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Remembering Diane Ladd: A Legacy in Film and Family

Oscar-nominated actress Diane Ladd, beloved mother of Laura Dern, has passed away at 89. A look back at her impressive career and lasting impact.

Source: bbc.co.uk1 min read
Remembering Diane Ladd: A Legacy in Film and Family
Image via bbc.co.uk

In brief

Diane Ladd, a renowned actress with three Academy Award nominations and a career spanning several decades, has died at 89. Her daughter, actress Laura Dern, confirmed the news, describing her mother as her 'hero.' Ladd is remembered for her significant contributions to film and television, with memorable performances in classics like 'Wild at Heart' and 'Rambling Rose.'

Diane Ladd, three-time Academy Award nominee and star of Wild at Heart, has died at 89.

Her daughter, actress Laura Dern, confirmed her death on Monday.

My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning, Dern said in a statement, adding that her final moments were spent at home in California.

Dern, who starred with her mother in 1991's Rambling Rose, did not share Ladd's cause of death.

She was the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created, Dern said. We were blessed to have her.

Ladd's career on stage and screen spanned decades. Her big break in film came in a waitress role in Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore in 1974, which earned her an Oscar nomination.

She went on to appear in dozens of films after that including as recently as 2022, when she played a grandmother in the coming-of-age film Gigi & Nate, and also acted frequently on television shows.

She was married to actor Bruce Dern from 1960 to 1969.

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