Dianne Ladd dead: Oscar-nominated actress dies aged 89 as famous daughter pays tribute

Oscar-nominated actress Diane Ladd has died at the age of 89, her daughter Laura Dern has confirmed. The veteran star, known for her roles in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore and Wild at Heart, passed away at her home in Ojai, California, with her daughter by her side. Laura shared the news in a moving tribute, writing: "My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother, Diane Ladd, passed with me beside her this morning, at her home in Ojai, Calif.

"She was the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created." The Jurassic Park star, 58, added: "we were blessed to have her. She is flying with her angels now." The heartbreaking announcement comes just months after the death of Ladd's husband, film producer Robert Hunter, marking another devastating loss for the family.

Throughout her six-decade career, Ladd became known for her emotionally charged performances and ability to bring warmth to even the toughest characters.

She played the determined waitress Flo in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, a fiery mother in Wild at Heart, and a complex Southern matriarch in Rambling Rose.

Her work consistently earned critical praise and three Oscar nominations, cementing her status as one of Hollywood's most versatile actresses.

Her career spanned film noir, screwball comedy, drama and surreal thrillers - a versatility that earned her three Academy Award nominations and three Emmy nods.

Born Rose Diane Ladner on November 29, 1935, in Laurel, Mississippi, Ladd was the only child of Mary Bernadette and Preston Paul Ladner. Raised in a Catholic household, she was distantly related to playwright Tennessee Williams and poet Sidney Lanier.

Ladd began her acting career in theatre before moving into television and film in the early 1970s. Her breakthrough came with her Oscar-nominated turn as Flo in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore - a role that later inspired the sitcom Alice, for which she won a Golden Globe in 1981.

Away from the screen, she published her own book, Spiraling Through The School of Life, and starred in Chesapeake Shores on Hallmark Channel in her later years.

Ladd was first married to actor Bruce Dern from 1960 to 1969, with whom she had two daughters - Laura Dern, and Diane Elizabeth, who tragically died in infancy.

After surviving a life-threatening illness in 2018, Ladd continued acting and writing well into her eighties, admired for her strength, faith and compassion.

Hollywood colleagues have hailed her as one of cinema's most enduring talents - a performer whose career spanned drama, comedy and everything in between.

Diane Ladd is survived by her daughter Laura Dern. Laura's major roles include her roles in Jurassic Park, Big Little Lies, and Marriage Story, which earned her an Academy Award.

She is also known for her performances in Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, and Little Women.