Diane Ladd, the Oscar-nominated actor best known for her roles in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989), Wild At Heart (1990), Rambling Rose (1991), and Joy (2015), has died. She was 89. Ladd’s daughter, Oscar-winning actor Laura Dern, announced the star’s passing in a statement on Nov. 3.
Known For Her Collaborations With Daughter Laura Dern
Ladd was known for her transformative, often disparate, roles in projects as diverse as Martin Scorsese’s domestic drama Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974) and its spin-off sitcom, Alice, as well as several collaborations with David Lynch, including Wild at Heart and the director’s final feature, Inland Empire (2006). Ladd and Dern also starred together onscreen in nine different projects, including Rambling Rose (1991), for which both received Oscar nominations. Though not always, the duo often played mother-daughter pairs in projects such as Wild At Heart, Daddy and Them (2001), and the HBO series Enlightened, from White Lotus creator Mike White.
LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 31: Actors Diane Ladd and Laura Dern attend a special screening of “99 Homes” on August 31, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage)
“My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning, at her home in Ojai, CA. She was the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist, and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created. We were blessed to have her. She is flying with her angels now.”
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 11: Diane Ladd and Laura Dern attend AARP The Magazine’s 19th Annual Movies For Grownups Awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on January 11, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic)
Ladd Continued Working Until Her Final Years
Ladd continued working into the final years of her life, most recently starring in the 2022 drama Isle of Hope, in which she played an aging actor recovering from a stroke. She also appeared on 46 episodes of the series Chesapeake Shores; and one episode each of Young Sheldon and Ray Donovan. Ladd’s last major film role came alongside Jennifer Lawrence in David O. Russell’s Joy (2015), in which Ladd played the grandmother to Lawrence’s title character.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 24: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Diane Ladd (L) and Laura Dern attend SiriusXM Studios on April 24, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
Ex-Husband Bruce Dern Honored Ladd
Dern’s father and Ladd’s former husband, Bruce Dern, praised Ladd in his own statement. “Diane was a tremendous actress, and I feel like a bit of a ‘hidden treasure’ until she ran into David Lynch. When he cast her as Laura‘s mom in Wild at Heart, it felt like the world then really understood her brilliance. She was a great value as a decades-long board member of SAG, giving a real actress’ point of view. She lived a good life. She saw everything the way it was. She was a great teammate to her fellow actors. She was funny, clever, gracious. 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.”
This story was originally reported by Men’s Journal on Nov 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
