Diane Ladd, Celebrated For Her Role in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Passes Away at Age 89.
The Academy Award-nominated actress Diane Ladd, a Hollywood veteran passed away at the age of 89.
The actress, with credits included Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, died at her home at her Ojai, California home. Her passing was announced in a statement by her offspring, Oscar-winning actor Laura Dern, her daughter.
Her daughter, who starred with Diane Ladd in several movies including Rambling Rose, referred to her as “my amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother”, writing that she was at her bedside during her final moments.
“She was an exceptional mother, daughter, grandmother, actress, artist as well as caring individual that felt like a dream come true,” she wrote. “We were lucky to have her. Her spirit soars with angels.”
Beginnings and Breakthrough
The start of her career featured small roles in television programs such as Gunsmoke and that decade had her appearing alongside the legendary Jack Nicholson in the film Chinatown.
During that year, 1974, she performed alongside Ellen Burstyn in the Martin Scorsese acclaimed dramatic comedy Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Her acting landed Ladd her first Oscar nomination for best supporting actress.
Subsequent Years
In the 1980s, she was seen in the dramatic film Black Widow and funny follow-up National Lampoon’s holiday comedy and appeared on the show Alice, a television series derived from the film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
During the next ten years, she was given a further supporting actress nomination for her performance in Lynch’s Wild at Heart, a cult classic in which she portrayed the mother of her biological child Dern’s character. A year later she received an additional nod for her acting in Rambling Rose, another movie that also featured Laura Dern.
“This was the picture which Princess Diana selected as her very favorite, and she invited Laura and I to London for a premiere and a party in our honor,” Ladd said regarding Rambling Rose. “She sat with us, holding both our hands, and weeping, viewing our performance.”
That decade included parts in the comedy The Cemetery Club reuniting her with her co-star Burstyn, Primary Colors, a political comedy, starring John Travolta and the film by Alexander Payne the movie Citizen Ruth in which she portrayed the mother of Dern once more. That period also saw her score nominations for Emmy Awards for work in Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, Grace Under Fire, a sitcom and Touched by an Angel, a drama.
Partnerships with Her Daughter
She continued to star with Laura Dern in comedy drama Daddy and Them, Lynch’s the movie Inland Empire and White’s satirical show the program Enlightened. She also appeared with Sandra Bullock, a star in 28 Days, a movie, Anthony Hopkins, a legend in The World’s Fastest Indian, a film plus Jennifer Lawrence in Joy, a biographical drama.
Her later TV roles included the series Ray Donovan and Young Sheldon.
Writing and Directing
She also authored and oversaw the humorous movie Mrs Munck, a film which starred herself and previous spouse Bruce Dern, an actor. “Bruce is a talented star,” she noted. “It was a privilege to guide him in a movie. Actually, I’m the only woman in recorded history to direct her ex-husband. I often joke: ‘I advise females, if you seek payback, direct your ex-husband.’ But I’m only kidding.”
Personal Life
She was additionally a family member of Tennessee Williams, whom she described as “a significant impact on my life”.
In 2018, Ladd was misdiagnosed with a pulmonary condition and advised she had just six months to live yet she recovered completely after her daughter transferred her to another medical facility.
“When you use your pain and prevent it from festering similar to a wound, rather utilize it to explore, to illuminate the way for you and those around, then you are succeeding,” Ladd said.
