Diane Ladd
Also known as Rose Diane Ladner
Career
Active 1956 – 2022
Biography
About Diane Ladd
Diane Ladd is an American actress, author, director, and producer whose career spanned from 1956 to 2022. She was born Diane Ladner in Meridian, Mississippi, and grew up as the only child of a housewife and a veterinarian. Over her 66 years in the business, she appeared in more than 200 films and television shows. She earned three Academy Award nominations for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Wild at Heart, and Rambling Rose, winning a British Academy Film Award for the first. She also received three Primetime Emmy nominations and four Golden Globe nominations, winning one for the sitcom Alice.
Her filmography includes Chinatown, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Ghosts of Mississippi, Primary Colors, 28 Days, and Joy. She played the role of Kitty Styles on the CBS soap opera The Secret Storm and later joined the cast of the TV series Alice, succeeding Polly Holliday as Belle. She made her Broadway debut in 1968 and earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for her work in A Texas Trilogy. In 2004, she appeared in Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital, and in 2006 she released her first book.
Ladd married Bruce Dern in 1960, and they had two daughters, Diane Elizabeth and Laura Elizabeth. Diane Elizabeth died in a drowning accident at 18 months, while Laura became an actress. Ladd and Laura Dern co-starred in several films, including Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose, and they made history as the first mother-daughter pair to receive simultaneous Oscar nominations. Ladd was also married to William A. Shea Jr. and later to Robert C. Hunter. In 2010, she, Laura, and Bruce Dern received adjoining stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a first for family members. In 2018, she survived a misdiagnosis of pneumonia after inhaling poisonous spray from neighboring farms. She was 89 when she died on November 3, 2025.
Record
Profile details
Personal
- Died
- Monday 3rd of November 2025 (age 89)
- Years Active
- 1956-2022 (started around 20 years old; 66 years active)
- Birthplace
- Meridian, Mississippi, United States
- Ethnicity
- Caucasian
- Sexuality
- Straight
Body
- Hair Color
- Blonde
- Eye Color
- Green
- Weight
- 110 lbs (or 50 kg)
- Measurements
- 35–25–34 (B–W–H) · WHR 0.74
- Bra/Cup Size
- B
- Boobs
- Real/Natural
- Piercings
- ears
Frequently asked
How did Diane Ladd and Laura Dern make Oscar history together?
Diane Ladd and her daughter Laura Dern were both nominated for Academy Awards for their roles in Rambling Rose (1991), marking the first time in Oscar history that a mother and daughter received nominations in the same year.
What health scare did Diane Ladd face in 2018?
Diane Ladd was misdiagnosed with pneumonia after inhaling 'poison spray' from neighboring farms, which constricted her esophagus. She was given six months to a year to live, but after her daughter Laura transferred her to another hospital, she made a full recovery.
Did you know
- Diane Ladd, her daughter Laura Dern, and her ex-husband Bruce Dern were the first family members to receive adjoining stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010.
- Diane Ladd and Laura Dern are the first mother and daughter to be nominated for Oscars in the same year for the same film (Rambling Rose).
- Diane Ladd appeared alongside her own mother, actress Mary Lanier, in the 1992 film Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me.
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