Oscar-Nominated Star Diane Ladd, Celebrated For Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Has Died at Age 89.
The award-nominated actor the celebrated Diane Ladd has died 89 years old.
This star, with credits featured Chinatown, left this world in her residence at her Ojai, California home. Her passing was shared in a statement by her child, Academy Award-winning star her daughter Laura Dern.
Her daughter, who starred with her mom in various films such as Wild at Heart, referred to her as “my wonderful hero as well as my special gift being my mom”, stating that she was at her bedside during her final moments.
“She was the most wonderful grandmother, mother, daughter, actress, artist and caring individual that only dreams could have seemingly created,” she wrote. “We were lucky to have her. She is flying with her angels now.”
Early Career and Major Success
Her initial acting years saw supporting roles on television series such as Perry Mason whereas that decade had her appearing alongside actor Jack Nicholson in the classic Chinatown.
That very year, 1974, she shared the screen alongside Ellen Burstyn in Martin Scorsese’s celebrated comedy drama Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Her role earned Ladd her initial Oscar nod as best supporting actress.
Subsequent Years
In the 1980s, she starred in the thriller Black Widow, a suspense story plus humorous film National Lampoon’s holiday comedy while also joining Alice, a sitcom derived from the film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
During the next ten years, she received an additional supporting actress Oscar nomination for her part in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart in which she portrayed the mom of her actual daughter Laura Dern’s role. The following year she received an additional nod for her acting in Rambling Rose, another movie that also featured Dern.
“This was the film which Princess Diana picked as her top choice, and she invited Laura and I to the UK for a royal premiere and a celebration in our honor,” Ladd said about the film Rambling Rose. “She positioned herself between us, holding both our hands, with tears, viewing our performance.”
The 1990s featured performances in the comedy The Cemetery Club joining her again with her co-star Burstyn, the movie Primary Colors, a political comedy, featuring John Travolta and the film by Alexander Payne Citizen Ruth, a dark comedy where she played Laura Dern’s mom again. The decade also saw her score nominations for Emmy Awards for work in the series Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, Grace Under Fire and Touched by an Angel, a drama.
Collaborations with Daughter
She kept appearing alongside her daughter in comedy drama Daddy and Them, a movie, Lynch’s Inland Empire, a surreal film and the series by Mike White dark comedy series Enlightened, a TV series. She additionally starred with actress Sandra Bullock in the film 28 Days, Sir Anthony Hopkins in The World’s Fastest Indian, a film and Jennifer Lawrence in the film Joy.
Subsequent TV appearances included the series Ray Donovan plus Young Sheldon.
Filmmaking Ventures
She also authored and directed the comedy film the movie Mrs Munck featuring Diane Ladd and ex-husband Bruce Dern. “Bruce is an excellent performer,” she noted. “I was honored to direct him in a movie. Indeed, I’m the only woman in recorded history who directed her former husband. I humorously say: ‘I advise females, if you seek payback, helm a movie with your ex.’ Though I’m just teasing.”
Personal Connections
She was additionally a family member of Tennessee Williams, who she referred to as “a great influence throughout my life”.
During 2018, she received an incorrect diagnosis with lung disease and told her life expectancy was six months but she regained full health after her daughter shifted her to a different hospital.
“Should you harness your suffering and avoid letting it accumulate like a sore or something, instead use it to explore, to clarify the journey for you and those around, then you are succeeding,” Ladd said.
