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The award-nominated actress Diane Ladd passed away aged 89.

The star, whose roles featured Chinatown, died at her home at her Ojai, California home. The news was shared in a statement from her offspring, Academy Award-winning star Laura Dern, her daughter.

Laura Dern, who performed alongside her mother in several movies like Wild at Heart, called her “my wonderful hero as well as my special gift being my mom”, stating that she was by her side when she passed.

“She was an exceptional daughter, mother, grandmother, star, artist as well as compassionate soul that felt like a dream come true,” she expressed. “We were fortunate to know her. She is flying with her angels now.”

Early Career and Breakthrough

The start of her career saw supporting roles in TV shows including Perry Mason while that decade featured her performing next to actor Jack Nicholson in the classic Chinatown.

During that year, 1974, she appeared with actress Ellen Burstyn in Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed dramatic comedy Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, a classic. The performance brought Ladd her first Oscar nomination in the supporting actress category.

1980s and Beyond

Throughout the 1980s, she was seen in the thriller the movie Black Widow and humorous film National Lampoon’s holiday comedy and appeared on the sitcom Alice, a television series based on her earlier movie.

During the next ten years, she was given an additional supporting actress Academy Award nomination for her part in David Lynch’s the movie Wild at Heart where she played the mom of her actual daughter the character played by Dern. The following year she was awarded another nomination for her role in Rambling Rose which also starred her daughter.

“This was the picture which Princess Diana picked as her top choice, and she flew Laura and I to London for a royal premiere and an event for us,” Ladd shared regarding Rambling Rose. “And she sat between us, taking our hands, with tears, seeing us act.”

The nineties included parts in comedy The Cemetery Club joining her again with Ellen Burstyn, Primary Colors, a satirical film, with John Travolta and Payne’s Citizen Ruth, a dark comedy in which she portrayed Dern’s mother once more. Those years also saw her score Emmy nominations for performances in the series Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, Grace Under Fire, a sitcom plus Touched by an Angel.

Working with Laura Dern

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

Subsequent TV appearances included the series Ray Donovan and Young Sheldon.

Writing and Directing

Ladd also wrote and helmed the comedy film Mrs Munck featuring her and ex-husband actor Bruce Dern. “Bruce is an excellent performer,” she noted. “I’m privileged to have directed him in a movie. Actually, I am the sole female in history who directed her former husband. I humorously say: ‘I advise females, should you desire retribution, helm a movie with your ex.’ But I’m only kidding.”

Personal Life

She was additionally a relative of playwright Tennessee Williams, whom she described as “a great influence in my life”.

Back in 2018, Ladd was misdiagnosed with a respiratory illness and told she had just six months to live but she regained full health after her daughter moved her to a different hospital.

“If you can take your pain and prevent it from festering similar to a wound, instead apply it to investigate, to make the path clearer for you and those around, then you are succeeding,” Ladd remarked.