Diane Ladd, Celebrated For Her Performance in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Dies at the Age of 89.
The award-nominated actor Diane Ladd, a Hollywood veteran left us at the age of 89.
This actor, with filmography included Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, died at her home in California’s Ojai. The news was shared in a statement shared by her offspring, Academy Award-winning star her daughter Laura Dern.
Laura Dern, who appeared with Diane Ladd in several movies such as Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose, referred to her as “my amazing hero and my special gift being my mom”, noting that she was present during her final moments.
“She was the greatest mother, daughter, grandmother, performer, creative and empathetic spirit that felt like a dream come true,” she wrote. “We were lucky to have her. She is now with the angels.”
Beginnings and Major Success
Her initial acting years saw minor parts on television series including The Fugitive and that decade saw her starring alongside actor Jack Nicholson in Chinatown.
During that year, 1974, she performed alongside Ellen Burstyn in the Martin Scorsese praised comedy drama Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Her role landed Ladd an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actress.
Subsequent Years
Throughout the 1980s, she was seen in the dramatic film the movie Black Widow and comedy sequel National Lampoon’s holiday comedy and appeared on Alice, a sitcom derived from the film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
In the following decade, she received a further supporting actress Oscar nomination for her performance in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart where she acted as the mother of her biological child the character played by Dern. The following year she received an additional nod for her role in Rambling Rose, another movie that also featured Dern.
“This movie that Princess Diana picked as her top choice, and she flew me and Laura to England for a special screening and a celebration for us,” Ladd shared about the film Rambling Rose. “And she sat between us, grasping our hands, and crying, seeing us act.”
The nineties featured performances in comedy Cemetery Club joining her again with Burstyn, Primary Colors, a political story, a comedy about politics, with John Travolta and Alexander Payne’s Citizen Ruth, a dark comedy in which she portrayed Dern’s mother another time. Those years also earned her TV award nominations for work in Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, Grace Under Fire, a sitcom plus Touched by an Angel.
Collaborations with Daughter
She continued to star with Laura Dern in comedy drama Daddy and Them, a movie, Lynch’s Inland Empire, a surreal film and White’s comedy-drama series the program Enlightened. She additionally starred with Sandra Bullock, a star in 28 Days, a movie, Anthony Hopkins in that movie and Jennifer Lawrence in Joy.
Her later TV roles included the series Ray Donovan plus Young Sheldon.
Behind the Camera
She additionally penned and helmed the humorous movie the movie Mrs Munck that included herself and previous spouse actor Bruce Dern. “Bruce is an excellent performer,” she said. “I was honored to direct him on a project. Actually, I’m the only woman in history to direct her ex-husband. I often joke: ‘I say ladies, if you seek payback, guide your former spouse.’ Though I’m just teasing.”
Family Ties
She happened to be the third cousin of playwright Tennessee Williams, who she referred to as “a great influence throughout my life”.
Back in 2018, Ladd was misdiagnosed with lung disease and informed her life expectancy was six months yet she recovered completely once her daughter shifted her to a new hospital.
“If you can take your pain and not let it back up like an injury, rather utilize it to discover, to illuminate the way for you and those around, then you are winning,” Ladd said.
