Zoe Cassavetes

Zoe Rowlands Cassavetes (born June 29, 1970) is an American film director, screenwriter, and actress. She is the daughter of filmmaker John Cassavetes and actress Gena Rowlands. She is best known for her 2007 film Broken English.

Cassavetes began her career at age one with a role in her father’s film Minnie and Moskowitz. Her acting debut came in 1991 with Ted & Venus, followed by roles in Noises Off and The Thing Called Love. In 1994, she co-created the digital video series Hi Octane with Sofia Coppola.

Her directorial debut was the 2000 short Men Make Women Crazy Theory. She is best known for the 2007 romantic comedy Broken English, inspired by her thoughts on love and self-worth. Cassavetes was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay.

In 2012, she made a short film for Miu Miu’s The Women’s Tales campaign, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Her second feature, Day Out of Days, stars Alexia Landeau and features Melanie Griffith and Eddie Izzard. She is represented by Little Minx.

Cassavetes comes from a filmmaking family: her father, John Cassavetes, was a renowned actor, screenwriter, and director; her mother, Gena Rowlands, is an acclaimed actress; her brother, Nick Cassavetes, is an actor and director; her sister, Alexandra Cassavetes, is an actress and director; and her grandmother, Katherine Cassavetes, was an actress. She describes the relationship issues in Broken English as largely autobiographical, reflecting her fascination with different forms of love. Cassavetes is also known as a muse for fashion designer Marc Jacobs, alongside Sofia Coppola. She is married to Sebastien Chenut.