Oscar-Nominated Star Diane Ladd, Celebrated For Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Dies at the Age of 89.
This award-nominated performer the celebrated Diane Ladd has died at the age of 89.
The star, with credits included National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, died at her home in California’s Ojai. This announcement was announced through a message shared by her daughter, Oscar-winning actor Laura Dern.
Laura Dern, who performed alongside Diane Ladd in various films including Wild at Heart, referred to her as “my incredible hero and my profound gift as a mother”, noting that she was at her bedside when she passed.
“She was an exceptional grandmother, mother, daughter, actress, artist along with caring individual that felt like a dream come true,” she expressed. “We were blessed to have her. Her spirit soars with angels.”
Beginnings and Major Success
Ladd’s early career saw minor parts on television series including The Fugitive and the seventies featured her performing with actor Jack Nicholson in the film Chinatown.
During that year, the year 1974, she shared the screen with Ellen Burstyn in Martin Scorsese’s praised film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, a classic. Her acting landed Ladd her initial Oscar nod for best supporting actress.
1980s and Beyond
During the eighties, she appeared in the thriller Black Widow, a suspense story and funny follow-up National Lampoon’s holiday comedy while also joining the sitcom Alice, a television series derived from Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
During the next ten years, she earned another best supporting actress Academy Award nomination for her part in Lynch’s Wild at Heart, a cult classic where she played the mother of her actual daughter Laura Dern’s role. The next year she obtained an additional nod for her role in the film Rambling Rose which also starred Laura Dern.
“This was the picture which Princess Diana chose as her absolutely favorite, and she brought Laura and I to the UK for a special screening and an event in our honor,” Ladd said regarding Rambling Rose. “She sat with us, taking our hands, and crying, seeing us act.”
The nineties featured performances in comedy Cemetery Club, a film bringing her back with her co-star Burstyn, Primary Colors, a political comedy, starring John Travolta and Alexander Payne’s Citizen Ruth in which she portrayed Laura Dern’s mom again. That period also brought her nominations for Emmy Awards for performances in the series Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, the show Grace Under Fire and Touched by an Angel.
Partnerships with Her Daughter
She persisted in performing with her daughter in dramatic comedies Daddy and Them, Lynch’s Inland Empire and the series by Mike White dark comedy series the program Enlightened. She was also seen alongside actress Sandra Bullock in 28 Days, Sir Anthony Hopkins in The World’s Fastest Indian, a film and with Jennifer Lawrence in Joy, a biographical drama.
Her more recent television parts featured Ray Donovan, a drama and Young Sheldon.
Behind the Camera
She additionally penned and oversaw the comedy Mrs Munck featuring herself and ex-husband actor Bruce Dern. “Bruce is a great actor,” she said. “I’m privileged to have directed him in a film. Actually, I’m the only woman in history to direct her ex-husband. I make a joke: ‘I say ladies, if you seek payback, guide your former spouse.’ However, I’m joking.”
Family Ties
She was additionally a family member of the great Tennessee Williams, who she called “a major inspiration throughout my life”.
In 2018, doctors misdiagnosed Ladd with lung disease and told her life expectancy was six months yet she recovered completely once her daughter moved her to another medical facility.
“If you can take your pain and prevent it from festering like a sore or something, rather utilize it to explore, to illuminate the way for personal and collective growth, then you are winning,” Ladd expressed.
