Oscar-Nominated Star Diane Ladd, Famed For Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Passes Away at 89 Years Old.
The award-nominated actress the celebrated Diane Ladd passed away 89 years old.
The star, whose credits featured National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, passed away at home in California’s Ojai. This announcement was shared via an announcement by her offspring, Oscar-winning actor her daughter Laura Dern.
Dern, who appeared with her mom in various films including Rambling Rose, described her as “my incredible hero and my precious gift as a mother”, writing that she was at her bedside as she died.
“She was an exceptional grandmother, mother, daughter, actress, artist as well as caring individual that felt like a dream come true,” she expressed. “We were blessed to have her. She is flying with her angels now.”
Beginnings and Major Success
Her initial acting years featured minor parts in television programs like The Fugitive while the 1970s featured her performing next to Jack Nicholson in the classic Chinatown.
In the same year, the year 1974, she appeared with actress Ellen Burstyn in Scorsese’s praised dramatic comedy Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, a classic. The performance landed Ladd an Academy Award nomination in the supporting actress category.
Subsequent Years
During the eighties, she appeared in the thriller Black Widow, a suspense story as well as humorous film National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and appeared on the sitcom Alice, a sitcom based on her earlier movie.
During the next ten years, she received an additional best supporting actress nomination for her role in Lynch’s Wild at Heart, a cult classic where she played the mother of her real-life daughter Dern’s character. The following year she obtained another nomination for her performance in the film Rambling Rose which included her daughter.
“This was the film that the late Princess Diana picked as her top choice, and she flew Laura and I to England for a premiere and a party in our honor,” Ladd said about the film Rambling Rose. “She sat with us, grasping our hands, and crying, seeing us act.”
The 1990s featured performances in the comedy The Cemetery Club joining her again with her co-star Burstyn, Primary Colors, a satirical film, featuring John Travolta and Alexander Payne’s Citizen Ruth, a dark comedy in which she portrayed the mother of Dern another time. The decade also earned her TV award nominations for performances in the series Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, the show Grace Under Fire plus Touched by an Angel.
Collaborations with Daughter
She kept appearing alongside her daughter in comedy drama Daddy and Them, David Lynch’s the movie Inland Empire and White’s comedy-drama series Enlightened. She additionally starred next to Sandra Bullock in 28 Days, a movie, Anthony Hopkins in that movie and with Jennifer Lawrence in Joy.
Her more recent television parts featured Ray Donovan plus Young Sheldon.
Filmmaking Ventures
Ladd also wrote and directed the comedy Mrs Munck, a film which starred her and ex-husband Bruce Dern. “Bruce is an excellent performer,” she said. “I was honored to direct him on a project. In fact, I’m the only woman in history to helm a film with her ex. I often joke: ‘I say ladies, if you seek payback, guide your former spouse.’ But I’m only kidding.”
Personal Life
Ladd was also a relative of playwright Tennessee Williams, who she called “a significant impact in my life”.
Back in 2018, she received an incorrect diagnosis with a pulmonary condition and informed 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 prevent it from festering similar to a wound, instead use it to discover, to illuminate the way for yourself and others, then you are succeeding,” Ladd remarked.