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This award-nominated actor the celebrated Diane Ladd passed away at the age of 89.

This star, with filmography featured National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, left this world in her residence in Ojai, California. The news was revealed in a statement shared by her child, Oscar-winning actor her daughter Laura Dern.

Her daughter, who appeared with her mom in several movies such as Wild at Heart, described her as “my wonderful hero and my special gift of a mother”, stating that she was present during her final moments.

“She was the greatest mother, daughter, grandmother, star, artist along with empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created,” she expressed. “We were lucky to have her. Her spirit soars with angels.”

Initial Roles and Major Success

Her initial acting years featured minor parts on television series such as The Fugitive while the seventies featured her performing with actor Jack Nicholson in the classic Chinatown.

During that year, the year 1974, she appeared alongside Ellen Burstyn in Martin Scorsese’s celebrated film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. The performance brought Ladd her first Oscar nomination for best supporting actress.

Subsequent Years

In the 1980s, she starred in the thriller Black Widow plus comedy sequel National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and appeared on the show Alice, a sitcom based on her earlier movie.

In the subsequent decade, she was given a further best supporting actress Academy Award nomination for her role in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart, a cult classic in which she portrayed the parent of her real-life daughter the character played by Dern. The following year she received another nomination for her performance in Rambling Rose which also starred her daughter.

“This was the film that Princess Diana picked as her top choice, and she brought us to London for a premiere and an event for us,” Ladd shared regarding Rambling Rose. “She positioned herself between us, taking our hands, with tears, viewing our performance.”

That decade included parts in the comedy The Cemetery Club joining her again with Burstyn, the movie Primary Colors, a political comedy, starring John Travolta and Alexander Payne’s the movie Citizen Ruth where she acted as the mother of Dern another time. Those years also brought her nominations for Emmy Awards for work in the series Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, Grace Under Fire and Touched by an Angel.

Working with Laura Dern

She persisted in performing with Laura Dern in films blending humor and drama the film Daddy and Them, Lynch’s Inland Empire, a surreal film and the series by Mike White satirical show Enlightened, a TV series. She was also seen next to Sandra Bullock in 28 Days, Anthony Hopkins in The World’s Fastest Indian, a film plus Jennifer Lawrence in Joy.

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

Behind the Camera

She also authored and oversaw the comedy the movie Mrs Munck which starred her and previous spouse actor Bruce Dern. “Bruce is a talented star,” she said. “I was honored to direct him in a movie. Actually, I’m the only woman ever to direct her ex-husband. I humorously say: ‘I advise females, if you want revenge, helm a movie with your ex.’ Though I’m just teasing.”

Personal Connections

Ladd was also a relative of Tennessee Williams, who she called “a great influence throughout my life”.

Back in 2018, she received an incorrect diagnosis with a respiratory illness and advised her life expectancy was six months but made a full recovery after her daughter shifted her to another medical facility.

“When you use your pain and not let it back up like a sore or something, rather utilize it to investigate, to make the path clearer for personal and collective growth, then you are triumphing,” Ladd said.