Biography
Oscar-nominated character actress Diane Ladd achieved notoriety as the wisecracking waitress Flo in the feature classic "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (1974), only to later reestablish herself with an unhinged portrayal as an obsessed mother opposite her real-life daughter Laura Dern in "Wild at Heart" (1990). After receiving her training on the stages of New York, Ladd became a fixture on episodic television prior to landing roles in …
Diane Ladd SlideShow
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Career Milestones
2011 | Returned to series TV with supporting role opposite daughter Laura on HBO's "Enlightened" | |
2010 | Received star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame along with ex-husband Bruce and daughter Laura | |
2007 | Released the book Spiraling Through the School of Life: A Mental, Physical, and Spiritual Discovery | |
2006 | Appeared in David Lynch's "Inland Empire," starring her daughter Laura Dern and Jeremy Irons | |
2006 | Co-starred with Ashley Judd in Joey Lauren Adams' screenwriting and directing debut "Come Early Morning" | |
2002 | Landed featured role in "Rain"; film screened at Sundance | |
2001 | Acted with daughter and Laura's then-boyfriend Billy Bob Thornton in Thornton's "Daddy and Them"; screened at Montreal | |
2000 | Appeared in Betty Thomas' "28 Days" | |
1998 | Portrayed Mamma Stanton (mother of Clintonesque presidential candidate played by John Travolta) in Mike Nichols' "Primary Colors" | |
1996 | Played mother to Laura Dern's character in "Citizen Ruth" | |
1996 | Film directing debut, "Mrs. Munck" (Showtime); also scripted; featured ex-husband Bruce Dern; daughter Laura made a behind-the-scenes documentary titled "Mom and Dad's Movie," which aired on Showtime following the picture | |
1996 | Appeared alongside daughter in CBS miniseries "Ruby Ridge: An American Tragedy," directed by Roger Young | |
1994 | Acted in daughter Laura Dern's directorial debut "The Gift" that aired on Showtime's "Directed By" series | |
1993 | Guest starred on "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" (CBS) | |
1991 | Starred opposite Mark Harmon in "Hallmark Hall of Fame" remake of "Shadow of a Doubt" (CBS), originally directed by Alfred Hitchcock | |
1991 | Co-starred with daughter Laura Dern in Coolidge's "Rambling Rose"; became first mother-daughter team to win Oscar nominations (Dern, Best Actress; Ladd, Best Supporting Actor) in the same year for the same film | |
1990 | Played the insane, obsessive mother of Lula (played by real-life daughter Laura Dern) in David Lynch's "Wild at Heart"; garnered second Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination | |
1988 | Gained 24 pounds to play character 15 years her senior in Martha Coolidge's pleasant teen flick "Plain Clothes" | |
1983 | Portrayed Margaret Kelly, mother of the actress in the ABC biopic "Grace Kelly" | |
1980 | Co-starred as Belle Dupree on the CBS sitcom "Alice", based on the film "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" | |
1976 | Starred on Broadway as Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander in Preston Jones' "A Texas Trilogy" | |
1974 | Delivered breakthrough film role, the tough-talking waitress Flo in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore"; earned first Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actress | |
1974 | Played Ida Sessions in Roman Polanski's "Chinatown" | |
1973 | TV-movie debut, "The Devil's Daughter" (ABC) | |
1971 | Joined the cast of CBS soap opera "The Secret Storm" | |
1970 | Appeared with Robert De Niro in Shelley Winters' play "One Night Stands of a Noisy Passenger" | |
1970 | Reteamed with Dern for another biker pic "Rebel Rousers" | |
1968 | Made Broadway debut in "Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights," co-starring with Louis Gossett Jr. and Cicely Tyson | |
1966 | Played first major film role in Roger Corman's biker pic "The Wild Angels" (with husband Dern) | |
1961 | Made film debut in "Something Wild" | |
1960 | Toured in revue "Medium Rare" | |
1959 | Off-Broadway debut, "Orpheus Descending," a play written by her cousin Tennessee Williams ; met her future first husband, actor Bruce Dern | |
| Appeared in touring production of "A Hatful of Rain" | ||
1956 | Early TV credit, a guest appearance on the syndicated "Big Story" | |
| Worked as a model and as a Copacabana nightclub dancer | ||
| Cast by Carradine in his San Francisco production of "Tobacco Road" | ||
| "Discovered" by John Carradine while performing at the Galley Circle Theatre in New Orleans, LA | ||
| Made stage debut in "The Verdict" in Meridian, MS | ||
Awards
1997 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Drama Series in Touched By an Angel |
1994 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Comedy Series in Grace Under Fire |
1993 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Drama Series in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman |
1992 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female in Rambling Rose |
1991 | Academy Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in Rambling Rose |
1991 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in Rambling Rose |
1990 | Academy Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in Wild At Heart |
1990 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in Wild At Heart |
1980 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in Alice |
1975 | BAFTA Award for Supporting Actress in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore |
1974 | Academy Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore |
1974 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore |