Oscar-Nominated Star Diane Ladd, Known For Her Role in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Has Died at Age 89.
The award-nominated actress Diane Ladd passed away 89 years old.
The star, with credits included National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, died at her home at her Ojai, California home. Her passing was revealed through a message shared by her daughter, award-winning actress Laura Dern.
Her daughter, who appeared with her mom in a number of films such as Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose, called her “my incredible hero plus my precious gift of a mother”, stating that she was present as she died.
“She was the most wonderful mother, daughter, grandmother, performer, creative as well as empathetic spirit that felt like a dream come true,” she expressed. “We were lucky to have her. She is now with the angels.”
Early Career and Breakthrough
The start of her career saw minor parts in television programs including Gunsmoke while that decade saw her starring next to the legendary Jack Nicholson in Chinatown.
That very year, 1974, she shared the screen with actress Ellen Burstyn in Scorsese’s acclaimed comedy drama Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, a classic. Her role brought Ladd an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress.
Subsequent Years
In the 1980s, she starred in the dramatic film Black Widow and humorous film National Lampoon’s holiday comedy and appeared on the show Alice, a sitcom derived from the film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
During the next ten years, she received an additional supporting actress Academy Award nomination for her performance in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart in which she portrayed the parent of her real-life daughter Dern’s character. The next year she received a further nomination for her role in the film Rambling Rose that also featured Laura Dern.
“This was the film that the late Princess Diana picked as her top choice, and she flew Laura and I to the UK for a premiere and a party for us,” Ladd recalled regarding Rambling Rose. “And she sat between us, grasping our hands, and weeping, seeing us act.”
The 1990s also saw roles in the comedy Cemetery Club bringing her back with Ellen Burstyn, Primary Colors, a political comedy, with John Travolta and Alexander Payne’s Citizen Ruth where she played Laura Dern’s mom again. Those years also brought her nominations for Emmy Awards for roles in Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, Grace Under Fire, a sitcom and Touched by an Angel.
Partnerships with Her Daughter
She continued to star with her daughter in dramatic comedies Daddy and Them, David Lynch’s the movie Inland Empire and the series by Mike White satirical show Enlightened. She was also seen alongside actress Sandra Bullock in 28 Days, a movie, Sir Anthony Hopkins in that movie plus Jennifer Lawrence in the film Joy.
Subsequent TV appearances consisted of the series Ray Donovan plus Young Sheldon.
Behind the Camera
She additionally penned and oversaw the humorous movie the movie Mrs Munck featuring Diane Ladd and previous spouse Bruce Dern. “Bruce is a great actor,” she noted. “It was a privilege to guide him in a movie. Indeed, I’m the only woman in history to helm a film with her ex. I often joke: ‘I tell women, should you desire retribution, direct your ex-husband.’ Though I’m just teasing.”
Family Ties
Ladd was also a family member of playwright Tennessee Williams, who she called “a significant impact on my life”.
Back in 2018, she received an incorrect diagnosis with a respiratory illness and told her life expectancy was six months yet she recovered completely after her daughter shifted her to a new hospital.
“If you can take your pain and not let it back up like an injury, rather utilize it to discover, to make the path clearer for you and those around, then you are succeeding,” Ladd said.
