🔗 Share this article Diane Ladd, Celebrated For Her Role in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Dies at the Age of 89. The Academy Award-nominated actress the celebrated Diane Ladd left us at the age of 89. This star, whose filmography spanned Chinatown, died at her home in Ojai, California. Her passing was revealed via an announcement by her daughter, Academy Award-winning star Laura Dern, her daughter. Dern, who appeared with her mother in several movies including Wild at Heart, called her “my amazing hero and my profound gift as a mother”, noting that she was at her bedside as she died. “She was an exceptional grandmother, mother, daughter, performer, creative and caring individual that seemed almost dreamlike,” she stated. “We were blessed to have her. Her spirit soars with angels.” Initial Roles and Major Success Her initial acting years included supporting roles in TV shows including Gunsmoke and that decade saw her starring next to actor Jack Nicholson in the classic Chinatown. That very year, 1974, she appeared with Ellen Burstyn in Scorsese’s acclaimed comedy drama Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, a classic. Her role landed Ladd an Academy Award nomination in the supporting actress category. Subsequent Years In the 1980s, she was seen in the dramatic film Black Widow, a suspense story and humorous film Christmas Vacation while also joining the sitcom Alice, a comedy program derived from Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. During the next ten years, she earned an additional best supporting actress nomination for her performance in David Lynch’s the movie Wild at Heart where she played the parent of her actual daughter Laura Dern’s role. The following year she received an additional nod for her role in the film Rambling Rose which also starred her daughter. “This movie that the late Princess Diana chose as her absolutely favorite, and she invited us to the UK for a special screening and a celebration for us,” Ladd said of Rambling Rose. “She positioned herself between us, taking our hands, with tears, seeing us act.” The 1990s also saw roles in comedy Cemetery Club, a film bringing her back with her co-star Burstyn, Primary Colors, a political story, a comedy about politics, featuring John Travolta and Alexander Payne’s Citizen Ruth where she played Dern’s mother another time. The decade also earned her nominations for Emmy Awards for performances in Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, the show Grace Under Fire plus Touched by an Angel. Collaborations with Daughter She persisted in performing with Laura Dern in films blending humor and drama the film Daddy and Them, the David Lynch project Inland Empire, a surreal film and Mike White’s satirical show Enlightened. She was also seen alongside Sandra Bullock, a star in 28 Days, Anthony Hopkins in that movie plus Jennifer Lawrence in the film Joy. Her later TV roles featured Ray Donovan, a drama and Young Sheldon. Writing and Directing She additionally penned and helmed the comedy the movie Mrs Munck that included herself and ex-husband actor Bruce Dern. “Bruce is a great actor,” she mentioned. “I was honored to direct him in a film. Indeed, I stand as the only woman ever to direct her ex-husband. I make a joke: ‘I advise females, if you seek payback, helm a movie with your ex.’ However, I’m joking.” Personal Connections She happened to be a relative of the great Tennessee Williams, who she referred to as “a significant impact in my life”. In 2018, Ladd was misdiagnosed with a respiratory illness and informed her life expectancy was six months but made a full recovery once her daughter shifted her to another medical facility. “When you use your pain and prevent it from festering similar to a wound, instead apply it to explore, to illuminate the way for yourself and others, then you are winning,” Ladd remarked.