Oscar-Nominated Star Diane Ladd, Famed For Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Has Died at Age 89.
The Oscar-nominated actress the celebrated Diane Ladd passed away aged 89.
This actress, with roles spanned National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, passed away at home at her Ojai, California home. Her passing was shared in a statement shared by her offspring, Academy Award-winning star Laura Dern, her daughter.
Dern, who appeared with her mother in several movies including Wild at Heart, described her as “my amazing hero plus my special gift of a mother”, writing that she was by her side when she passed.
“She was an exceptional daughter, mother, grandmother, star, artist and compassionate soul that seemed almost dreamlike,” she stated. “We were blessed to have her. She is now with the angels.”
Initial Roles and Rise to Fame
The start of her career saw minor parts in television programs including Gunsmoke whereas the 1970s featured her performing alongside the legendary Jack Nicholson in the classic Chinatown.
That very year, the year 1974, she performed alongside Ellen Burstyn in Martin Scorsese’s celebrated film the movie Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Her acting landed Ladd her first Oscar nomination in the supporting actress category.
1980s and Beyond
In the 1980s, she was seen in crime thriller Black Widow and comedy sequel National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation while also joining Alice, a sitcom derived from Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
In the subsequent decade, she received an additional best supporting actress nomination for her performance in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart where she acted as the mother of her biological child Dern’s character. The following year she obtained another nomination for her role in Rambling Rose, another movie which also starred Laura Dern.
“This movie that Princess Diana picked as her top choice, and she invited me and Laura to London for a royal premiere and an event dedicated to us,” Ladd said regarding Rambling Rose. “She positioned herself between us, grasping our hands, with tears, watching us perform.”
The nineties included parts in humorous films Cemetery Club joining her again with Ellen Burstyn, Primary Colors, a political story, a satirical film, starring John Travolta and Alexander Payne’s the movie Citizen Ruth where she played the mother of Dern again. That period also saw her score TV award nominations for roles on Dr Quinn, the show Grace Under Fire plus Touched by an Angel.
Collaborations with Daughter
She kept appearing with Laura Dern in dramatic comedies Daddy and Them, a movie, the David Lynch project the movie Inland Empire and Mike White’s comedy-drama series Enlightened, a TV series. She was also seen with Sandra Bullock in 28 Days, Sir Anthony Hopkins in that movie plus Jennifer Lawrence in the film Joy.
Her later TV roles featured Ray Donovan plus Young Sheldon.
Filmmaking Ventures
She additionally penned and directed the comedy film Mrs Munck, a film which starred her and former husband Bruce Dern. “Bruce is a great actor,” she mentioned. “It was a privilege to guide him on a project. In fact, I’m the only woman in history who directed her former husband. I humorously say: ‘I say ladies, if you want revenge, direct your ex-husband.’ But I’m only kidding.”
Personal Life
She happened to be a family member of the great Tennessee Williams, who she called “a great influence throughout my life”.
In 2018, Ladd was misdiagnosed with lung disease and advised she only had half a year left but she regained full health once her daughter shifted her to a new hospital.
“If you can take your pain and prevent it from festering like an injury, instead apply it to explore, to illuminate the way for yourself and others, then you are winning,” Ladd said.