Acclaimed Actress Diane Ladd, Known For Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Passes Away at 89 Years Old.
The Oscar-nominated actor Diane Ladd passed away aged 89.
This actor, with credits included National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, passed away at home at her Ojai, California home. The news was revealed via an announcement shared by her daughter, Academy Award-winning star her daughter Laura Dern.
Laura Dern, who appeared with her mom in a number of films such as Wild at Heart, called her “my amazing hero plus my special gift as a mother”, noting that she was by her side when she passed.
“She was the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist along with empathetic spirit that felt like a dream come true,” she wrote. “We were lucky to have her. She is now with the angels.”
Initial Roles and Major Success
Ladd’s early career included small roles in TV shows including Perry Mason whereas that decade saw her starring with Jack Nicholson in the classic Chinatown.
In the same year, 1974, she performed alongside Ellen Burstyn in Scorsese’s acclaimed dramatic comedy Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, a classic. Her acting brought Ladd her first Oscar nomination in the supporting actress category.
Later Decades
During the eighties, she appeared in the dramatic film the movie Black Widow plus funny follow-up Christmas Vacation while also joining the show Alice, a comedy program derived from the film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
In the subsequent decade, she was given another supporting actress nomination for her role in the David Lynch film the movie Wild at Heart where she played the mother of her biological child Laura Dern’s role. The following year she obtained a further nomination for her acting in the film Rambling Rose which included Dern.
“This movie that Princess Diana chose as her absolutely favorite, and she invited us to the UK for a royal premiere and a party dedicated to us,” Ladd shared about the film Rambling Rose. “She positioned herself between us, grasping our hands, and weeping, viewing our performance.”
The nineties also saw roles in the comedy The Cemetery Club joining her again with her co-star Burstyn, Primary Colors, a political comedy, with John Travolta and the film by Alexander Payne Citizen Ruth, a dark comedy where she played Laura Dern’s mom again. The decade also saw her score Emmy nominations for work on Dr Quinn, the show Grace Under Fire plus Touched by an Angel.
Working with Laura Dern
She persisted in performing alongside her daughter in films blending humor and drama the film Daddy and Them, the David Lynch project the movie Inland Empire and Mike White’s dark comedy series the program Enlightened. She was also seen next to Sandra Bullock in 28 Days, Sir Anthony Hopkins in The World’s Fastest Indian, a film and Jennifer Lawrence in the film Joy.
Subsequent TV appearances featured the series Ray Donovan and Young Sheldon, a comedy.
Filmmaking Ventures
She also authored and directed the comedy Mrs Munck which starred Diane Ladd and previous spouse actor Bruce Dern. “Bruce is a talented star,” she said. “I’m privileged to have directed him in a film. Indeed, I’m the only woman in recorded history to direct her ex-husband. I make a joke: ‘I advise females, if you want revenge, guide your former spouse.’ But I’m only kidding.”
Personal Life
She happened to be the third cousin of Tennessee Williams, who she called “a significant impact on my life”.
Back in 2018, doctors misdiagnosed Ladd with a pulmonary condition and told she had just six months to live yet she recovered completely when her daughter transferred her to a new hospital.
“If you can take your pain and avoid letting it accumulate like a sore or something, instead use it to investigate, to clarify the journey for yourself and others, then you are winning,” Ladd said.
