Diane Ladd

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Ladd

Diane Ladd (born November 29, 1935) is an American actress, film director, producer and author. She has appeared in over 120 roles, on television, and in miniseries and feature films, including Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), Wild at Heart (1990), Rambling Rose (1991), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Touched by an Angel (1997) (TV), Primary Colors (1998), 28 Days (2000), and American Cowslip (2008). Twice divorced and currently married, Ladd is the mother of actress Laura Dern, by ex-husband, actor Bruce Dern. Ladd has won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA and has been nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Personal life

Ladd was born Rose Diane Ladner in Meridian, Mississippi, the only child of Mary Bernadette (née Anderson; August 15, 1912 – May 23, 2002), a housewife and actress, and Preston Paul Ladner (August 14, 1906 – April 1982), a veterinarian who sold products for poultry and livestock. Ladd is related to playwright Tennessee Williams and poet Sidney Lanier. Ladd was raised in the Roman Catholic faith of her mother.

Ladd was married to actor and one-time co-star Bruce Dern from 1960–1969; the couple had two children, Diane Elizabeth Dern and actress Laura Elizabeth Dern. Diane died at 18 months from head injuries caused by falling into a swimming pool. Ladd and Laura Dern co-starred in the films Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose. They also appeared together in Inland Empire, another film by David Lynch. They currently co-star on the HBO series Enlightened. Ladd is now married to Robert Charles Hunter.

Career

In 1971, Ladd joined the cast of the CBS soap opera, The Secret Storm. She was the second actress to play the role of Kitty Styles on the long-running daytime serial. She later had a supporting role in Roman Polanski's 1974 film Chinatown, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role as Flo in the film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. That film inspired the television series Alice, in which Flo was portrayed by Polly Holliday. When Holliday left the TV series, Ladd succeeded her as waitress Isabelle "Belle" Dupree. In 1993, Ladd appeared in the episode "Guess Who's Coming to Chow?" of the CBS comedy/western series Harts of the West in the role of the mother of co-star Harley Jane Kozak. The 15-episode program, set on a dude ranch in Nevada starred Beau Bridges and Lloyd Bridges.

In 2004, Ladd played psychic Mrs. Druse in the television miniseries of Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital. In April 2006, Ladd released her first book entitled: Spiraling Through The School of Life: A Mental, Physical, and Spiritual Discovery. In 2007, she co-starred in the Lifetime Television film Montana Sky.

In addition to her Academy Award nomination for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, she was also nominated (again in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category) for both Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose, both of which she starred alongside her daughter Laura Dern. Dern received a nomination for Best Actress for Rambling Rose. The dual mother and daughter nominations for Ladd and Dern in Rambling Rose marked the first time in Academy Award history that such an event had occurred. They were also nominated for dual Golden Globe Awards in the same year.

Ladd has worked in the theatre as well. She made her Broadway debut in the play Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights in 1968. In 1976, she starred in the play, A Texas Trilogy: Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander, for which she received a Drama Desk Award nomination.

Awards & nominations

Academy Awards

Ladd has received three Oscar nominations, with no wins:

Best Supporting Actress for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) - nominated

Best Supporting Actress for Wild at Heart (1990) - nominated
Best Supporting Actress for Rambling Rose (1991) - nominated
BAFTA Awards

Best Supporting Actress (1975) for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore - won

Note: Film released in UK in 1975 (1974 in US)

Emmys

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman (1993) - nominated

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Grace Under Fire (1994) - nominated
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Touched by an Angel (1997) - nominated
Golden Globes

Best Supporting Actress (Motion Picture) for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) - nominated

Best Supporting Actress (Television) for Alice (1980) - won
Best Supporting Actress (Motion Picture) for Wild at Heart (1990) - nominated
Best Supporting Actress (Motion Picture) for Rambling Rose (1991) - nominated
Hollywood Walk of Fame

On November 1, 2010, Ladd, Laura Dern, and Bruce Dern received adjoining stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; this is the first time family members have been given such consideration on the Walk. Ladd's star is the 2,421st.

Filmography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Ladd#Filmography

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Whether playing a wiseacre waitress, an insane bioengineer, or a vengeful, darkly comic widow, Diane Ladd brings energy and accomplishment to her roles. She has appeared in over 120 roles, on television, and in miniseries and feature films, including Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), Wild at Heart, Rambling Rose (1991), Ghosts of Mississippi, Primary Colors, 28 Days (2000), and American Cowslip (2008). Ladd is the mother of actress Laura Dern by ex-husband actor Bruce Dern. In November 2010, Diane Ladd, Laura Dern and Bruce Dern received adjoining stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; this is the first time family members have been given such consideration on the Walk.

She was born Rose Diane Ladner in Meridian, Mississippi, the only child of Mary Bernadette, a housewife and actress and Preston Paul Ladn, a poulterer. Ladd is a second cousin of playwright Tennessee Williams and is also related to poet Sidney Lanier. She was raised in the Roman Catholic faith of her mother.

In 1971, Ladd joined the cast of the CBS soap opera, The Secret Storm. She was the second actress to play the role of Kitty Styles on the long-running daytime serial. She later had a supporting role in Roman Polanski's 1974 film Chinatown, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role as Flo in the film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. That film inspired the TV series Alice, in which Flo was portrayed by Polly Holliday. When Holliday left the TV series, Ladd succeeded her as waitress Isabelle "Belle" Dupree. In 1993, Ladd appeared in the episode "Guess Who's Coming to Chow?" of the CBS comedy/western series Harts of the West in the role of the mother of co-star Harley Jane Kozak. The 15-episode program, set on a dude ranch in Nevada starred Beau Bridges and Lloyd Bridges.

In 2004, Ladd played psychic Mrs. Druse in the television miniseries of Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital. In April 2006, Ladd released her first book entitled: Spiraling Through The School Of Life: A Mental, Physical, and Spiritual Discovery. In 2007, she co-starred in the Lifetime Television film Montana Sky.

In addition to her Academy Award nomination for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, she was also nominated (again in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category) for both Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose, both of which she starred alongside her daughter Laura Dern. Dern received a nomination for Best Actress for Rambling Rose. The dual mother and daughter nominations for Ladd and Dern in Rambling Rose marked the first time in Academy Award history that such an event had occurred. They were also nominated for dual Golden Globe Awards in the same year.

Ladd has worked in the theatre as well. She made her Broadway debut in the play Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights in 1968. In 1976 she starred in the play, A Texas Trilogy: Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander, for which she received a Drama Desk Award nomination.

Marriages

• Bruce Dern, one-time co-star, from 1960-1969; the couple had two children, Diane Elizabeth Dern and Laura Elizabeth Dern, of whom only actress Laura Dern survives. (Diane died at 18 months from head injuries caused by falling into a swimming pool).
• William A. Shea, Jr. (1969-1977)
• Ladd is now married to Robert Charles Hunter.

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