Diane Ladd, Famed For Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Has Died at the Age of 89.
The Academy Award-nominated actress Diane Ladd, a Hollywood veteran left us aged 89.
The actor, with filmography featured Chinatown, passed away at home in Ojai, California. Her passing was announced via an announcement from her child, Academy Award-winning star her daughter Laura Dern.
Laura Dern, who appeared with her mother in a number of films such as Wild at Heart, called her “my wonderful hero plus my precious gift as a mother”, stating that she was present during her final moments.
“She was the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, star, artist as well as compassionate soul that seemed almost dreamlike,” she expressed. “We were blessed to have her. Her spirit soars with angels.”
Beginnings and Major Success
Ladd’s early career featured minor parts in television programs such as Perry Mason and the 1970s featured her performing with the legendary Jack Nicholson in the classic Chinatown.
During that year, 1974, she shared the screen with Ellen Burstyn in Martin Scorsese’s celebrated film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, a classic. Her role earned Ladd an Academy Award nomination in the supporting actress category.
Subsequent Years
During the eighties, she appeared in crime thriller Black Widow, a suspense story as well as comedy sequel National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and appeared on the sitcom Alice, a sitcom based on the film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
In the subsequent decade, she earned another Oscar nomination for supporting actress Academy Award nomination for her part in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart, a cult classic where she played the mother of her actual daughter Dern’s character. The following year she received another nomination for her acting in Rambling Rose which included her daughter.
“This movie that Princess Diana picked as her top choice, and she flew me and Laura to London for a premiere and a party for us,” Ladd recalled of Rambling Rose. “She sat with us, grasping our hands, and crying, watching us perform.”
The nineties featured performances in comedy Cemetery Club, a film bringing her back with Burstyn, the movie Primary Colors, a political comedy, featuring John Travolta and Alexander Payne’s Citizen Ruth where she played Laura Dern’s mom again. Those years also earned her TV award nominations for roles on Dr Quinn, Grace Under Fire, a sitcom and Touched by an Angel, a drama.
Working with Laura Dern
She continued to star with Laura Dern in comedy drama the film Daddy and Them, the David Lynch project Inland Empire, a surreal film and the series by Mike White comedy-drama series Enlightened, a TV series. She additionally starred with Sandra Bullock, a star in 28 Days, a movie, Anthony Hopkins, a legend in The World’s Fastest Indian, a film and with Jennifer Lawrence in the film Joy.
Subsequent TV appearances featured Ray Donovan and Young Sheldon, a comedy.
Writing and Directing
She also authored and helmed the humorous movie Mrs Munck that included herself and previous spouse actor Bruce Dern. “Bruce is a great actor,” she said. “I was honored to direct him in a film. Actually, I’m the only woman in history to direct her ex-husband. I humorously say: ‘I advise females, should you desire retribution, guide your former spouse.’ However, I’m joking.”
Personal Connections
Ladd was also a relative of playwright Tennessee Williams, who she referred to as “a significant impact in my life”.
In 2018, doctors misdiagnosed Ladd with a pulmonary condition and told her life expectancy was six months yet she recovered completely when her daughter transferred her to another medical facility.
“If you can take your pain and prevent it from festering like a sore or something, instead use it to investigate, to make the path clearer for you and those around, then you are triumphing,” Ladd remarked.
