Oscar-Nominated Star Diane Ladd, Famed For Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Has Died at Age 89.
This Academy Award-nominated actress the celebrated Diane Ladd passed away at the age of 89.
This star, whose filmography included Chinatown, died at her home in Ojai, California. Her passing was announced via an announcement from her daughter, Oscar-winning actor Laura Dern, her daughter.
Dern, who starred with her mother in several movies such as Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose, referred to her as “my wonderful hero plus my profound gift as a mother”, stating that she was present during her final moments.
“She was the greatest mother, daughter, grandmother, performer, creative along with caring individual that felt like a dream come true,” she wrote. “We were blessed to have her. Her spirit soars with angels.”
Beginnings and Major Success
Her initial acting years included supporting roles in television programs such as Perry Mason while that decade featured her performing alongside the legendary Jack Nicholson in the classic Chinatown.
That very year, 1974, she shared the screen with actress Ellen Burstyn in Scorsese’s praised film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, a classic. The performance brought Ladd an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress.
1980s and Beyond
During the eighties, she was seen in the thriller Black Widow and funny follow-up National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and appeared on the show Alice, a television series based on the film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
In the following decade, she earned another supporting actress Oscar nomination for her part in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart, a cult classic where she acted as the parent of her actual daughter Dern’s character. The next year she was awarded an additional nod for her performance in the film Rambling Rose that also featured Laura Dern.
“This was the film which Princess Diana selected as her very favorite, and she brought us to the UK for a special screening and a party in our honor,” Ladd said about the film Rambling Rose. “She sat with us, taking our hands, and weeping, seeing us act.”
That decade featured performances in comedy Cemetery Club, a film bringing her back with her co-star Burstyn, Primary Colors, a political story, a comedy about politics, featuring John Travolta and Payne’s Citizen Ruth where she played Laura Dern’s mom again. That period also earned her nominations for Emmy Awards for work on Dr Quinn, Grace Under Fire, a sitcom and Touched by an Angel.
Partnerships with Her Daughter
She continued to star with her daughter in dramatic comedies the film Daddy and Them, the David Lynch project Inland Empire and the series by Mike White dark comedy series Enlightened. She also appeared with Sandra Bullock, a star in 28 Days, Anthony Hopkins, a legend in that movie and Jennifer Lawrence in Joy, a biographical drama.
Her more recent television parts included Ray Donovan, a drama plus Young Sheldon.
Behind the Camera
She additionally penned and directed the comedy Mrs Munck, a film featuring Diane Ladd and previous spouse actor Bruce Dern. “Bruce is an excellent performer,” she noted. “It was a privilege to guide him on a project. Actually, I stand as the only woman ever to helm a film with her ex. I make a joke: ‘I tell women, if you want revenge, direct your ex-husband.’ Though I’m just teasing.”
Family Ties
Ladd was also a family member of playwright Tennessee Williams, who she referred to as “a significant impact in my life”.
During 2018, doctors misdiagnosed Ladd with lung disease and told she had just six months to live but she regained full health after her daughter moved her to a new hospital.
“If you can take your pain and prevent it from festering like a sore or something, instead apply it to discover, to illuminate the way for you and those around, then you are succeeding,” Ladd expressed.
