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The Oscar-nominated actor Diane Ladd has died 89 years old.

This star, whose credits included Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, left this world in her residence at her Ojai, California home. Her passing was announced in a statement by her child, Oscar-winning actor her daughter Laura Dern.

Laura Dern, who starred with her mom in a number of films including Wild at Heart, described her as “my incredible hero as well as my special gift being my mom”, noting that she was at her bedside during her final moments.

“She was the most wonderful grandmother, mother, daughter, actress, artist and caring individual that felt like a dream come true,” she expressed. “We were blessed to have her. Her spirit soars with angels.”

Early Career and Rise to Fame

The start of her career featured small roles in TV shows such as Gunsmoke whereas that decade featured her performing next to actor Jack Nicholson in Chinatown.

That very year, 1974, she performed alongside Ellen Burstyn in the Martin Scorsese praised dramatic comedy the movie Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Her acting earned Ladd her initial Oscar nod for best supporting actress.

Subsequent Years

During the eighties, she appeared in the thriller Black Widow, a suspense story as well as comedy sequel National Lampoon’s holiday comedy and also took part in Alice, a comedy program based on the film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.

In the following decade, she received an additional supporting actress Oscar nomination for her part in David Lynch’s the movie Wild at Heart in which she portrayed the parent of her actual daughter the character played by Dern. The following year she obtained another nomination for her role in the film Rambling Rose which also starred Dern.

“This was the picture that Princess Diana picked as her top choice, and she brought me and Laura to the UK for a special screening and a party for us,” Ladd recalled of Rambling Rose. “She positioned herself between us, taking our hands, and crying, viewing our performance.”

That decade included parts in the comedy Cemetery Club bringing her back with Ellen Burstyn, the movie Primary Colors, a comedy about politics, featuring John Travolta and Alexander Payne’s Citizen Ruth in which she portrayed Dern’s mother another time. Those years also brought her nominations for Emmy Awards for roles in Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, the show Grace Under Fire and Touched by an Angel.

Partnerships with Her Daughter

She persisted in performing alongside her daughter in dramatic comedies Daddy and Them, a movie, David Lynch’s Inland Empire and White’s comedy-drama series Enlightened. She also appeared alongside Sandra Bullock in the film 28 Days, Sir Anthony Hopkins in The World’s Fastest Indian plus Jennifer Lawrence in the film Joy.

Her more recent television parts consisted of the series Ray Donovan and Young Sheldon.

Behind the Camera

She also authored and helmed the humorous movie Mrs Munck, a film featuring herself and former husband actor Bruce Dern. “Bruce is a great actor,” she said. “I was honored to direct him on a project. Actually, I’m the only woman ever who directed her former husband. I make a joke: ‘I tell women, should you desire retribution, guide your former spouse.’ But I’m only kidding.”

Family Ties

Ladd was also a relative of playwright Tennessee Williams, who she referred to as “a significant impact in my life”.

In 2018, doctors misdiagnosed Ladd with lung disease and told she only had half a year left but she regained full health once her daughter transferred her to a different hospital.

“Should you harness your suffering and not let it back up like an injury, rather utilize it to investigate, to clarify the journey for personal and collective growth, then you are succeeding,” Ladd said.