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The Oscar-nominated actor Diane Ladd has died 89 years old.

This actor, whose credits featured Chinatown, died at her home at her Ojai, California home. Her passing was announced in a statement shared by her daughter, award-winning actress Laura Dern, her daughter.

Her daughter, who appeared with her mother in various films including Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose, described her as “my amazing hero plus my profound gift as a mother”, noting that she was by her side during her final moments.

“She was an exceptional grandmother, mother, daughter, actress, artist and compassionate soul that seemed almost dreamlike,” she wrote. “We were blessed to have her. She is now with the angels.”

Beginnings and Major Success

The start of her career saw minor parts in TV shows such as Perry Mason while that decade featured her performing next to Jack Nicholson in Chinatown.

That very year, 1974, she performed with actress Ellen Burstyn in the Martin Scorsese acclaimed film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Her acting brought Ladd an Academy Award nomination in the supporting actress category.

Later Decades

Throughout the 1980s, she starred in crime thriller Black Widow, a suspense story and humorous film National Lampoon’s holiday comedy and also took part in the show Alice, a television series derived from the film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.

In the following decade, she received an additional best supporting actress nomination for her part in the David Lynch film the movie Wild at Heart in which she portrayed the mother of her actual daughter Dern’s character. The next year she was awarded another nomination for her role in the film Rambling Rose which also starred Laura Dern.

“This movie that the late Princess Diana chose as her absolutely favorite, and she brought us to England for a premiere and an event in our honor,” Ladd shared regarding Rambling Rose. “And she sat between us, holding both our hands, with tears, seeing us act.”

That decade featured performances in humorous films The Cemetery Club reuniting her with her co-star Burstyn, Primary Colors, a comedy about politics, featuring John Travolta and Payne’s Citizen Ruth in which she portrayed the mother of Dern once more. Those years also brought her nominations for Emmy Awards for performances in the series Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, Grace Under Fire and Touched by an Angel.

Collaborations with Daughter

She persisted in performing with her daughter in comedy drama Daddy and Them, David Lynch’s Inland Empire, a surreal film and Mike White’s comedy-drama series Enlightened, a TV series. She was also seen alongside Sandra Bullock, a star in 28 Days, Anthony Hopkins, a legend in that movie plus Jennifer Lawrence in Joy.

Subsequent TV appearances included Ray Donovan, a drama and Young Sheldon.

Filmmaking Ventures

She also authored and directed the comedy Mrs Munck, a film featuring her and former husband actor Bruce Dern. “Bruce is an excellent performer,” she mentioned. “It was a privilege to guide him in a movie. Indeed, I’m the only woman in recorded history to direct her ex-husband. I humorously say: ‘I say ladies, should you desire retribution, direct your ex-husband.’ Though I’m just teasing.”

Personal Life

She happened to be the third cousin of playwright Tennessee Williams, whom she described as “a major inspiration throughout my life”.

Back in 2018, doctors misdiagnosed Ladd with lung disease and informed she only had half a year left yet she recovered completely once her daughter transferred her to a new hospital.

“When you use your pain and not let it back up like an injury, instead use it to explore, to make the path clearer for you and those around, then you are succeeding,” Ladd said.