Laura Dern | |
|---|---|
| File:Laura Dern Deauville 2017.jpg Dern in 2017 at the Deauville American Film Festival | |
| Born | Laura Elizabeth Dern February 10, 1967 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress, activist, director, producer |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Spouse(s) | Ben Harper (m. 2005–13) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Bruce Dern Diane Ladd |
Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967)[1][2][3] is an American actress. For her performance in the 1991 film Rambling Rose she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. For her performance in the 2014 film Wild she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her other film roles include Mask (1985), Smooth Talk (1985), Blue Velvet (1986), Wild at Heart (1990), Jurassic Park (1993), Citizen Ruth (1996), October Sky (1999), I Am Sam (2001), Inland Empire (2006), The Master (2012), The Fault in Our Stars (2014), and Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017).
Dern is known for her collaborations with filmmaker David Lynch, having appeared in three of his films and the 2017 Twin Peaks revival.[4][5]
In addition to her film work, Dern has also worked extensively in television. She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film for the 1992 film Afterburn, and guest-starred in the 1997 "Puppy Episode" of the sitcom Ellen, remembered as the episode where creator and star Ellen DeGeneres publicly came out. She went on to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television for her portrayal of Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris in the television film Recount (2008), and the 2012 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series for her role as Amy Jellicoe in HBO's Enlightened (2011–2013). A six-time Emmy nominee, she won her first at 2017 ceremony for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television for her role as Renata Klein in the HBO series Big Little Lies (2017–present).
Dern is an activist for raising awareness about toxic substances that can affect children's health. She is also a supporter of various charities and an activist for Down syndrome awareness.
Early life[]
Dern was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of actors Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern, and great-granddaughter of former Utah governor and Secretary of War, George Dern; Dern was conceived while her parents were filming The Wild Angels.[1] The poet, writer, and Librarian of Congress Archibald MacLeish was her great-great-uncle.
After her parents' divorce when she was two years old, Dern was largely brought up by her mother and grandmother.[6] She was raised Roman Catholic.[6]
Career[]
Laura Dern's film debut was an appearance in her mother's film White Lightning (1973). She also made a brief appearance in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), one of Ladd's signature roles. Her mother objected to her 13-year-old daughter's presence on the set of Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains, but Dern sued for and received emancipation. In 1982, she became the youngest-ever winner of Miss Golden Globe.
Between 1985 and 1990, Dern gained critical acclaim for roles in Mask, Blue Velvet, and Wild at Heart. Dern's starring role in Blue Velvet was a breakthrough though her next notable film, Wild at Heart, took almost four years to be released. Dern's affiliation with David Lynch has continued with her role in Inland Empire.
In 1992, Dern and her mother became the first mother and daughter to be nominated for an Academy Award for acting in the same film in Rambling Rose although, unlike in Wild at Heart, they did not play mother and daughter in the film. Dern starred as Dr. Ellie Sattler in Steven Spielberg's 1993 film Jurassic Park. That same year, Clint Eastwood contacted the actress for his film A Perfect World. She also starred as Ruth in the 1996 film Citizen Ruth, the directorial debut of Alexander Payne. Dern's mother makes a cameo appearance, playing Dern's character's mother, with Dern's character screaming a torrent of abuse at her.
Dern in 2009 at a ceremony for Mary Steenburgen to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 1997, Dern was featured in Widespread Panic's music video for their song, "Aunt Avis", which was directed by Dern's then boyfriend and future fiancé, Billy Bob Thornton. In 1998, Dern co-starred in Jodie Foster's film The Baby Dance. While dating Thornton in 1999, she was cast as his love interest in his film Daddy and Them, which also includes Diane Ladd. Dern also appeared in Joe Johnston's film October Sky.
Robert Altman called upon Dern's talents to play a Champagne-loving Aunt in his Texas-based comedy Dr. T & the Women in 2000. She co-starred in Within These Walls and Arthur Miller's Focus. She had a minor role in Jurassic Park III, and was a supporting actress in the film I Am Sam. She starred in the 2002 film Damaged Care and the 2004 film We Don't Live Here Anymore. Dern starred in the 2005 film Happy Endings, and in the same year, she appeared in the film The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio.
Dern at TIFF 2014
In 2006, David Lynch and Dern reunited for Inland Empire and, also in 2006, Dern had a supporting role in Lonely Hearts. Mike White, known for writing School of Rock and The Good Girl, hired Dern for his directorial debut in 2007, the comedy titled Year of the Dog and starring Molly Shannon, John C. Reilly, and Peter Sarsgaard. In 2008 Dern starred in Recount for which she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film. Since then, Dern was seen in the independent 2009 drama Tenderness[7] and, in 2010, she appeared in Little Fockers, playing an advanced school principal who dated Owen Wilson's character Kevin Rawley.
Dern has done much work on television, most notably Afterburn, for which she received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Movie. She guest-starred on The West Wing, was a voice on King of the Hill, and was a lesbian who coaxes Ellen DeGeneres out of the closet in the famous 1997 "The Puppy Episode" of the television series Ellen.
On the April 24, 2007, airing of DeGeneres's talk show, Dern revealed she did not work for more than a year following her appearance in that episode because of resulting backlash, but nevertheless called it an "extraordinary experience and opportunity."[8]
Dern has been acknowledged with several awards from the independent film industry including the Sundance Institute and was the subject of an aggressive media campaign by David Lynch to win her an Academy Award nomination for her work in Inland Empire. On November 1, 2010, she received the 2,420th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her parents, Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern, were also presented with stars.
In October 2011, Dern starred in a new HBO television series called Enlightened.[9] Dern plays Amy Jellicoe, "a health and beauty executive who returns from a post-meltdown retreat to pick up the pieces of her broken life" with, among others, her mother, played by her real-life mother Ladd. Dern brought screenwriter Mike White back into television work after he had had an on-the-job meltdown of his own. Jellicoe's Hawaiian retreat included introduction to meditation and the character tries to continue the discipline as she resumes her working life.[10] Dern received her third Golden Globe for her role in the series.
Dern appeared in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2012 film The Master, along with Amy Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffman.[11] Dern appeared in Jean-Marc Vallée's 2014 film Wild alongside Reese Witherspoon, for which she received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination.
In 2017, She reteamed with both Witherspoon and Vallée for the 2017 HBO miniseries Big Little Lies, winning her first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her portrayal of Renata Klein. Dern also appeared in both David Lynch's revival of Twin Peaks for Showtime as Diane Evans and in the blockbuster, Star Wars: The Last Jedi as Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo.[12]
In 2018, Dern had the lead role in The Tale, an autobiographical feature film written and directed by Jennifer Fox. The film premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2018 and later on HBO on May 26th, 2018.
Personal life[]
Political views and activism[]
Dern is an activist and supporter of various charities, such as Healthy Child Healthy World, which aims to raise awareness about toxic substances that can affect a child's health. She advocated for Down Syndrome awareness in a cover story for Ability Magazine.[13]
During the 66th Golden Globe Awards, on January 11, 2009, Dern expressed support for the incoming administration of Barack Obama during her acceptance speech for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for her work on the film Recount. She is quoted as saying, "I will cherish this as a reminder of the extraordinary, incredible outpouring of people who demanded their voice be heard in this last election so we can look forward to amazing change in this country. Thank you so much!"[14]
In 2018, she brought activist Mónica Ramírez to the 75th Golden Globe Awards as a guest.[15]
Relationships and family[]
Dern with then-husband Ben Harper in December 2009
Dern began dating musician Ben Harper after they met at one of his concerts in fall 2000.[16] Harper and Dern married on December 23, 2005, at their home in Los Angeles.[17] They have two children together, son Ellery Walker (born August 21, 2001)[16] and daughter Jaya (born November 28, 2004).[18] Through this marriage, Dern also became a stepmother to Harper's children from his first marriage, his son Charles and daughter Harris.[16] In October 2010, Harper filed for divorce from Dern, citing irreconcilable differences.[19] They briefly reconciled and attended the 2012 Golden Globe Awards together,[19] but Dern reactivated the divorce by filing a legal response in July 2012.[19] The divorce was finalized in September 2013.[20]
Dern has also had romances with Kyle MacLachlan, Nicolas Cage, Baron Davis, Renny Harlin, Jeff Goldblum, and Billy Bob Thornton.[16]
On October 18, 2017, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse scandal, Dern appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and revealed that she had been sexually assaulted at age 14.[21]
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | White Lightning | Sharon Anne | Joseph Sargent | Uncredited |
| 1974 | Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore | Girl Eating Ice Cream Cone | Martin Scorsese | Uncredited |
| 1980 | Foxes | Debbie | Adrian Lyne | |
| 1982 | Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains | Jessica McNeil | Lou Adler | |
| 1984 | Teachers | Diane Warren | Arthur Hiller | |
| 1985 | Mask | Diana Adams | Peter Bogdanovich | |
| 1985 | Smooth Talk | Connie Wyatt | Joyce Chopra | |
| 1986 | Blue Velvet | Sandy Williams | David Lynch | |
| 1987 | Grizzly II: The Predator | Tina | André Szöts | |
| 1988 | Haunted Summer | Claire Clairmont | Ivan Passer | |
| 1989 | Fat Man and Little Boy | Kathleen Robinson | Roland Joffé | |
| 1990 | Wild at Heart | Lula Fortune | David Lynch | |
| 1990 | Industrial Symphony No. 1 | Heartbroken Woman | David Lynch | Concert film |
| 1991 | Rambling Rose | Rose | Martha Coolidge | |
| 1993 | Jurassic Park | Dr. Ellie Sattler | Steven Spielberg | |
| 1993 | A Perfect World | Sally Gerber | Clint Eastwood | |
| 1996 | Citizen Ruth | Ruth Stoops | Alexander Payne | |
| 1996 | Bastard Out of Carolina | Narrator (voice) | Anjelica Huston | |
| 1999 | October Sky | Miss Riley | Joe Johnston | |
| 2000 | Dr. T & the Women | Peggy | Robert Altman | |
| 2001 | Daddy and Them | Ruby Montgomery | Billy Bob Thornton | |
| 2001 | Jurassic Park III | Dr. Ellie Degler | Joe Johnston | Cameo |
| 2001 | Focus | Gertrude 'Gert' Hart | Neal Slavin | |
| 2001 | I Am Sam | Randy Carpenter | Jessie Nelson | |
| 2002 | Goose | Narrator (voice) | Daniel Ivanick | Short film |
| 2004 | We Don't Live Here Anymore | Terry Linden | John Curran | |
| 2005 | Happy Endings | Pam Ferris | Don Roos | |
| 2005 | The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio | Dortha Schaefer | Jane Anderson | |
| 2006 | Lonely Hearts | Rene Fodie | Todd Robinson | |
| 2006 | Inland Empire | Nikki Grace / Susan Blue | David Lynch | Also co-producer |
| 2007 | Year of the Dog | Bret | Mike White | |
| 2008 | The Monday Before Thanksgiving | Theresa | Courteney Cox | Short film |
| 2009 | Tenderness | Aunt Teresa | John Polson | |
| 2010 | Everything Must Go | Delilah | Dan Rush | |
| 2010 | Little Fockers | Prudence | Paul Weitz | |
| 2011 | Fight for Your Right Revisited | Café Patron | Adam Yauch | Short film |
| 2012 | The Master | Helen Sullivan | Paul Thomas Anderson | |
| 2014 | The Fault in Our Stars | Frannie Lancaster | Josh Boone | |
| 2014 | When the Game Stands Tall | Beverly Ladouceur | Thomas Carter | |
| 2014 | Wild | Bobbi Lambrecht | Jean-Marc Vallée | |
| 2014 | 99 Homes | Lynn Nash | Ramin Bahrani | |
| 2015 | Bravetown | Annie | Daniel Duran | |
| 2016 | Certain Women | Laura Wells | Kelly Reichardt | |
| 2016 | The Founder | Ethel Fleming | John Lee Hancock | |
| 2017 | Wilson | Pippi | Craig Johnson | |
| 2017 | The Good Time Girls | Clementine | Courtney Hoffman | Short film |
| 2017 | Downsizing | Laura Lonowski | Alexander Payne | |
| 2017 | Star Wars: The Last Jedi | Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo | Rian Johnson | |
| 2018 | The Tale | Jennifer Fox | Jennifer Fox | |
| 2018 | JT LeRoy | Laura Albert | Justin Kelly | Post-production |
| 2018 | Untitled Noah Baumbach Project | Nora Fanshaw | Noah Baumbach | Post-production |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Shannon | N/A | Episode: "Gotham Swansong" |
| 1983 | Happy Endings | Audrey Constantine | Television movie |
| 1984 | The Three Wishes of Billy Grier | Crissy | Television movie |
| 1989 | Nightmare Classics | Rebecca | Episode: "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" |
| 1992 | Afterburn | Janet Harduvel | Television movie |
| 1993 | Fallen Angels | Annie Ainsley | Episode: "Murder, Obliquely" |
| 1995 | Frasier | June (voice) | Episode: "Sleeping with the Enemy" |
| 1995 | Down Came a Blackbird | Helen McNulty | Television movie; also executive producer |
| 1996 | The Siege at Ruby Ridge | Vicki Weaver | Television movie |
| 1997 | Ellen | Susan | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | The Larry Sanders Show | Herself | Episode: "I Buried Sid" |
| 1998 | The Baby Dance | Wanda LeFauve | Television movie |
| 2001 | Within These Walls | Sister Pauline Quinn | Television movie |
| 2002 | Damaged Care | Linda Peeno | Television movie; also co-producer |
| 2002 | The West Wing | US Poet Laureate Tabatha Fortis | Episode: "The U.S. Poet Laureate" |
| 2002–2003 | King of the Hill | Serving Wench / Katherine (voices) | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Recount | Katherine Harris | Television movie |
| 2011–2013 | Enlightened | Amy Jellicoe | 18 episodes; also co-creator and executive producer |
| 2013 | Call Me Crazy: A Five Film | N/A | Television movie; as director (segment: "Grace") |
| 2014 | Kroll Show | Cleo | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Drunk History | Nellie Bly | Episode: "New York City" |
| 2015 | The Mindy Project | Dr. Ludmilla Trapeznikov | Episode: "Best Man" |
| 2015–present | F Is for Family | Sue Murphy (voice) | 16 episodes |
| 2017–present | Big Little Lies | Renata Klein | 7 episodes |
| 2017 | The Last Man on Earth | Catherine | Episode: "Got Milk?" |
| 2017 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Wendy Hebert | Episode: "Kimmy Can't Help You!" |
| 2017 | Twin Peaks | Diane Evans | 9 episodes |
Awards and nominations[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Harrington, Richard (2007-09-14). "The Essential Roger Corman". The Washington Post (Washington DC: WPC). ISSN 0190-8286. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/13/AR2007091300681.html. Retrieved 12 March 2016. "Dern's real-life wife, Diane Ladd, playing the Loser's wife, became pregnant with daughter-actress Laura Dern during shooting."
- ↑ Diamond, Jamie (1992-08-25). "A Lifetime of con men and killers". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
In 1967 I did a movie with Peter Fonda called The Trip... I had just had my daughter Laura
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Showtime movie a family affair". Spartanburg Herald Journal. 1996-01-28. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "MFA celebrates the films of Laura Dern". The Boston Globe. December 23, 2016. https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/movies/2016/12/22/mfa-celebrates-films-laura-dern/dWCpYssuT9wzXSwJlKqYrJ/story.html. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ↑ McHenry, Jackson (December 23, 2016). "It Sure Looks Like Laura Dern’s Going to Have a Big Part in the Twin Peaks Revival". Vulture.com. http://www.vulture.com/2017/05/laura-dern-role-twin-peaks-showtime.html. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Dern, Laura (October 7, 2013). "Laura Dern Interview". WTF Podcast (Interview). Interviewed by Marc Maron.
- ↑ "Movie Reviews, Articles, Trailers, and more at Metacritic". Movietome.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
{{cite web}}: ; deadurl - ↑ Associated Press (April 23, 2007). "Ellen and Laura Dern reunite after kiss". http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18279014/. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- ↑ "Enlightened: Homepage". HBO. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "HBO's 'Enlightened' Take On Modern Meditation", Fresh Air interview with Dern and White on NPR, October 10, 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
- ↑ "Laura Dern, Amy Adams and Others Join P.T. Anderson's 'The Master'". FirstShowing.net. June 1, 2011. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Star Wars Episode VIII now filming".
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Laura Dern interview with Chet Cooper". Abilitymagazine.com. Retrieved 2016-08-31.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Laura Dern Goes Political at the Golden Globes". YouTube. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ CNWN Collection. "Golden Globes 2018: How to Support the Activists' Causes". Allure. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Miller, Samantha (February 4, 2002). "Dern Happy". People. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20136353,00.html. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
- ↑ "Actress Laura Dern Marries Ben Harper". People. December 23, 2005. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1144019,00.html. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
- ↑ "Laura Dern gives birth to a daughter". Today. November 2004. http://www.today.com/id/6646069/ns/today-entertainment/#.Uj5mBySxNSY. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Johnson, Zach (July 9, 2012). "Laura Dern Reactivates Dormant Divorce From Ben Harper". Us Weekly. http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/laura-dern-reactivates-dormant-divorce-from-ben-harper-201297. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
- ↑ "Laura Dern, Ben Harper Divorce Is Finalized". Huffington Post. September 11, 2013. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/11/laura-dern-ben-harper_n_3908989.html. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
- ↑ Fisher, Luchina (October 18, 2017). "Laura Dern recalls being sexually assaulted at age 14". ABC News. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
{{cite web}}: