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This Oscar-nominated performer the celebrated Diane Ladd passed away aged 89.

This actress, with roles spanned Chinatown, died at her home in Ojai, California. Her passing was revealed through a message by her child, Academy Award-winning star her daughter Laura Dern.

Dern, who appeared with Diane Ladd in various films like Rambling Rose, described her as “my incredible hero plus my special gift as a mother”, noting that she was present as she died.

“She was the greatest mother, daughter, grandmother, star, artist as well as compassionate soul that seemed almost dreamlike,” she wrote. “We were blessed to have her. She is now with the angels.”

Initial Roles and Major Success

The start of her career included minor parts in TV shows such as The Fugitive while that decade had her appearing alongside the legendary Jack Nicholson in the film Chinatown.

That very year, 1974, she performed alongside Ellen Burstyn in the Martin Scorsese acclaimed film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, a classic. Her role brought Ladd her first Oscar nomination for best supporting actress.

1980s and Beyond

During the eighties, she was seen in the dramatic film Black Widow and funny follow-up National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and appeared on the show Alice, a comedy program inspired by her earlier movie.

In the subsequent decade, she received another best supporting actress Oscar nomination for her performance in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart, a cult classic where she played the mother of her real-life daughter Dern’s character. A year later she received a further nomination for her acting in Rambling Rose which also starred Laura Dern.

“This was the film that the late Princess Diana chose as her absolutely favorite, and she invited us to the UK for a royal premiere and a party for us,” Ladd recalled of Rambling Rose. “She sat with us, holding both our hands, with tears, viewing our performance.”

The nineties also saw roles in comedy Cemetery Club, a film reuniting her with Burstyn, Primary Colors, a political story, a political comedy, featuring John Travolta and Payne’s Citizen Ruth in which she portrayed Dern’s mother once more. Those years also saw her score nominations for Emmy Awards for roles in the series Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, the show Grace Under Fire and Touched by an Angel.

Partnerships with Her Daughter

She continued to star alongside her daughter in dramatic comedies the film Daddy and Them, Lynch’s Inland Empire and White’s comedy-drama series the program Enlightened. She was also seen with actress Sandra Bullock in the film 28 Days, Anthony Hopkins, a legend in that movie and with Jennifer Lawrence in the film Joy.

Her later TV roles consisted of the series Ray Donovan and Young Sheldon.

Behind the Camera

She additionally penned and directed the humorous movie Mrs Munck featuring herself and previous spouse Bruce Dern, an actor. “Bruce is a great actor,” she said. “I’m privileged to have directed him in a film. Actually, I stand as the only woman in history to direct her ex-husband. I often joke: ‘I say ladies, if you seek payback, direct your ex-husband.’ However, I’m joking.”

Personal Life

Ladd was also the third cousin of Tennessee Williams, whom she described as “a major inspiration in my life”.

Back in 2018, Ladd was misdiagnosed with a respiratory illness and told she only had half a year left yet she recovered completely once her daughter shifted her to another medical facility.

“Should you harness your suffering and avoid letting it accumulate like a sore or something, instead apply it to explore, to illuminate the way for you and those around, then you are triumphing,” Ladd expressed.