Oscar-Nominated Star Diane Ladd, Known For Her Role in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Dies at Age 89.
The award-nominated actor Diane Ladd, a Hollywood veteran left us at the age of 89.
The actress, whose filmography featured Chinatown, died at her home in Ojai, California. Her passing was revealed in a statement shared by her child, award-winning actress her daughter Laura Dern.
Her daughter, who appeared with her mom in various films such as Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose, called her “my amazing hero plus my special gift of a mother”, writing that she was by her side during her final moments.
“She was an exceptional grandmother, mother, daughter, star, artist as well as caring individual that only dreams could have seemingly created,” she stated. “We were blessed to have her. Her spirit soars with angels.”
Beginnings and Major Success
Her initial acting years included supporting roles on television series including Gunsmoke while that decade had her appearing with actor Jack Nicholson in the film Chinatown.
In the same year, 1974, she shared the screen with Ellen Burstyn in the Martin Scorsese praised film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, a classic. Her acting landed Ladd an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actress.
1980s and Beyond
During the eighties, she starred in the dramatic film the movie Black Widow as well as funny follow-up National Lampoon’s holiday comedy and also took part in the show Alice, a comedy program derived from her earlier movie.
During the next ten years, she earned a further Oscar nomination for supporting actress nomination for her performance in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart, a cult classic where she acted as the parent of her real-life daughter Laura Dern’s role. The following year she was awarded another nomination for her performance in the film Rambling Rose which also starred Dern.
“This was the picture that Princess Diana selected as her very favorite, and she invited Laura and I to London for a premiere and a celebration for us,” Ladd shared of Rambling Rose. “She positioned herself between us, taking our hands, with tears, watching us perform.”
The nineties also saw roles in the comedy Cemetery Club joining her again with her co-star Burstyn, Primary Colors, a comedy about politics, featuring John Travolta and the film by Alexander Payne Citizen Ruth where she played the mother of Dern another time. That period also saw her score nominations for Emmy Awards for performances on Dr Quinn, Grace Under Fire, a sitcom plus Touched by an Angel.
Partnerships with Her Daughter
She persisted in performing alongside her daughter in dramatic comedies the film Daddy and Them, the David Lynch project the movie Inland Empire and White’s comedy-drama series the program Enlightened. She also appeared alongside Sandra Bullock, a star in 28 Days, Sir Anthony Hopkins in that movie and Jennifer Lawrence in Joy, a biographical drama.
Her later TV roles included Ray Donovan and Young Sheldon, a comedy.
Filmmaking Ventures
She additionally penned and helmed the comedy film Mrs Munck, a film which starred Diane Ladd and previous spouse Bruce Dern, an actor. “Bruce is a great actor,” she mentioned. “It was a privilege to guide him on a project. Indeed, I’m the only woman in history who directed her former husband. I make a joke: ‘I say ladies, if you want revenge, guide your former spouse.’ However, I’m joking.”
Personal Life
She was additionally the third cousin of playwright Tennessee Williams, whom she described as “a great influence in my life”.
Back in 2018, doctors misdiagnosed Ladd with a respiratory illness and informed she had just six months to live but she regained full health when her daughter moved her to a different hospital.
“If you can take your pain and prevent it from festering like a sore or something, instead use it to explore, to make the path clearer for yourself and others, then you are succeeding,” Ladd remarked.