Diane Ladd, Oscar-nominated actress and mother of Laura Dern, dies at 89
Academy Award–nominated actress Diane Ladd has died at 89, her daughter Laura Dern confirmed to PEOPLE.
“My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning at her home in Ojai, Calif.,” Dern said. “She was the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, and empathetic spirit. We were blessed to have her. She is flying with her angels now.”
Over a career spanning seven decades, Ladd appeared in more than 200 films and TV shows, earning three Oscar nominations for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974), Wild at Heart (1990), and Rambling Rose (1991).
Born Diane Ladner, she began acting, dancing, and singing at a young age and made her film debut in 1966’s The Wild Angels.
Ladd was married to actor Bruce Dern from 1960 to 1969. They had two daughters, Diane Elizabeth—who died in infancy—and Laura Dern, who went on to achieve her own Hollywood success.
Mother and daughter worked together several times, including in Rambling Rose, which earned both Oscar nominations.
Rest in peace, Diane Ladd.