Diane Ladd, Oscar-nominated actress and mother of Laura Dern, dies at 89

Diane Ladd, Oscar-nominated actress and mother of Laura Dern, dies at 89

Diane Ladd, the three-time Academy Award nominee known for her roles in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore and Wild at Heart, died Monday at her California home, her daughter Laura Dern confirmed. She was 89.

Final moments and family tributes

Laura Dern, an Oscar-winning actress, shared that she was present during her mother's passing. "My amazing hero and profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning," Dern said in a statement. She described Ladd as "the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist, and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created."

Dern did not disclose the cause of death. The pair, who co-starred in the 1991 film Rambling Rose, had a lifelong professional and personal bond. "We were blessed to have her," Dern added.

A career spanning decades

Ladd's breakthrough came in 1974 with Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, earning her first Oscar nomination for her role as Flo, a sharp-witted waitress. Her career extended over five decades, including recent work in the 2022 film Gigi & Nate, where she portrayed a grandmother.

Beyond film, Ladd frequently appeared on television and maintained a presence on stage. Her collaboration with daughter Laura Dern became a hallmark of her later career, including roles in David Lynch's Wild at Heart (1990) and the HBO series Enlightened (2011-2013).

Personal struggles and artistic legacy

Ladd was married to actor Bruce Dern from 1960 to 1969. The couple had two daughters: Laura Dern and Diane Elizabeth Dern, who died in a tragic accident at 18 months old in 1962. "She fell into the pool. She hit her head and knocked herself out. And it all happened instantly," Ladd recalled in a 2023 interview with CBS News. "You will never get over that."

Despite her personal losses, Ladd and Laura Dern forged a deep creative partnership. They made history as the first mother-daughter duo nominated for Oscars in the same year for Rambling Rose (1991). In 2023, they co-authored Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love, exploring their relationship and shared experiences.

Early discouragement and Dern's persistence

Ladd initially discouraged her daughter from pursuing acting. "She was only, like, 11 years old, and I said, 'Don't be an actress. Be a doctor, be a lawyer,'" Ladd told CBS. "Nobody cares if you put on weight or your chin points when you cry if you're a doctor. They just want you to be the best you can be. But an actress? They care, care, care, care, care."

Laura Dern, however, was resolute. "No. It is all I knew," she responded.

Industry tributes

Martin Scorsese paid tribute to Ladd, reflecting on their collaboration in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. "I have so many good memories of making that picture, and my experiences with Diane are among the best," he said. "It was so important for the picture to let the actors run with their characters, and what an experience it was to watch Diane take the character of Flo and make something so vivid and funny and alive."

"Diane was a great improvisational actor-a matter of technique and discipline, but most of all instinct and artistry-and she had it all."

Martin Scorsese