Diane Ladd, Known For Her Performance in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Has Died at the Age of 89.
The Oscar-nominated actor the celebrated Diane Ladd left us at the age of 89.
The actress, whose credits featured Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, died at her home in Ojai, California. The news was revealed via an announcement by her offspring, award-winning actress her daughter Laura Dern.
Her daughter, who appeared with her mom in several movies including Wild at Heart, described her as “my incredible hero and my profound gift being my mom”, stating that she was at her bedside when she passed.
“She was the most wonderful daughter, mother, grandmother, performer, creative along with empathetic spirit that seemed almost dreamlike,” she stated. “We were blessed to have her. She is now with the angels.”
Beginnings and Major Success
Ladd’s early career included supporting roles on television series like The Fugitive and the 1970s featured her performing with Jack Nicholson in the classic Chinatown.
That very year, 1974, she performed with actress Ellen Burstyn in Scorsese’s acclaimed dramatic comedy Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Her acting earned Ladd an Academy Award nomination in the supporting actress category.
1980s and Beyond
During the eighties, she was seen in the thriller Black Widow, a suspense story as well as funny follow-up National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and also took part in the show Alice, a comedy program based on Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
In the subsequent decade, she earned another supporting actress nomination for her performance in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart where she played the parent of her biological child the character played by Dern. The following year she received an additional nod for her performance in the film Rambling Rose which also starred her daughter.
“This was the film which Princess Diana picked as her top choice, and she flew me and Laura to the UK for a premiere and a party for us,” Ladd recalled about the film Rambling Rose. “She positioned herself between us, holding both our hands, and crying, watching us perform.”
The 1990s also saw roles in the comedy Cemetery Club reuniting her with Burstyn, Primary Colors, a political story, a comedy about politics, with John Travolta and Payne’s the movie Citizen Ruth in which she portrayed Laura Dern’s mom once more. That period also brought her Emmy nominations for roles on Dr Quinn, Grace Under Fire and Touched by an Angel.
Partnerships with Her Daughter
She kept appearing with Laura Dern in dramatic comedies Daddy and Them, a movie, the David Lynch project the movie Inland Empire and the series by Mike White dark comedy series Enlightened. She also appeared with actress Sandra Bullock in 28 Days, Sir Anthony Hopkins in The World’s Fastest Indian plus Jennifer Lawrence in the film Joy.
Subsequent TV appearances included Ray Donovan, a drama and Young Sheldon.
Behind the Camera
She additionally penned and oversaw the comedy Mrs Munck, a film which starred Diane Ladd and previous spouse Bruce Dern. “Bruce is a great actor,” she said. “It was a privilege to guide him in a movie. Indeed, I’m the only woman in recorded history to helm a film with her ex. I humorously say: ‘I tell women, should you desire retribution, helm a movie with your ex.’ But I’m only kidding.”
Personal Connections
Ladd was also a family member of Tennessee Williams, whom she described as “a major inspiration in my life”.
During 2018, she received an incorrect diagnosis with lung disease and informed her life expectancy was six months but made a full recovery once her daughter transferred her to a new hospital.
“If you can take your pain and prevent it from festering like a sore or something, instead use it to discover, to clarify the journey for yourself and others, then you are succeeding,” Ladd expressed.
