Talented, versatile actress Diane Ladd, 89, died on Nov. 3. Ladd was Oscar-nominated for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (that’s two Flos who died this year!), Wild at Heart, and Rambling Rose. Born in Mississippi, Ladd started her career in 1950s TV and worked her way through larger parts in the ‘60s. It wasn’t till the early ‘70s—after 20 years—that she broke through with roles in Chinatown, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Bluegrass, A Kiss before Dying, The Cemetery Club, Raging Angels, Citizen Ruth, Ghosts of Mississippi, Primary Colors, Charlie’s War, and the above-named Oscar-nod films. She was also a regular guest on TV, in more than 100 series. She was married to actor Bruce Dern (from 1960-69); their daughter Laura Dern is also a successful actress. Ladd told New Orleans magazine of acting, “it’s such a subjective business where you’re not just judged by your work, you’re judged by, does your chin point? Did you put too much weight on your backside? And on and on and on like a puppy dog or a marionette doll. I love the work of acting and holding up a mirror for the world to see – I consider myself a teacher, and the stage or screen is my blackboard.”
