November 04, (THEWILL) — Diane Ladd, a three‑time Academy Award nominee and beloved Hollywood actress, has died aged 89.
Her daughter, actress Laura Dern, confirmed her death on Monday in a statement.
“My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning. 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 said.
Ladd died at her home in Ojai, California; no cause of death has been disclosed.
Her career on stage and screen spanned decades. Ladd’s breakout role came as a waitress in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore in 1974, which earned her first Oscar nomination. She later received nominations for Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose.
Over the years, Ladd appeared in dozens of films, most recently in the coming-of-age movie Gigi & Nate in 2022, and also maintained a strong presence on television.
Ladd shared a close bond with her daughter, Laura Dern, and they appeared together on several projects. She played Laura’s mother in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart and in HBO’s Enlightened.
The pair also made history as the first mother-daughter duo nominated for an Academy Award for the same film, Rambling Rose.
In 2023, they co-authored a book, Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love.
Tributes have poured in across the entertainment industry, celebrating Ladd’s extraordinary talent, warmth, and enduring influence.
Fellow actors, colleagues, and fans have remembered her as a trailblazer, a mentor, and a beloved figure whose contributions to film, television, and stage will continue to inspire generations.
Evi Ben Ezaga writes on entertainment, culture, and trending stories.
