Acclaimed Actress Diane Ladd, Known For Her Role in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Passes Away at the Age of 89.
This award-nominated actor the celebrated Diane Ladd left us at the age of 89.
The actress, with filmography spanned National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, left this world in her residence at her Ojai, California home. The news was shared in a statement by her child, Oscar-winning actor her daughter Laura Dern.
Dern, who starred with her mom in a number of films such as Rambling Rose, referred to her as “my incredible hero as well as my profound gift being my mom”, writing that she was by her side as she died.
“She was the most wonderful daughter, mother, grandmother, performer, creative as well as compassionate soul that only dreams could have seemingly created,” she expressed. “We were lucky to have her. She is flying with her angels now.”
Initial Roles and Breakthrough
Her initial acting years featured supporting roles on television series such as Perry Mason and the 1970s saw her starring with the legendary Jack Nicholson in Chinatown.
In the same year, the year 1974, she shared the screen with actress Ellen Burstyn in Martin Scorsese’s praised dramatic comedy Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Her acting brought Ladd her first Oscar nomination as best supporting actress.
Later Decades
During the eighties, she appeared in crime thriller the movie Black Widow plus comedy sequel National Lampoon’s holiday comedy and also took part in the sitcom Alice, a television series derived from her earlier movie.
During the next ten years, she received a further best supporting actress nomination for her part in Lynch’s Wild at Heart, a cult classic where she acted as the mom of her real-life daughter Laura Dern’s role. A year later she obtained a further nomination for her performance in the film Rambling Rose that also featured Dern.
“This was the film that Princess Diana selected as her very favorite, and she invited us to London for a special screening and a party dedicated to us,” Ladd shared regarding Rambling Rose. “She positioned herself between us, holding both our hands, with tears, watching us perform.”
That decade included parts in the comedy Cemetery Club, a film bringing her back with Ellen Burstyn, Primary Colors, a political story, a political comedy, featuring John Travolta and Payne’s the movie Citizen Ruth where she played Laura Dern’s mom another time. That period also earned her Emmy nominations for performances in Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, Grace Under Fire plus Touched by an Angel.
Collaborations with Daughter
She continued to star alongside her daughter in comedy drama Daddy and Them, a movie, the David Lynch project Inland Empire and White’s comedy-drama series Enlightened, a TV series. She additionally starred alongside Sandra Bullock in the film 28 Days, Sir Anthony Hopkins in that movie and Jennifer Lawrence in Joy, a biographical drama.
Subsequent TV appearances featured the series Ray Donovan plus Young Sheldon.
Filmmaking Ventures
She additionally penned and oversaw the comedy Mrs Munck, a film that included Diane Ladd and ex-husband actor Bruce Dern. “Bruce is a great actor,” she said. “I’m privileged to have directed him in a movie. Indeed, I stand as the only woman in history to helm a film with her ex. I humorously say: ‘I say ladies, if you want revenge, helm a movie with your ex.’ However, I’m joking.”
Personal Connections
She happened to be the third cousin of Tennessee Williams, whom she described as “a significant impact throughout my life”.
Back in 2018, doctors misdiagnosed Ladd with lung disease and advised her life expectancy was six months yet she recovered completely when her daughter transferred her to a new hospital.
“If you can take your pain and avoid letting it accumulate like an injury, instead use it to discover, to make the path clearer for personal and collective growth, then you are winning,” Ladd expressed.
