🔗 Share this article

The Oscar-nominated actress Diane Ladd passed away aged 89.

This star, whose roles included Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, died at her home in Ojai, California. This announcement was announced through a message shared by her child, Academy Award-winning star her daughter Laura Dern.

Her daughter, who appeared with Diane Ladd in a number of films including Rambling Rose, referred to her as “my wonderful hero as well as my precious gift of a mother”, noting that she was by her side as she died.

“She was an exceptional grandmother, mother, daughter, performer, creative and compassionate soul that only dreams could have seemingly created,” she wrote. “We were fortunate to know her. She is flying with her angels now.”

Initial Roles and Breakthrough

The start of her career featured supporting roles on television series like Gunsmoke while that decade featured her performing with actor Jack Nicholson in the film Chinatown.

In the same year, the year 1974, she performed alongside Ellen Burstyn in Scorsese’s celebrated dramatic comedy the movie Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Her role landed Ladd her first Oscar nomination as best supporting actress.

Subsequent Years

In the 1980s, she was seen in the thriller Black Widow, a suspense story as well as comedy sequel National Lampoon’s holiday comedy while also joining the show Alice, a sitcom inspired by her earlier movie.

In the subsequent decade, she was given a further best supporting actress Academy Award nomination for her performance in the David Lynch film the movie Wild at Heart in which she portrayed the mom of her real-life daughter Laura Dern’s role. The next year she was awarded an additional nod for her acting in the film Rambling Rose which included Laura Dern.

“This was the picture which Princess Diana selected as her very favorite, and she invited us to England for a premiere and a celebration in our honor,” Ladd recalled regarding Rambling Rose. “And she sat between us, taking our hands, and weeping, watching us perform.”

That decade featured performances in comedy Cemetery Club joining her again with Burstyn, the movie Primary Colors, a political comedy, featuring John Travolta and Alexander Payne’s Citizen Ruth where she played Laura Dern’s mom another time. Those years also saw her score TV award nominations for roles in Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, Grace Under Fire, a sitcom plus Touched by an Angel.

Working with Laura Dern

She kept appearing with her daughter in dramatic comedies Daddy and Them, David Lynch’s the movie Inland Empire and Mike White’s dark comedy series Enlightened, a TV series. She also appeared with Sandra Bullock, a star in 28 Days, Anthony Hopkins, a legend in The World’s Fastest Indian, a film and with Jennifer Lawrence in Joy.

Her later TV roles featured Ray Donovan, a drama plus Young Sheldon.

Behind the Camera

She also authored and oversaw the comedy the movie Mrs Munck which starred Diane Ladd and previous spouse actor Bruce Dern. “Bruce is an excellent performer,” she mentioned. “I was honored to direct him in a film. In fact, I’m the only woman ever to helm a film with her ex. I humorously say: ‘I tell women, should you desire retribution, helm a movie with your ex.’ Though I’m just teasing.”

Personal Connections

She happened to be the third cousin of the great Tennessee Williams, whom she described as “a significant impact on my life”.

During 2018, doctors misdiagnosed Ladd with a respiratory illness and advised she had just six months to live but made a full recovery after her daughter moved her to a different hospital.

“When you use your pain and avoid letting it accumulate like a sore or something, instead apply it to discover, to clarify the journey for you and those around, then you are succeeding,” Ladd remarked.