Diane Ladd, an accomplished actress and three-time Academy Award nominee, has passed away at the age of 89. Her daughter, Laura Dern, confirmed the news on Monday, stating that Ladd died peacefully at home in California, with Dern by her side. The cause of Ladd’s death has not been disclosed.
Ladd’s career in film and television spanned several decades, gaining significant recognition for her role as a waitress in Martin Scorsese’s film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” which debuted in 1974 and earned her an Oscar nomination. Throughout her career, she appeared in numerous films, with her last role as a grandmother in the 2022 coming-of-age film “Gigi & Nate,” in addition to her frequent television appearances.
Diane Ladd was married to actor Bruce Dern from 1960 until their divorce in 1969. They had two children, including Laura Dern and another daughter, Diane Elizabeth Dern, who tragically died in an accident at the age of 18 months. Ladd described this loss as something one never truly gets over, sharing the details of the incident in a 2023 interview.
Ladd and Laura Dern often collaborated professionally, appearing together in films such as “Wild at Heart” and the HBO series “Enlightened.” They made history as the first mother-daughter duo to be nominated for Academy Awards for the same film, “Rambling Rose.” In 2023, they co-authored a book titled “Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love.”
Interestingly, Ladd initially discouraged Dern from pursuing an acting career when she was young, recommending that she consider more stable professions. Despite this, Dern affirmed her passion for acting, stating it was an integral part of her identity.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg41x3w1zvo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss