Laura Dern remembers her late mother Diane Ladd with an emotional post on her 90th birthday |
Laura Dern marked a deeply emotional milestone by remembering her late mother, legendary actress Diane Ladd, on what would have been her 90th birthday. The actress shared a heartfelt message along with a black-and-white vintage portrait of her mother, reminding fans and the film community of the profound bond they shared and the legacy Ladd left behind.
A daughter’s tribute to a lifelong hero
On Saturday, November 29, Dern honoured her mother with an emotional post on Instagram. The caption of the post reflected both love and admiration. She wrote, “Happy birthday to my hero, the most extraordinary person I have ever known, on what would be her 90th today.” She followed it with another touching line, “As an artist and human being, you were always loving, always dreaming, always creating, and ever in service for all. I love you, Mom.”Diane Ladd passed away on November 23 from hypoxic respiratory failure at the age of 89. Dern confirmed her mother’s death in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, saying, “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 described her mother as “the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created,” and added, “We were blessed to have her. She is flying with her angels now.”
A legendary career and a family legacy
Diane Ladd built a remarkable career that spanned more than five decades, earning three Academy Award nominations for her performances in the films ‘Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’, ‘Wild at Heart’ and ‘Rambling Rose’. With more than 300 film and television appearances, she became known for her versatility and emotional depth. Her work included popular titles such as ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’, ‘Ghosts of Mississippi’, ‘28 Days’, and ‘Joy’.Her final television role was as matriarch Nell O’Brien in the series ‘Chesapeake Shores’, which aired from 2016 until 2022. Her last film appearance came in the 2022 drama ‘Gigi & Nate’. She also explored storytelling behind the camera, writing and directing the critically appreciated film ‘Mrs. Munck’ in 1995.In 1992, Diane Ladd and Laura Dern made Oscars history by becoming the first mother-daughter duo to receive acting nominations in the same year for their roles in ‘Rambling Rose’. The film later gained international recognition after being named a personal favorite by Princess Diana and receiving a Royal premiere in London.Ladd shared daughter Laura with her former husband, actor Bruce Dern, who paid tribute to her in a statement to Us Weekly, saying, “She lived a good life. She saw everything the way it was.” He remembered her as “funny, clever, gracious” and “a great teammate to her fellow actors,” before 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.”
