Academy Award-winning actress Laura Dern has shared a poignant public tribute to her late mother, the celebrated actress Diane Ladd, on what would have been Ladd's 90th birthday. The heartfelt homage comes just weeks after Ladd's passing at the age of 89.
A Daughter's Heartfelt Homage
On Sunday, Dern posted a classic black-and-white portrait of her mother on social media, accompanied by a deeply personal caption. 'Happy birthday to my hero, the most extraordinary person I have ever known, on what would have been her 90th today,' she wrote. Dern continued, 'As an artist and human being, you were always loving, always dreaming, always creating, and ever in service for all. I love you, Mom.'
The loss was confirmed earlier this month by Dern, 58, in an official statement to The Hollywood Reporter. 'My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning, at her home in Ojai, Calif,' she revealed. Dern described her mother as 'the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created,' adding, 'We were blessed to have her. She is flying with her angels now.'
A Prolific Hollywood Career
Diane Ladd enjoyed one of Hollywood's most distinguished and lengthy careers, spanning over six decades. She was perhaps best known for her role as Flo in Martin Scorsese's 1974 film 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore', a performance that earned her the first of three Academy Award nominations.
Her other Oscar-nominated roles were in 'Wild at Heart' (1990) and 'Rambling Rose' (1991). The latter film made Oscars history when Ladd and her daughter Laura Dern became the first mother-daughter pair to earn acting nominations in the same year in 1992. The film was reportedly a favourite of Princess Diana and was given a Royal premiere in London.
Ladd's incredible filmography included more than 300 film and television appearances. Her diverse roles spanned from Stephen King's 2004 ABC horror series to parts in 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' (1983), 'Ghosts of Mississippi' (1996), '28 Days' (2000), 'Charlie's War' (2003), and 'Joy' (2015).
Her final television role was as the matriarch Nell O'Brien in 'Chesapeake Shores' from 2016 to 2022. She completed her last film performance in the 2022 drama 'Gigi & Nate'. Beyond acting, Ladd also wrote and directed the critically acclaimed 1995 film 'Mrs. Munck'.
A Bond Forged in Adversity and Art
The mother-daughter relationship was profoundly close, having been forged through both personal tragedy and professional collaboration. The couple's first daughter, also named Diane, died tragically at just 18 months after falling into a pool. Laura was born five years later.
In 2018, Ladd faced a terrifying health crisis after accidentally inhaling poison spray from a neighbouring farm. The condition was initially misdiagnosed as pneumonia and left her with a constricted esophagus. Doctors gave her only months to live, but Dern sought alternative treatment and moved her to another hospital, where she made a full recovery.
During her mother's recovery, Dern accompanied her on long walks to rebuild her lung strength and began recording their conversations. These intimate discussions became the foundation for their 2023 joint memoir 'Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother And Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love (And Banana Pudding)'.
The book was praised by The Telegraph as 'the best, truest, most shockingly entertaining Hollywood memoir… it is also one of the most loving.' It explored their deeply bonded yet candid relationship, including moments where Ladd asked, 'Do you feel like I screwed you up?' to which Dern honestly replied, 'Absolutely.'
Despite her own successful career, Ladd initially tried to steer her daughter away from acting. Dern recalled her mother's advice in a 2018 interview with People: 'I think the quote of my mother's was, 'Be a lawyer, be a doctor, be a leper missionary, but don't be an actress!''
Nevertheless, the pair collaborated frequently throughout their careers on projects including 'Enlightened', 'Inland Empire', 'Damaged Care', 'Daddy & Them', 'Citizen Ruth', 'The Siege at Ruby Ridge' and more.
Ladd shared daughter Laura with her ex-husband Bruce Dern, 89, to whom she was married from 1960 to 1969. Bruce paid tribute to his former wife, telling Us Weekly, 'She lived a good life. She saw everything the way it was.' He called her 'funny, clever, gracious' and 'a great teammate to her fellow actors,' adding, '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.'
Diane Ladd is survived by her daughter Laura Dern and her two grandchildren, Ellery Walker Harper, 24, and Jaya Harper, 20.
