American Actress Diane Ladd Passes Away at 89 After Seven-Decade Career

Laura Dern announced the passing of her mother, actress Diane Ladd, who died at the age of 89 in her California home on Monday. Ladd's death marks the end of a significant chapter in American film history, as her career spanned over seven decades, beginning on stage in the 1950s and extending to notable film and television productions.

Diane Ladd received three Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress and was celebrated for portraying strong and complex female characters, including roles as a rude waitress, a domineering mentally ill mother, and an eccentric housewife in films that explored themes from the 1930s. Her filmography includes titles such as "White Lightning" (1973), David Lynch's "Wild at Heart" (1990), "Citizen Ruth" (1996), and "Daddy and Them" (2001), as well as the HBO series "Enlightened" (2011), which she starred in alongside her daughter.

Notably, Ladd and Dern were both nominated for Oscars for their performances in the 1991 drama "Rambling Rose," highlighting a peak in their collaborative artistic journey. Their partnership continued with the release of their memoir, "Dearly Beloved: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, and Love," in 2023, where they candidly shared their personal and artistic experiences.