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The Oscar-nominated actress Diane Ladd passed away at the age of 89.

The star, whose credits featured Chinatown, died at her home at her Ojai, California home. Her passing was shared via an announcement from her offspring, award-winning actress Laura Dern.

Dern, who performed alongside Diane Ladd in various films like Rambling Rose, called her “my incredible hero and my profound gift being my mom”, noting that she was by her side when she passed.

“She was an exceptional daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist along with caring individual that only dreams could have seemingly created,” she expressed. “We were lucky to have her. She is flying with her angels now.”

Beginnings and Major Success

Her initial acting years saw minor parts in television programs such as The Fugitive and the seventies featured her performing with actor Jack Nicholson in Chinatown.

In the same year, 1974, she shared the screen with Ellen Burstyn in Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed comedy drama Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, a classic. The performance landed Ladd her first Oscar nomination in the supporting actress category.

Subsequent Years

Throughout the 1980s, she was seen in the thriller Black Widow, a suspense story as well as humorous film National Lampoon’s holiday comedy and also took part in the sitcom Alice, a comedy program based on Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.

During the next ten years, she received another Oscar nomination for supporting actress nomination for her role in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart where she played the mother of her biological child the character played by Dern. A year later she received a further nomination for her acting in Rambling Rose, another movie which also starred her daughter.

“This was the picture that the late Princess Diana picked as her top choice, and she flew me and Laura to London for a royal premiere and a celebration for us,” Ladd said about the film Rambling Rose. “She sat with us, holding both our hands, and weeping, watching us perform.”

That decade also saw roles in the comedy Cemetery Club reuniting her with Ellen Burstyn, the movie Primary Colors, a comedy about politics, starring John Travolta and Alexander Payne’s Citizen Ruth in which she portrayed Dern’s mother again. That period also earned her Emmy nominations for performances on Dr Quinn, the show Grace Under Fire and Touched by an Angel, a drama.

Partnerships with Her Daughter

She continued to star with her daughter in films blending humor and drama the film Daddy and Them, David Lynch’s Inland Empire and White’s satirical show Enlightened. She also appeared next to Sandra Bullock in 28 Days, Anthony Hopkins, a legend in The World’s Fastest Indian and with Jennifer Lawrence in the film Joy.

Her more recent television parts consisted of the series Ray Donovan and Young Sheldon, a comedy.

Filmmaking Ventures

She additionally penned and helmed the comedy film the movie Mrs Munck featuring Diane Ladd and ex-husband actor Bruce Dern. “Bruce is a great actor,” she noted. “I was honored to direct him on a project. In fact, I am the sole female in history to helm a film with her ex. I humorously say: ‘I tell women, should you desire retribution, helm a movie with your ex.’ However, I’m joking.”

Family Ties

She happened to be a family member of playwright Tennessee Williams, who she referred to as “a major inspiration in my life”.

During 2018, doctors misdiagnosed Ladd with a pulmonary condition and advised she had just six months to live yet she recovered completely once her daughter transferred her to a different hospital.

“When you use your pain and not let it back up like an injury, rather utilize it to discover, to make the path clearer for personal and collective growth, then you are succeeding,” Ladd remarked.