Diane Ladd, Famed For Her Performance in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Passes Away at 89 Years Old.
The Oscar-nominated actor Diane Ladd has died 89 years old.
The star, whose credits included Chinatown, died at her home in California’s Ojai. The news was shared through a message from her child, award-winning actress Laura Dern.
Her daughter, who appeared with her mother in various films like Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose, described her as “my incredible hero plus my profound gift being my mom”, stating that she was at her bedside as she died.
“She was the most wonderful mother, daughter, grandmother, actress, artist as well as empathetic spirit that seemed almost dreamlike,” she wrote. “We were blessed to have her. She is now with the angels.”
Initial Roles and Rise to Fame
Her initial acting years saw minor parts in TV shows including The Fugitive and the 1970s featured her performing next to Jack Nicholson in Chinatown.
That very year, the year 1974, she shared the screen alongside Ellen Burstyn in Martin Scorsese’s celebrated dramatic comedy Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Her role brought Ladd her first Oscar nomination as best supporting actress.
1980s and Beyond
In the 1980s, she starred in crime thriller Black Widow, a suspense story plus comedy sequel National Lampoon’s holiday comedy and also took part in the sitcom Alice, a sitcom inspired by her earlier movie.
During the next ten years, she was given a further supporting actress nomination for her performance in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart where she acted as the mother of her real-life daughter Laura Dern’s role. A year later she obtained another nomination for her acting in the film Rambling Rose which also starred Laura Dern.
“This movie that the late Princess Diana selected as her very favorite, and she invited me and Laura to England for a premiere and a celebration in our honor,” Ladd said of Rambling Rose. “She positioned herself between us, grasping our hands, with tears, watching us perform.”
That decade featured performances in comedy Cemetery Club reuniting her with Ellen Burstyn, the movie Primary Colors, a comedy about politics, featuring John Travolta and Payne’s Citizen Ruth, a dark comedy where she acted as the mother of Dern again. That period also saw her score nominations for Emmy Awards for work in the series Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, the show Grace Under Fire and Touched by an Angel, a drama.
Working with Laura Dern
She persisted in performing with her daughter in comedy drama Daddy and Them, David Lynch’s Inland Empire and the series by Mike White dark comedy series the program Enlightened. She additionally starred with Sandra Bullock, a star in the film 28 Days, Anthony Hopkins, a legend in The World’s Fastest Indian and Jennifer Lawrence in Joy, a biographical drama.
Subsequent TV appearances included the series Ray Donovan plus Young Sheldon.
Writing and Directing
She also authored and helmed the comedy film the movie Mrs Munck featuring her and ex-husband Bruce Dern, an actor. “Bruce is an excellent performer,” she said. “I’m privileged to have directed him on a project. Actually, I’m the only woman in history to direct her ex-husband. I make a joke: ‘I tell women, if you seek payback, direct your ex-husband.’ But I’m only kidding.”
Personal Connections
She was additionally a relative of the great Tennessee Williams, who she referred to as “a major inspiration throughout my life”.
During 2018, doctors misdiagnosed Ladd with a respiratory illness and informed she had just six months to live but made a full recovery when her daughter moved her to a different hospital.
“When you use your pain and prevent it from festering like an injury, instead apply it to investigate, to illuminate the way for you and those around, then you are winning,” Ladd expressed.
