Laura Dern facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Laura Dern
Dern in 2017
Born	Laura Elizabeth Dern (1967-02-10) February 10, 1967 (age 58) Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation	Actress producer
Years active	1973–present
Spouse(s)	Ben Harper ​ ​ (m. 2005; div. 2013)​
Children	2
Parents	Bruce Dern (father) Diane Ladd (mother)
Relatives	George Dern (great-grandfather) Andrew MacLeish (great-great-grandfather) Archibald MacLeish (great-granduncle)
Awards	Full list
Signature

Laura Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress. She has won many important awards for her acting. These include an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards.

Laura Dern started acting in the 1980s. She became well-known for her roles in Mask (1985), and in David Lynch's films Blue Velvet (1986) and Wild at Heart (1990). She was nominated for her first Academy Award for Rambling Rose (1991). She won her first Golden Globe for the TV movie Afterburn (1992).

She became famous around the world for playing Ellie Sattler in Steven Spielberg's adventure film Jurassic Park (1993). She played this role again in Jurassic Park III (2001) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022). Laura Dern won two more Golden Globes for her roles in Recount (2008) and Enlightened (2011–2013). She was nominated for her second Academy Award for Wild (2014).

In 2017 and 2019, she played Renata Klein in the TV series Big Little Lies. For this role, she won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. She also worked with director David Lynch again for Twin Peaks: The Return. She had important roles in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), Little Women (2019), and Marriage Story (2019). Her role as a divorce lawyer in Marriage Story won her an Academy Award and her fifth Golden Globe Award.

Early Life and First Roles

Laura Elizabeth Dern was born on February 10, 1967, in Los Angeles, California. Her parents, Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern, were both actors. Her great-grandfather, George Dern, was a governor of Utah and a Secretary of War. Poet Archibald MacLeish was her great-great-uncle.

After her parents divorced when she was two, Laura was mostly raised by her mother and grandmother. Her godmother was actress Shelley Winters. Laura had scoliosis as a child, which is a curve in the spine.

Laura's first time in a film was as an extra in White Lightning (1973). Her mother starred in that movie. Her first official film role was in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), also with her mother. In 1982, when she was 15, Laura was chosen as Miss Golden Globe. This is an honor given to children of famous people at the Golden Globe Awards.

That same year, she played a rebellious rock band member in Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains. At 16, Laura finished high school early. She then became legally independent, which allowed her to work adult hours on film sets. She later started college at UCLA. However, she left after two days to film Blue Velvet.

Career Highlights

1980s and 1990s: Becoming a Star

Laura Dern got her first credited role in 1980, playing Debbie in Foxes. She was 11 years old but told casting directors she was 14. In 1985, she starred as Connie Wyatt in Smooth Talk. This film won a big award at the Sundance Film Festival and helped launch her career.

Between 1985 and 1990, Laura earned praise for her roles in Mask, Blue Velvet, and Wild at Heart. The last two were directed by David Lynch, starting a long partnership between them. In Mask, she played Diana Adams, a blind girl who falls in love with Rocky Dennis.

At 16, Laura was cast as Sandy Williams in Blue Velvet. This mystery thriller was a big success and is seen as her breakthrough role. In 1990, she worked with Lynch again in Wild At Heart. She played Lula Fortune alongside Nicolas Cage. This film won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Laura's mother, Diane Ladd, also played Lula's mother in the movie.

In 1992, Laura and her mother, Diane Ladd, made history. They were the first mother and daughter to be nominated for Academy Awards for acting in the same film. This was for their work in Rambling Rose. Laura was nominated for Best Actress, and her mother for Best Supporting Actress. The next year, Laura won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film for the TV film Afterburn.

Laura became famous worldwide for her role as Dr. Ellie Sattler in Steven Spielberg's 1993 film Jurassic Park. Spielberg chose her after seeing her in Smooth Talk and Rambling Rose. She was also encouraged by her Wild At Heart co-star Nicolas Cage to take the role. Laura said Spielberg made sure her character was a "no-nonsense feminist" and not just an "oversexualized action heroine."

After Jurassic Park, Laura was offered many big movie roles. But she chose to star in Citizen Ruth (1996) to avoid being typecast. Her mother, Diane Ladd, made a cameo in this film, playing her character's mother for the third time.

In 1997, Laura guest-starred in the sitcom Ellen. She played Susan Richmond, a lesbian character who helps Ellen DeGeneres' character come out. Despite concerns from others, Laura accepted the role. This decision affected her career for a while, and she needed security because of the backlash. However, she called it an "extraordinary experience." The next year, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for The Baby Dance. In 1999, she appeared in October Sky as a teacher named Miss Riley.

2000s and 2010s: Continued Success

Dern at Civic Center Park in 2008

In 2001, Laura returned as Dr. Ellie Sattler in Jurassic Park III. She was convinced to come back when Steven Spielberg suggested her character would be important. She also starred in I Am Sam as Randy Carpenter, who runs a foster home. In 2006, Laura worked with director David Lynch again for the experimental film Inland Empire. She played an actress who starts to take on the personality of her character.

In 2008, Laura starred as Katherine Harris in Recount. For this role, she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. In November 2010, Laura and her parents, Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern, received stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They were the first family to have this honor.

In October 2011, Laura starred in and helped create the HBO series Enlightened. She played Amy Jellicoe, a woman trying to fix her life after a breakdown. Her mother, Diane Ladd, played her character's mother in the series. Laura won her third Golden Globe Award for this role.

2012–Present: Major Awards and New Projects

In 2014, Laura co-starred with Reese Witherspoon in Wild. She played Bobbi, the main character's mother, in flashback scenes. This role earned her a second Academy Award nomination. That same year, she appeared in The Fault In Our Stars and 99 Homes.

In 2017, Laura reunited with Reese Witherspoon for the HBO series Big Little Lies. She played Renata Klein and won her first Primetime Emmy Award and fourth Golden Globe Award for this role. That same year, she worked with David Lynch again for Twin Peaks. She also joined the Star Wars movies, playing Vice-Admiral Amilyn Holdo in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

In 2018, Laura starred in The Tale, playing a professor recalling her past. The film was well-received. In 2019, she returned for the second season of Big Little Lies. She also starred in two films nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. These were Marriage Story and Little Women.

In Marriage Story, she played Nora Fanshaw, a divorce lawyer. This role won her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture. In Little Women, she played Marmee March. In 2022, Laura reprised her role as Dr. Ellie Sattler in Jurassic World Dominion. She also appeared in the music video for Taylor Swift's song "Bejeweled". Laura continues to act and produce new projects.

Personal Life

Relationships and Family

Dern with then-husband Ben Harper in December 2009

Laura Dern dated her Blue Velvet co-star Kyle MacLachlan from 1985 to 1989. She then dated Jeff Goldblum from 1993 to 1997 after they filmed Jurassic Park together. From 1997 to 1999, she dated Billy Bob Thornton. They were engaged, but the relationship ended.

In 2000, Laura started dating musician Ben Harper. They married on December 23, 2005, in Los Angeles. They have two children: a son named Ellery Walker (born 2001) and a daughter named Jaya (born 2004). Laura also became a stepmother to Ben Harper's two children from his first marriage. Laura and Ben Harper divorced in 2013.

Activism

Laura Dern is an activist and supports many charities. She has spoken out about Down syndrome awareness. In 2018, she brought activist Mónica Ramírez as her guest to the 75th Golden Globe Awards. That same year, she supported Families Belong Together events and spoke for immigrants' rights. She also supports women's rights, equal pay for men and women, and efforts to stop gun violence and climate change. In 2019, she joined the board of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Laura is also an ambassador for the American Lung Association.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Music videos

Awards and Nominations

Laura Dern has won many awards for her work in movies and TV shows. These include an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards.

She was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for her role in Rambling Rose (1991). Laura's nomination, along with her mother Diane Ladd, was a special moment. It was only the second time a parent and child were nominated for acting in the same film. The next year, she won a Golden Globe for Afterburn (1992). She also received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for this role.

Laura received more Emmy nominations for her roles in Fallen Angels (1994) and Ellen (1997). She also got nominations for Recount (2008) and Enlightened (2013). She won Golden Globe Awards for both Recount and Enlightened.

Her role as Renata Klein in the HBO series Big Little Lies (2017–2019) was highly praised. For the first season, she won a Critics' Choice Award, a Golden Globe, and a Primetime Emmy Award. The second season earned her more nominations. The TV film The Tale (2018) also earned her nominations for Critics' Choice, Golden Globe, and Primetime Emmy Awards.

Laura's roles in the films Wild (2014) and Marriage Story (2019) earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She won the Oscar for her role as a divorce lawyer in Marriage Story. This role also won her a BAFTA, Critics' Choice, Golden Globe, and SAG Award. In the same year, she was part of the cast of Little Women, which earned her a Critics' Choice nomination for Best Acting Ensemble.

Laura Dern has also set some award records. She is one of the few second-generation Academy Award nominees, as both her parents were also nominated. With her eight Emmy nominations, she has been nominated in all three acting categories (lead, supporting, and guest) and across different genres (comedy, drama, limited series or movie). She is also one of the most awarded actors at the Golden Globe Awards, with five wins.

See also

• List of American film actresses
• List of actors with Academy Award nominations
• List of actors with more than one Academy Award nomination in the acting categories
• List of Academy Award–winning families
• List of Primetime Emmy Award winners