Diane Ladd, the Oscar-nominated veteran actress who starred in film classics such as “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” and “Chinatown,” died at age 89, her daughter, actress Laura Dern, confirmed this week.
“My incredible hero and profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, spent by my side this morning, at her home in Ojai, California,” Dern said Monday in a statement shared with ABC News. “She was the best daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have created.”
“We were lucky to have her,” Dern continued. “She’s flying with her angels now.”
Diane Ladd visits Hallmark Channel’s “Home & Family” at Universal Studios Hollywood on September 18, 2019 in Universal City, California.
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Ladd was nominated for an Oscar three times, first for 1974’s “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” and again for the films “Wild at Heart” and “Rambling Rose,” released in 1990 and 1991, respectively. Dern co-starred in “Wild at Heart” and “Rambling Rose” and was nominated for an Oscar for the latter, making Dern and Ladd one of only two father-son duos nominated for Academy Awards for the same film, the other being Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda in 1981’s “On Golden Pond.”
Ladd was born in Mississippi in 1935 and later launched her entertainment career as a “Copa Girl” performing at New York City’s legendary Copacabana nightclub, according to the actress website. She then launched a career on stage before transitioning to the screen, receiving awards and accolades in no time.
Ladd’s first major accolade was a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actress for her role in 1974’s “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.”
In 1980, Ladd won a Golden Globe for her role as Isabelle “Belle” Dupree in “Alice.”
In addition to her three Academy Award nominations and several Golden Globe nods, Ladd also earned a BAFTA for her role in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” and an Independent Spirit Award for “Rambling Rose.” It also earned several Primetime Emmy Award nominations in the following years.
Ladd married Bruce Dern in 1960 and gave birth to their daughter Laura Dern in 1967, after the couple’s first child, a daughter named Diane Elizabeth, died at a young age in a tragic accident. Ladd and Bruce Dern were married until 1969.
Ladd was subsequently married to William Shea Jr. from 1969 to 1977 and to Robert Hunter from 1999 until his death earlier this year..
