Diane Ladd, Oscar-nominated actress and mother of Laura Dern, dies at 89

Oscar-nominated actress Diane Ladd, who appeared in such films as “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” and “Chinatown,” has died at the age of 89.

Ladd’s daughter Laura Dern confirmed her mother’s passing in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter and the Los Angeles Times.

“My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning, at her home in Ojai, Ca.,” reads Dern’s statement.

“She was the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created.”

Ladd had numerous credits in television and film, including early appearances in shows such as “Perry Mason,” “The Fugitive” and “Gunsmoke.” In 1974, she starred in both “Chinatown” and “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” earning a Best Supporting Actress nod at the Oscars for the latter (and later joining the cast of the TV sitcom “Alice,” which was inspired by the film).

Ladd later earned Academy Award nominations for her work in “Wild at Heart” and “Rambling Rose,” both of which starred Laura Dern, Ladd’s daughter with actor Bruce Dern. (Laura Dern also had a small part in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” as a young diner.)

Ladd, speaking with CBS News in 2023, once said she initially discouraged her daughter from becoming an actress.

“She was only, like, 11 years old, and I said, ‘Don’t be an actress. Be a doctor, be a lawyer,'” Ladd said. “Nobody cares if you put on weight or your chin points when you cry if you’re a doctor. They just want you to be the best you can be. But an actress? They care, care, care, care, care.”