Acclaimed Actress Diane Ladd, Known For Her Performance in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Has Died at the Age of 89.
The Oscar-nominated actress Diane Ladd has died aged 89.
The star, whose roles included Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, died at her home in Ojai, California. Her passing was shared through a message shared by her daughter, Oscar-winning actor her daughter Laura Dern.
Her daughter, who performed alongside Diane Ladd in a number of films including Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose, described her as “my wonderful hero and my special gift as a mother”, writing that she was by her side during her final moments.
“She was the greatest grandmother, mother, daughter, actress, artist and compassionate soul that felt like a dream come true,” she expressed. “We were lucky to have her. Her spirit soars with angels.”
Beginnings and Major Success
Her initial acting years saw minor parts in TV shows including The Fugitive and that decade featured her performing with the legendary Jack Nicholson in Chinatown.
In the same year, 1974, she shared the screen with Ellen Burstyn in the Martin Scorsese celebrated dramatic comedy Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, a classic. Her acting landed Ladd her first Oscar nomination in the supporting actress category.
Subsequent Years
In the 1980s, she starred in the thriller the movie Black Widow and humorous film Christmas Vacation and also took part in Alice, a sitcom based on Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
In the following decade, she was given a further best supporting actress Oscar nomination for her role in Lynch’s the movie Wild at Heart in which she portrayed the parent of her actual daughter the character played by Dern. The next year she was awarded a further nomination for her performance in Rambling Rose which included Laura Dern.
“This was the film that the late Princess Diana selected as her very favorite, and she brought Laura and I to the UK for a royal premiere and a party for us,” Ladd shared regarding Rambling Rose. “And she sat between us, holding both our hands, and weeping, watching us perform.”
The 1990s also saw roles in comedy Cemetery Club bringing her back with her co-star Burstyn, Primary Colors, a political story, a political comedy, starring John Travolta and Payne’s Citizen Ruth in which she portrayed Dern’s mother another time. The decade also earned her Emmy nominations for roles in Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, the show Grace Under Fire and Touched by an Angel.
Working with Laura Dern
She continued to star with her daughter in films blending humor and drama Daddy and Them, a movie, the David Lynch project the movie Inland Empire and White’s dark comedy series Enlightened, a TV series. She additionally starred with Sandra Bullock, a star in 28 Days, Sir Anthony Hopkins in The World’s Fastest Indian plus Jennifer Lawrence in Joy, a biographical drama.
Her more recent television parts consisted of the series Ray Donovan and Young Sheldon, a comedy.
Writing and Directing
She also authored and directed the humorous movie Mrs Munck, a film that included Diane Ladd and ex-husband Bruce Dern. “Bruce is an excellent performer,” she noted. “It was a privilege to guide him on a project. Indeed, I am the sole female in history to helm a film with her ex. I humorously say: ‘I tell women, should you desire retribution, guide your former spouse.’ But I’m only kidding.”
Personal Life
She happened to be a family member of Tennessee Williams, who she referred to as “a great influence throughout my life”.
Back in 2018, Ladd was misdiagnosed with a respiratory illness and advised she had just six months to live but she regained full health once her daughter transferred her to a different hospital.
“When you use your pain and prevent it from festering like a sore or something, instead use it to explore, to make the path clearer for you and those around, then you are winning,” Ladd expressed.
