Oscar-Nominated Star Diane Ladd, Known For Her Performance in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Passes Away at Age 89.
The Academy Award-nominated actress Diane Ladd has died 89 years old.
The actor, whose filmography spanned Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, died at her home in Ojai, California. Her passing was shared in a statement by her child, award-winning actress Laura Dern.
Her daughter, who performed alongside her mother in several movies including Wild at Heart, referred to her as “my wonderful hero and my special gift of a mother”, stating that she was at her bedside when she passed.
“She was the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, star, artist as well as compassionate soul that felt like a dream come true,” she expressed. “We were blessed to have her. She is now with the angels.”
Beginnings and Major Success
The start of her career featured minor parts in television programs including Perry Mason whereas that decade featured her performing alongside Jack Nicholson in Chinatown.
That very year, 1974, she performed alongside Ellen Burstyn in the Martin Scorsese praised dramatic comedy Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, a classic. Her role brought Ladd her initial Oscar nod in the supporting actress category.
Subsequent Years
In the 1980s, she was seen in the thriller Black Widow, a suspense story plus humorous film National Lampoon’s holiday comedy while also joining the show Alice, a television series inspired by her earlier movie.
In the subsequent decade, she was given a further Oscar nomination for supporting actress Academy Award nomination for her performance in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart in which she portrayed the parent of her biological child Laura Dern’s role. The following year she obtained a further nomination for her performance in Rambling Rose which also starred Dern.
“This was the film which Princess Diana chose as her absolutely favorite, and she flew us to England for a royal premiere and a celebration for us,” Ladd shared about the film Rambling Rose. “She sat with us, taking our hands, with tears, seeing us act.”
The 1990s also saw roles in comedy Cemetery Club bringing her back with her co-star Burstyn, Primary Colors, a satirical film, starring John Travolta and Alexander Payne’s the movie Citizen Ruth in which she portrayed Dern’s mother once more. That period also saw her score nominations for Emmy Awards for roles on Dr Quinn, the show Grace Under Fire and Touched by an Angel.
Partnerships with Her Daughter
She persisted in performing with her daughter in films blending humor and drama Daddy and Them, the David Lynch project Inland Empire and Mike White’s dark comedy series the program Enlightened. She also appeared with Sandra Bullock, a star in 28 Days, Anthony Hopkins in that movie plus Jennifer Lawrence in Joy.
Her more recent television parts included the series Ray Donovan plus Young Sheldon.
Filmmaking Ventures
Ladd also wrote and directed the comedy Mrs Munck, a film which starred Diane Ladd and former husband Bruce Dern, an actor. “Bruce is a great actor,” she noted. “I’m privileged to have directed him in a movie. Actually, I stand as the only woman in history to helm a film with her ex. I make a joke: ‘I say ladies, should you desire retribution, helm a movie with your ex.’ Though I’m just teasing.”
Personal Life
Ladd was also a relative of playwright Tennessee Williams, whom she described as “a significant impact in my life”.
Back in 2018, doctors misdiagnosed Ladd with lung disease and informed her life expectancy was six months yet she recovered completely when her daughter shifted her to another medical facility.
“Should you harness your suffering and prevent it from festering like a sore or something, rather utilize it to discover, to illuminate the way for personal and collective growth, then you are triumphing,” Ladd remarked.
