Hollywood lost one of its stars this week, as Diane Ladd passed away on November 3 at the age of 89. The actress boasted a seven-decade career that saw three Academy Award nominations, three Emmy nods, a BAFTA for her role in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore and a Golden Globe for the TV series Alice. She was also Laura Dern’s mother, and as the actress and her father Bruce Dern paid tribute to Ladd, many others jumped in with their own memories.
Laura Dern released a statement announcing her mother’s death, calling Diane Ladd “the greatest” and saying their family was “blessed” by all that she gave them. In Laura's words:
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. 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 is flying with her angels now.
Diane Ladd was married to Laura’s father, Bruce Dern, from 1960 to 1969 — the first of her three husbands — and he recalled the immense talent she had on screen, as well as the way she paved the road for other actors in Hollywood as part of the Screen Actors Guild board. He said:
Diane was a tremendous actress and I feel like, a bit of a ‘hidden treasure’ until she ran into David Lynch. When he cast her as Laura‘s mom in Wild at Heart it felt like the world then really understood her brilliance. She was a great value as a decades long board member of SAG, giving a real actress’ point of view.
In addition to the roles that earned her Oscar and Emmy nominations, Diane Ladd was part of the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation cast, where she played Clark’s mother, Nora Griswold. In David Lynch’s 1990 film Wild at Heart, she portrayed Marietta, the mother of Laura Dern’s character Lula, and she again played her real-life daughter’s mother in 16 episodes of the HBO dramedy Enlightened in the 2010s.
Bruce Dern’s tribute continued, as he noted that her role as Laura’s mother was her most important. He said:
She lived a good life. She saw everything the way it was. She was a great teammate to her fellow actors. She was funny, clever, gracious. But most importantly to me, she was a wonderful mother to our incredible wunderkind daughter. And for that I will be forever grateful to her.
Several others in Hollywood also paid their respects to the late actress. Hugh Jackman shared a photo on Instagram Stories of himself with Diane Ladd and Laura Dern, recalling the stories Ladd would tell:
Meghan Ory also mentioned the late actress’s stories as she shared a photo of them from Chesapeake Shores on Instagram:
Nancy Sinatra wrote a lengthy Instagram post memorializing Diane Ladd. She said her heart goes out to Laura and Bruce Dern and said she knows her friend is now “one of His special angels.” She continued:
Diane Ladd was one of my closest, oldest and dearest friends. We shared having our children, making our movie, and did a lot of growing up together. It was a wild, sentimental ride. She was a great lady, a fun pal and a fine writer. I will miss her painfully, and yes, joyfully.
Jessica Lynn Wallace, who played Diane Ladd’s granddaughter in 2022’s Isle of Hope — Ladd’s final movie credit — called the actress “a legend, a force, a light” in her own social media tribute, which read, in part:
Thank you for the laughter that filled our breaks, the wisdom tucked into quiet moments, the sparkle in your eyes when you spoke about the work, the world, and the people you loved. Your patience, kindness and heart on set and off means everything. … I will carry your lessons, your spirit, and your fierce heart with me always. How lucky I am to have shared even one chapter with you 🤍✨
Diane Ladd accumulated more than 140 acting credits over her career that spanned from the 1950s into the 2020s, but it seems clear from those who are speaking out following her passing that she was so much more than an actress. Our condolences go out to her family and loved ones at this time.
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