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This award-nominated actress the celebrated Diane Ladd has died at the age of 89.

This actor, whose filmography included Chinatown, died at her home at her Ojai, California home. The news was revealed via an announcement from her daughter, Oscar-winning actor Laura Dern.

Dern, who appeared with Diane Ladd in a number of films such as Rambling Rose, called her “my wonderful hero plus my precious gift being my mom”, noting that she was by her side when she passed.

“She was the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, performer, creative and caring individual that only dreams could have seemingly created,” she expressed. “We were fortunate to know her. She is flying with her angels now.”

Initial Roles and Breakthrough

Her initial acting years included small roles on television series such as The Fugitive and the seventies had her appearing with the legendary Jack Nicholson in the classic Chinatown.

In the same year, 1974, she appeared with Ellen Burstyn in Scorsese’s celebrated dramatic comedy Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, a classic. The performance landed Ladd an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress.

Later Decades

During the eighties, she starred in the dramatic film Black Widow as well as comedy sequel National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and also took part in the show Alice, a comedy program derived from her earlier movie.

During the next ten years, she received an additional supporting actress nomination for her part in Lynch’s the movie Wild at Heart where she acted as the parent of her real-life daughter Laura Dern’s role. A year later she was awarded an additional nod for her role in Rambling Rose which included Dern.

“This movie that the late Princess Diana picked as her top choice, and she brought me and Laura to London for a royal premiere and an event in our honor,” Ladd shared of Rambling Rose. “And she sat between us, taking our hands, with tears, viewing our performance.”

The 1990s included parts in the comedy The Cemetery Club joining her again with Burstyn, the movie Primary Colors, a political comedy, with John Travolta and the film by Alexander Payne Citizen Ruth, a dark comedy where she played Laura Dern’s mom another time. The decade also brought her Emmy nominations for roles in the series Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, Grace Under Fire and Touched by an Angel, a drama.

Working with Laura Dern

She kept appearing with Laura Dern in dramatic comedies Daddy and Them, the David Lynch project Inland Empire, a surreal film and Mike White’s comedy-drama series the program Enlightened. She additionally starred next to Sandra Bullock in the film 28 Days, Sir Anthony Hopkins in The World’s Fastest Indian and with Jennifer Lawrence in Joy, a biographical drama.

Subsequent TV appearances consisted of Ray Donovan and Young Sheldon, a comedy.

Writing and Directing

She additionally penned and directed the humorous movie Mrs Munck, a film featuring Diane Ladd and previous spouse Bruce Dern, an actor. “Bruce is a great actor,” she said. “It was a privilege to guide him in a film. Indeed, I’m the only woman ever to helm a film with her ex. I humorously say: ‘I say ladies, should you desire retribution, guide your former spouse.’ Though I’m just teasing.”

Personal Connections

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

Back in 2018, Ladd was misdiagnosed with a respiratory illness and advised her life expectancy was six months yet she recovered completely once her daughter moved her to another medical facility.

“Should you harness your suffering and not let it back up like a sore or something, instead use it to explore, to illuminate the way for you and those around, then you are triumphing,” Ladd expressed.