🔗 Share this article

The Oscar-nominated actress Diane Ladd, a Hollywood veteran has died aged 89.

The actress, whose roles spanned National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, died at her home in California’s Ojai. Her passing was announced via an announcement from her child, Oscar-winning actor her daughter Laura Dern.

Laura Dern, who performed alongside Diane Ladd in several movies including Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose, called her “my incredible hero as well as my precious gift as a mother”, writing that she was by her side when she passed.

“She was the most wonderful grandmother, mother, daughter, actress, artist as well as empathetic spirit that seemed almost dreamlike,” she stated. “We were fortunate to know her. She is now with the angels.”

Early Career and Major Success

Her initial acting years featured minor parts in television programs including Gunsmoke and the seventies saw her starring with Jack Nicholson in the classic Chinatown.

In the same year, 1974, she performed with actress Ellen Burstyn in the Martin Scorsese acclaimed comedy drama Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, a classic. Her role earned Ladd her initial Oscar nod as best supporting actress.

1980s and Beyond

During the eighties, she was seen in the thriller Black Widow, a suspense story as well as funny follow-up National Lampoon’s holiday comedy and appeared on the sitcom Alice, a comedy program derived from her earlier movie.

In the subsequent decade, she earned another Oscar nomination for supporting actress Academy Award nomination for her role in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart where she acted as the parent of her biological child the character played by Dern. The next year she obtained an additional nod for her role in the film Rambling Rose which included Dern.

“This was the picture that the late Princess Diana chose as her absolutely favorite, and she brought us to the UK for a premiere and an event in our honor,” Ladd shared of Rambling Rose. “She positioned herself between us, grasping our hands, and weeping, viewing our performance.”

The 1990s also saw roles in comedy Cemetery Club reuniting her with her co-star Burstyn, the movie Primary Colors, a political comedy, with John Travolta and Payne’s Citizen Ruth where she played Dern’s mother another time. Those years also earned her nominations for Emmy Awards for roles in the series Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, Grace Under Fire, a sitcom plus Touched by an Angel.

Partnerships with Her Daughter

She kept appearing with her daughter in films blending humor and drama Daddy and Them, David Lynch’s the movie Inland Empire and White’s satirical show Enlightened, a TV series. She was also seen next to Sandra Bullock in 28 Days, Anthony Hopkins, a legend in The World’s Fastest Indian and with Jennifer Lawrence in Joy, a biographical drama.

Subsequent TV appearances featured Ray Donovan, a drama and Young Sheldon.

Filmmaking Ventures

She also authored and oversaw the humorous movie the movie Mrs Munck that included her and previous spouse Bruce Dern, an actor. “Bruce is an excellent performer,” she noted. “I’m privileged to have directed him on a project. Indeed, I stand as the only woman in recorded history to direct her ex-husband. I often joke: ‘I tell women, if you want revenge, direct your ex-husband.’ Though I’m just teasing.”

Personal Connections

She happened to be a relative of Tennessee Williams, who she called “a significant impact in my life”.

During 2018, Ladd was misdiagnosed with a pulmonary condition and advised she only had half a year left yet she recovered completely after her daughter shifted her to a different hospital.

“When you use your pain and not let it back up like a sore or something, rather utilize it to discover, to make the path clearer for yourself and others, then you are triumphing,” Ladd said.