Actress Diane Ladd dies at 89
She was a three-time Oscar nominee and mother of Laura Dern
American actress Diane Ladd, a three-time Academy Award nominee, has died at 89, her daughter Laura Dern said. Ladd died at her California home. Known for portraying strong, complex women across a seven-decade career, she earned Oscar nominations for supporting roles in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose. Ladd and daughter Laura Dern were both nominated for Rambling Rose, becoming the only mother-daughter duo ever nominated for the same film in the same year.
Born Rose Diane Lanier in Meridian, Mississippi, Ladd left college for New York, where she worked as a model and nightclub dancer before joining the Actor’s Studio and making her stage debut in 1952. Her screen work spanned more than 120 TV and film credits, including The Wild Angels, Chinatown, White Lightning, Wild at Heart, Citizen Ruth, Daddy and Them, and David O. Russell’s Joy. She also received three Emmy nominations for guest roles in the 1990s and appeared with Laura Dern on HBO’s Enlightened.
Beyond acting, Ladd wrote short stories and screenplays, directed and starred in Mrs. Munck (1995), and coauthored a memoir with Dern, Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love, based on daily conversations during walks after Ladd’s lung disease diagnosis. The mother and daughter published earlier memoirs as well; Ladd’s 2006 memoir Spiraling Through the School of Life recounted personal tragedies and career highs.
Ladd’s personal life included three marriages, including to actor Bruce Dern, with whom she had Laura. The family received side-by-side stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010. Known for her tall presence and distinctive Southern lilt, Ladd often played roles described as sassy, domineering, eccentric or resilient; she frequently portrayed mothers opposite her real-life daughter. Colleagues praised her wide-ranging talents and intuitive understanding of character.
Diagnosed with lung disease in later years, Ladd continued to work into her 80s and remained committed to complementary and alternative medicine and spiritual pursuits. Laura Dern called her mother “the greatest actress, ever,” noting Ladd’s fearless approach to life and art. Ladd is survived by her daughter Laura Dern and leaves a legacy of memorable performances and a notable place in American film and television history.
