Born Rose Diane Ladner on the 29th November 1935, in Meridian, Mississippi USA, she is an award-winning actress, probably best known for starring in the role of Flo in the film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” (1974), playing Belle Dupree in the TV series “Alice” (1980-1981), and as Marietta Fortune in the film “Wild at Heart” (1990).
Have you ever wondered how rich Diane Ladd is? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that the total size of Diane’s net worth is over $20 million, as of mid-2017, accumulated through her successful involvement in the entertainment industry since the late ‘50s.
Diane Ladd Net Worth $20 Million
Diane Ladd was raised in a Roman Catholic family by her father, Preston Paul Ladner, who worked as a veterinarian, and her mother, Mary Bernadette, who was an actress. As a child, she didn’t want to be an actress; however, while she attended high school, Diane starred in several plays and sang in the school choir. After matriculation, she enrolled on a scholarship at Louisiana State University, and soon relocated to New Orleans to pursue her career in the world of acting.
Diane started her career with minor roles in several TV series, and then in 1966 got the part of Gaysh in the action thriller film “The Wild Angels”, next to Peter Fonda, Nancy Sinatra and her then-husband Bruce Dern. Four years later, she also appeared with Bruce, this time in the crime-drama film “The Rebel Rousers” (1970). During the ‘70s, Diane was on the rise, as she featured in a number of successful films, including Roman Polanski’s mystery thriller “Chinatown” (1974), next to Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston, then as Flo in Martin Scorsese’s romantic drama “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” (1974), which earned her Academy and Golden Globe Award- nominations, in the category of best supporting actress, and in 1976 starred in the sci-fi horror “Embryo”, with Rock Hudson and Barbara Carrera.
Looking to build on her success in the ‘70s, Diane starred in the TV series “Alice” (1980-1981), playing Belle Dupree, which earned her Golden Globe Award in the category for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television, then in 1983 featured in the biopic about Grace Kelly, entitled “Grace Kelly”, starring Cheryl Ladd and Lloyd Bridges, and the same year appeared in the fantasy thriller “Something Wicked This Way Comes”. Her next prominent role came two years later, when she was cast as Rose Hayward, next to Andy Griffith in the drama “Crime of Innocence” (1985), while in 1987 she had a minor role in the highly-acclaimed drama thriller “Black Widow”, with Debra Winger, Theresa Russell and Sami Frey in the lead roles. She finished the decade with the role of Nora in the comedy film “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” in 1989, starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, and Juliette Lewis.
She started off the next decade with the role of Kay in the biography of the actor Rock Hudson, and then appeared with her daughter Laura Dern, Nicolas Cage and Willem Dafoe in the comedy drama “Wild at Heart” (1990) for which she received both Academy and Golden Globe Award nominations, and in 1991 continued successfully with roles in the mystery thriller “A Kiss Before Dying”, and in the lead role of Mother in the drama film “Rambling Rose” – directed by Martha Coolidge, earning her third Academy Award- nomination. The following years she featured in the comedy “Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me”, then had a couple of quiet years before appearing as Mama Pierangeli in the biopic about James Dean, entitled “James Dean: Live Fast, Die Young”, which also increased her wealth. Before the ‘90s ended, she featured in the comedy drama “Primary Colors” (1998), starring John Travolta, and Kathy Bates.
Diane has remained active in the 2000s, however, her roles aren’t many and didn’t have much success, except in such films as “The Law of Enclosures” (2000) playing Bea, next to Sarah Polley and Brendan Fletcher, then as Ada in the biopic about Burt Munro, “The World’s Fastest Indian” (2005), starring Anthony Hopkins and Iain Rea, and next as Marilyn Levens in the drama thriller “Inland Empire” (2006), in which she appeared again with her daughter Laura, joined by Jeremy Irons and Justin Theroux, and directed by David Lynch. In recent years, Diane featured in the drama “Joy” (2015), then had a lead role in the comedy drama “I Dream Too Much” (2015), and appeared in the drama “Sophie and the Rising Sun” (2016), all of which added to her wealth. Furthermore, Diane has played Nell O’Brien in the TV series “Chesapeake Shores” (2016-2017), and will appear in the war drama “The Last Full Measure”, with Alison Sudol, and Samuel L. Jackson, scheduled for release in 2018.
Regarding her personal life, Diane Ladd has been married to Robert Charles Hunter since 1999. She was previously married to actor Bruce Dern (1960-1969), with whom she had two daughters – her first daughter Diane passed away at the age of 17, and her other daughter is actress Laura Dern. She was also married to William A. Shea, Jr. from 1969 to 1977.
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