Oscar-Nominated Star Diane Ladd, Celebrated For Her Role in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Has Died at the Age of 89.
The Oscar-nominated actress Diane Ladd, a Hollywood veteran has died aged 89.
This actor, with filmography included National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, left this world in her residence in California’s Ojai. Her passing was shared in a statement from her child, award-winning actress her daughter Laura Dern.
Her daughter, who performed alongside Diane Ladd in various films like Rambling Rose, referred to her as “my wonderful hero as well as my special gift of a mother”, noting that she was at her bedside as she died.
“She was an exceptional daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist and empathetic spirit that seemed almost dreamlike,” she wrote. “We were lucky to have her. She is flying with her angels now.”
Beginnings and Major Success
Her initial acting years included small roles on television series such as Perry Mason whereas the 1970s had her appearing alongside actor Jack Nicholson in the film Chinatown.
That very year, 1974, she shared the screen with actress Ellen Burstyn in Martin Scorsese’s praised film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, a classic. The performance earned Ladd her initial Oscar nod in the supporting actress category.
Subsequent Years
Throughout the 1980s, she appeared in crime thriller the movie Black Widow plus comedy sequel National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation while also joining the show Alice, a sitcom based on Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
During the next ten years, she received another Oscar nomination for supporting actress nomination for her role in the David Lynch film the movie Wild at Heart where she acted as the mother of her real-life daughter the character played by Dern. The following year she was awarded a further nomination for her performance in Rambling Rose which included her daughter.
“This movie which Princess Diana picked as her top choice, and she brought me and Laura to London for a premiere and an event dedicated to us,” Ladd shared regarding Rambling Rose. “She sat with us, grasping our hands, and crying, watching us perform.”
The 1990s also saw roles in comedy Cemetery Club joining her again with Ellen Burstyn, Primary Colors, a satirical film, featuring John Travolta and Payne’s Citizen Ruth in which she portrayed Dern’s mother again. The decade also brought her nominations for Emmy Awards for roles on Dr Quinn, Grace Under Fire, a sitcom plus Touched by an Angel.
Partnerships with Her Daughter
She continued to star with her daughter in comedy drama Daddy and Them, David Lynch’s the movie Inland Empire and Mike White’s satirical show Enlightened. She additionally starred next to actress Sandra Bullock in the film 28 Days, Anthony Hopkins, a legend in The World’s Fastest Indian and with Jennifer Lawrence in the film Joy.
Her more recent television parts consisted of Ray Donovan and Young Sheldon.
Writing and Directing
She additionally penned and oversaw the comedy film the movie Mrs Munck featuring herself and previous spouse Bruce Dern, an actor. “Bruce is an excellent performer,” she said. “It was a privilege to guide him in a film. Actually, I am the sole female in recorded history who directed her former husband. I make a joke: ‘I say ladies, if you want revenge, direct your ex-husband.’ However, I’m joking.”
Personal Connections
She happened to be the third cousin of playwright Tennessee Williams, whom she described as “a major inspiration in my life”.
During 2018, doctors misdiagnosed Ladd with a pulmonary condition and told her life expectancy was six months but made a full recovery once 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 use it to explore, to clarify the journey for personal and collective growth, then you are triumphing,” Ladd expressed.
