Three days have passed since we lost the Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore actress Diane Ladd. Ladd, born on November 29, 1935, was a cherished figure of American cinema, and her career, which spanned more than 70 years, was characterised by warmth, intensity, and authenticity. Besides, over 200 films and television shows featured her. She was nominated three times for the Academy Award—for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974), Wild at Heart (1990), and Rambling Rose (1991)—and won a Golden Globe Award for her role in the series Alice, for which she was also nominated. She earned more than 57 international awards, including the British Academy Award and the Cannes Palme d’Or. Her charisma was a reckoning that the world could not let go of, even today.
Ladd was a great storyteller and writer who also directed and produced throughout her highly acclaimed career as an actress. From being a director to a writer, Diane Ladd has always been spectacular with her work, like a magician. Ladd had a very close and significant partnership with her daughter, Laura Dern; the mother-daughter duo collaborated on films such as Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose, as well as HBO’s Enlightened. Their joint work represented an uncommon mixture of artistry and love that was so pleasant to people everywhere. Diane Ladd’s death on November 3, 2025, has left Hollywood without one of its shining stars and most lasting talents—but the spirit, artistry, and legacy of Diane Ladd will still be a source of inspiration for generations to come.
However, what keeps her alive in our hearts is her role as Flo in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, directed by Martin Scorsese. The character Flo was this one-scene wonder in the original script—a brassy and gaudy character. Ladd’s performance earned her an Academy Award nomination.
The movie Alice was the foundation for the long-running sitcom Alice (1976-1985) of CBS, which dealt with the very animated and colourful world of Mel’s Diner. Although Ladd played the loud, name-tagged waitress in the movie and appeared in the non-aired pilot, Polly Holliday got the part of the second series’ first 98 episodes and won a Golden Globe in 1981 for Best Supporting Actress. The character’s rough-and-tumble humour—most notoriously displayed in phrases like “Kiss my grits!”—turned Flo into a widely recognised myth of a hard but tender working-class waitress.
