Acclaimed Actress Diane Ladd, Celebrated For Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Has Died at the Age of 89.
The Oscar-nominated actor Diane Ladd passed away aged 89.
The actress, with roles included Chinatown, left this world in her residence at her Ojai, California home. The news was announced through a message shared by her offspring, Academy Award-winning star Laura Dern.
Laura Dern, who performed alongside her mom in several movies including Rambling Rose, described her as “my incredible hero as well as my profound gift as a mother”, noting that she was by her side during her final moments.
“She was an exceptional daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist as well as caring individual that seemed almost dreamlike,” she wrote. “We were fortunate to know her. Her spirit soars with angels.”
Early Career and Rise to Fame
Ladd’s early career included small roles in TV shows including The Fugitive and the 1970s featured her performing with the legendary Jack Nicholson in the classic Chinatown.
In the same year, the year 1974, she shared the screen with actress Ellen Burstyn in Martin Scorsese’s praised dramatic comedy Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, a classic. Her acting brought Ladd her initial Oscar nod for best supporting actress.
1980s and Beyond
In the 1980s, she starred in the thriller the movie Black Widow as well as comedy sequel National Lampoon’s holiday comedy and appeared on the sitcom Alice, a comedy program inspired by Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
In the subsequent decade, she was given another best supporting actress nomination for her performance in Lynch’s Wild at Heart where she played the mom of her real-life daughter the character played by Dern. The following year she obtained another nomination for her acting in the film Rambling Rose which included Dern.
“This was the picture that Princess Diana picked as her top choice, and she brought us to the UK for a special screening and a party in our honor,” Ladd shared about the film Rambling Rose. “And she sat between us, grasping our hands, with tears, seeing us act.”
That decade featured performances in humorous films Cemetery Club joining her again with her co-star Burstyn, the movie Primary Colors, a comedy about politics, featuring John Travolta and Alexander Payne’s Citizen Ruth, a dark comedy where she acted as the mother of Dern another time. The decade also saw her score TV award nominations for work in Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, Grace Under Fire plus Touched by an Angel.
Collaborations with Daughter
She kept appearing alongside her daughter in films blending humor and drama Daddy and Them, the David Lynch project the movie Inland Empire and the series by Mike White satirical show Enlightened. She also appeared next to actress Sandra Bullock in 28 Days, Sir Anthony Hopkins in The World’s Fastest Indian, a film plus Jennifer Lawrence in the film Joy.
Her later TV roles featured Ray Donovan, a drama plus Young Sheldon.
Writing and Directing
She also authored and directed the comedy film Mrs Munck that included her and ex-husband Bruce Dern. “Bruce is an excellent performer,” she mentioned. “I’m privileged to have directed him on a project. Actually, I stand as the only woman ever to helm a film with her ex. I often joke: ‘I say ladies, if you seek payback, helm a movie with your ex.’ But I’m only kidding.”
Family Ties
She was additionally the third cousin of the great Tennessee Williams, who she referred to as “a great influence on my life”.
Back in 2018, Ladd was misdiagnosed with lung disease and informed her life expectancy was six months but she regained full health after her daughter moved her to a new hospital.
“When you use your pain and prevent it from festering like an injury, instead use it to explore, to clarify the journey for personal and collective growth, then you are triumphing,” Ladd expressed.
