 1927–1935; Senate, 1935–1939. ''Members of the Wisconsin Legislature 1848–1999'', Informational Bulletin 99-1, Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, 1999.</ref> Han var medlem af [[Wisconsin Progressive Party]], og var af walisisk afstamning.<ref>Lane, Lydia (November 21, 1980). [https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/doc/162996377.html  "Beauty"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813182909/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/doc/162996377.html |date=13. august 2017 }}</ref> Hun havde en bror, David Rowlands.
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