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The Academy Award-nominated actor the celebrated Diane Ladd passed away aged 89.

This actress, with filmography spanned National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, passed away at home in Ojai, California. The news was announced via an announcement shared by her child, award-winning actress Laura Dern, her daughter.

Dern, who appeared with her mom in various films such as Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose, referred to her as “my amazing hero and my special gift as a mother”, noting that she was present when she passed.

“She was the greatest mother, daughter, grandmother, actress, artist as well as empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created,” she expressed. “We were lucky to have her. She is now with the angels.”

Early Career and Major Success

The start of her career saw small roles in TV shows like Gunsmoke and that decade had her appearing with Jack Nicholson in the classic Chinatown.

During that year, the year 1974, she shared the screen with Ellen Burstyn in Scorsese’s praised comedy drama Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Her acting earned Ladd her first Oscar nomination in the supporting actress category.

Subsequent Years

During the eighties, she starred in the dramatic film the movie Black Widow plus funny follow-up Christmas Vacation and also took part in Alice, a sitcom based on her earlier movie.

In the following decade, she was given another Oscar nomination for supporting actress Oscar nomination for her performance in the David Lynch film the movie Wild at Heart in which she portrayed the mother of her real-life daughter the character played by Dern. A year later she obtained a further nomination for her acting in the film Rambling Rose which also starred Dern.

“This was the film that Princess Diana picked as her top choice, and she invited me and Laura to the UK for a premiere and a party in our honor,” Ladd said of Rambling Rose. “And she sat between us, taking our hands, and weeping, viewing our performance.”

The nineties included parts in comedy Cemetery Club, a film bringing her back with her co-star Burstyn, Primary Colors, a comedy about politics, with John Travolta and Payne’s Citizen Ruth where she acted as Laura Dern’s mom again. The decade also earned her TV award nominations for work in Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, Grace Under Fire, a sitcom plus Touched by an Angel.

Collaborations with Daughter

She continued to star with her daughter in comedy drama Daddy and Them, a movie, Lynch’s Inland Empire and Mike White’s dark comedy series Enlightened. She was also seen with Sandra Bullock in 28 Days, Sir Anthony Hopkins in The World’s Fastest Indian plus Jennifer Lawrence in the film Joy.

Her more recent television parts featured Ray Donovan and Young Sheldon.

Filmmaking Ventures

She also authored and helmed the humorous movie the movie Mrs Munck which starred herself and ex-husband actor Bruce Dern. “Bruce is a great actor,” she noted. “I’m privileged to have directed him on a project. Actually, I’m the only woman in recorded history who directed her former husband. I often joke: ‘I say ladies, if you want revenge, direct your ex-husband.’ Though I’m just teasing.”

Personal Connections

Ladd was also the third cousin of Tennessee Williams, whom she described as “a significant impact in my life”.

In 2018, she received an incorrect diagnosis with a respiratory illness and advised she only had half a year left yet she recovered completely when her daughter transferred her to a new hospital.

“Should you harness your suffering and avoid letting it accumulate like a sore or something, instead apply it to investigate, to clarify the journey for you and those around, then you are winning,” Ladd remarked.