Acclaimed Actress Diane Ladd, Known For Her Role in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Passes Away at the Age of 89.
The Oscar-nominated performer Diane Ladd has died at the age of 89.
The actor, with credits featured Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, died at her home at her Ojai, California home. Her passing was revealed in a statement by her offspring, Oscar-winning actor Laura Dern, her daughter.
Her daughter, who starred with her mother in a number of films such as Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose, referred to her as “my wonderful hero plus my profound gift of a mother”, noting that she was by her side during her final moments.
“She was the most wonderful daughter, mother, grandmother, star, artist and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created,” she expressed. “We were lucky to have her. She is now with the angels.”
Beginnings and Rise to Fame
Her initial acting years included supporting roles on television series like The Fugitive whereas the 1970s had her appearing alongside actor Jack Nicholson in the classic Chinatown.
That very year, 1974, she performed with Ellen Burstyn in Scorsese’s praised dramatic comedy Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Her acting brought Ladd an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress.
Later Decades
During the eighties, she was seen in the dramatic film the movie Black Widow as well as funny follow-up Christmas Vacation while also joining Alice, a television series based on her earlier movie.
During the next ten years, she was given a further best supporting actress Oscar nomination for her part in Lynch’s Wild at Heart, a cult classic where she played the mom of her real-life daughter Dern’s character. The next year she received a further nomination for her performance in Rambling Rose, another movie which also starred Laura Dern.
“This was the film that the late Princess Diana chose as her absolutely favorite, and she brought us to England for a royal premiere and a party for us,” Ladd recalled regarding Rambling Rose. “She positioned herself between us, taking our hands, and crying, seeing us act.”
The nineties included parts in the comedy The Cemetery Club joining her again with Burstyn, Primary Colors, a political story, a comedy about politics, starring John Travolta and the film by Alexander Payne Citizen Ruth where she played Dern’s mother again. Those years also earned her TV award nominations for performances on Dr Quinn, Grace Under Fire and Touched by an Angel.
Working with Laura Dern
She continued to star with Laura Dern in dramatic comedies the film Daddy and Them, Lynch’s Inland Empire and Mike White’s dark comedy series Enlightened, a TV series. She additionally starred alongside Sandra Bullock, a star in 28 Days, a movie, Sir Anthony Hopkins in The World’s Fastest Indian, a film and with Jennifer Lawrence in Joy, a biographical drama.
Her later TV roles included Ray Donovan, a drama plus Young Sheldon.
Behind the Camera
She additionally penned and directed the comedy film Mrs Munck, a film featuring her and ex-husband Bruce Dern, an actor. “Bruce is an excellent performer,” she noted. “I was honored to direct him on a project. In fact, I stand as the only woman in recorded history to helm a film with her ex. I make a joke: ‘I say ladies, if you seek payback, helm a movie with your ex.’ But I’m only kidding.”
Personal Connections
She happened to be a relative of the great Tennessee Williams, who she referred to as “a significant impact throughout my life”.
Back in 2018, Ladd was misdiagnosed with a pulmonary condition and advised she had just six months to live yet she recovered completely once her daughter shifted her to a different hospital.
“Should you harness your suffering and avoid letting it accumulate like a sore or something, rather utilize it to investigate, to make the path clearer for personal and collective growth, then you are succeeding,” Ladd remarked.
