DIANE LADD: THE THREE-TIME OSCAR NOMINEE AND HEART OF A HOLLYWOOD DYNASTY, DIES AT 89

Hollywood has lost one of its most brilliant, fierce, and unforgettable talents. Diane Ladd, the legendary actress with 3 Oscar nominations for her explosive roles in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” “Wild at Heart,” and “Rambling Rose,” passed away Monday morning at her residence in Ojai, California. Her daughter, Laura Dern, confirmed the news. She was 89.

“My Amazing Hero Is Flying with Her Angels”

In a deeply emotional statement, Laura Dern shared details of her mother’s final moments:

“My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning, at her home in Ojai… She was the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created. We were blessed to have her. She is flying with her angels now.”

Her ex-husband and Laura’s father, Bruce Dern, also offered a powerful tribute, calling her a “hidden treasure” of cinema:

“Diane was a tremendous actress… When [David Lynch] cast her as Laura‘s mom in ‘Wild at Heart’ it felt like the world then really understood her brilliance… She was a great teammate to her fellow actors. But most importantly to me, she was a wonderful mother to our incredible wunderkind daughter.”

A One-of-a-Kind Oscar Legacy

Ladd’s career was defined by uncompromising performances. She earned her first Oscar nomination for her role as the outspoken, “foul-mouthed heart-of-gold” waitress Flo in Martin Scorsese’s 1974 masterpiece, “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.”

She terrified audiences as the fiercely unhinged, villainous mother Marietta Fortune in David Lynch’s “Wild at Heart” (1990)—a performance often likened to the Wicked Witch of the West.

But it was “Rambling Rose” (1991) that made history. In that film, Ladd played the steadfast defender of the titular character Rose (played by Laura Dern). Both mother and daughter received Oscar nominations for their performances, marking the only instance in Academy Award history that a mother and daughter were nominated for the same film.

A Career of Countless Shades

Ladd was not just an intense dramatic actress. She was a master of portraying unforgettable supporting characters. She was Ida Sessions, the mysterious woman who sets off the entire case in the classic 1974 film “Chinatown.”

Mainstream audiences also adored her as Clark Griswold’s (Chevy Chase) mother in the classic Christmas comedy “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989), and as the beloved grandmother who supplied the gentle storybook narration in “Joy” (2015).

Her artistic connection with daughter Laura Dern continued on the small screen in the critically acclaimed HBO series “Enlightened” (2011-2013), where she played Helen, Dern’s exasperated yet loving mother, earning an Emmy nomination for the role.

From Copacabana Dancer to Legend

Born Rose Diane Ladnier in Mississippi, she moved to New York City as a teenager. She began her career as a dancer at the famed Copacabana nightclub before finding her true passion on the stage and later the screen.

From uncredited roles in the early ’60s to becoming an essential pillar of independent film and Hollywood, Diane Ladd lived a life fully dedicated to art. She leaves behind a colossal cinematic legacy, her daughter Laura Dern, and two grandchildren.