Laura Dern - Actresses
Summary
"Laura Elizabeth Dern-Harper" (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in the movie "Rambling Rose". Her other movies include "Jurassic Park", "Jurassic Park III", "Blue Velvet", "A Perfect World", "Wild at Heart," "October Sky", "Mask," and "We Don't Live Here Anymore," for which she received the award for Best Supporting Actress from the Boston Society of Film Critics.
Biography
Early life and career
Dern was born "Laura Elizabeth Dern" in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of actors Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd and the great-granddaughter of former Utah governor George H. Dern. Laura Dern's film debut was in fact a cameo in her mother's film "White Lightning"; also making a brief appearance in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore", one of Ladd's signature roles. Her mother objected to the 13-year-old Dern's presence on the set of "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains", but a defiant Dern sued for emancipation.
In the mid-1980s she gained critical acclaim for roles in films by Peter Bogdanovich ("Mask") and David Lynch ("Blue Velvet", "Wild at Heart"). Dern's starring role in "Blue Velvet" appeared to be a breakthrough but it was four years until her next notable film, "Wild at Heart," another Lynch film. Dern's affiliation with Lynch has continued throughout her career, with her most recent role in "INLAND EMPIRE". In 1992, Dern and her mother became the first and only mother and daughter ever to be nominated for an Academy Award for acting in the same film in "Rambling Rose". They, however, did not play a mother and daughter in the film.
In 1993 Dern played Dr. Ellie Sattler in Steven Spielberg's blockbuster hit, "Jurassic Park". The same year Clint Eastwood enlisted Dern for his film "A Perfect World". Dern also starred as Ruth in the 1996 satire "Citizen Ruth," the directorial debut of Alexander Payne. In a reversal of roles, Dern's mother makes a cameo appearance, with Dern's character screaming a torrent of abuse at her. The film became an indie sensation with Dern's hilarious portrayal of drug addict Ruth Stoops receiving praise. 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 at one time fiancé, Billy Bob Thornton. In 1998 Dern, and Stockard Channing co-starred in the moving Showtime film "The Baby Dance". The touching film, produced by Jodie Foster, followed two couples from different backgrounds through a difficult adoption. Dern was moving as a poor woman from Louisiana giving her child up.
In 1999, Dern was dating Billy Bob Thornton and he selected her as his love interest in his directorial debut "Daddy and Them". The film is about a dysfunctional Arkansas family which includes (again) Diane Ladd, Andy Griffith and Jim Varney in his final film performance. Dern also appeared in Joe Johnston's film "October Sky" opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Chris Cooper. Robert Altman called upon Dern's talents to play a champagne loving Aunt in his Texas based comedy "Dr. T & the Women" in 2000. The film also starred Richard Gere, Helen Hunt and Kate Hudson.
2001 was a busy year for Dern as she took on five films. The first was a TV movie with Ellen Burstyn called "Within These Walls". Dern played a nun who taught female inmates to train dogs for special needs people. The film was based on a true story. Dern also co-starred with William H. Macy in "Focus" based on Arthur Miller's novel. Next Dern starred with Steve Martin in Helena Bonham Carter in the dark comedy "Novocaine". She also made a cameo appearance in "Jurassic Park III". The film "I Am Sam" with Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer also featured Dern in a supporting role.
The 2002 Showtime film "Damaged Care" starred Dern as real life woman Linda Peeno who was famous for testifying before the United States Congress against health maintenance organizations after working for them in the 1980s. An interesting side-note is that the real Linda Peeno made an appearance in Michael Moore's documentay "SiCKO". The 2004 film "We Don't Live Here Anymore" gave Dern some of the best reviews of her career, as she portrayed a woman in a troubled marriage opposite Mark Ruffalo.
Dern was part of the ensemble drama/comedy "Happy Endings" in 2005. The film directed by Don Roos follows a loosely connected group of L.A. residents through their life trials. The film also starred Lisa Kudrow, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Steve Coogan. That year Dern also appeared in the film "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio" with Julianne Moore and Woody Harrelson. When David Lynch and Dern reunited in 2006 for "INLAND EMPIRE" the critical praise for Dern's lead role was overwhelming. Many journalists even believed that she deserved the best actress award for that film. Also in 2006, Dern had a supporting role in the film "Lonely Hearts". The film was about the famed Lonely Hearts Killers and starred Salma Hayek, John Travolta and Jared Leto.
Mike White, known for writing such films as "School of Rock" and "The Good Girl", hired Dern for his directorial debut. The film, released in 2007, was a comedy titled "Year of the Dog" starring Molly Shannon, John C. Reilly and Peter Sarsgaard. Later this year Dern will star opposite Russell Crowe in the independent drama "Tenderness".
Dern has stated that she would reprise her role as Ellie Sattler in "Jurassic Park IV".
Dern has also 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 has also guest-starred on "The West Wing", as a voice on "King of the Hill", and as a lesbian who coaxes Ellen DeGeneres out of the closet in the famous 'Puppy Episode' of the television series "Ellen". On the April 24, 2007 airing of DeGeneres' talk show, Dern revealed that she did not work for more than a year following her appearance on that episode because of resulting backlash, but nevertheless called her work on the episode an 'extraordinary experience and opportunity'.
Politics & personal life
Dern is known as an outspoken activist and supporter of many charitable causes, such as The Children's Health Environmental Coalition, which aims to raise awareness about toxic substances that can affect a child's health. She 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".
Dern had high-profile romances with Kyle MacLachlan, Nicholas Cage, Renny Harlin, Jeff Goldblum and Billy Bob Thornton, who ended their relationship abruptly by marrying Angelina Jolie. She married musician Ben Harper on December 23, 2005, after dating him for five years.
Filmography
"White Lightning" (1973) (uncredited) as Sharon Anne, Maggie's Daughter
"Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (1974) (uncredited) as Girl Eating Ice Cream Cone
"Foxes" (1980) as Debbie
"Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains" (1981) as Jessica McNeil
"Shannon" (1981) TV Episode
"Happy Endings" (1983) (TV) as Audrey Constantine
"Teachers" (1984) as Diane
"The Three Wishes of Billy Grier" (1984) (TV) as Crissy
"Mask" (1985) as Diana Adams
"Smooth Talk" (1985) as Connie
"Blue Velvet" (1986) as Sandy Williams
"Predator: The Concert" (1987)
"Haunted Summer" (1988) as Claire Clairmont
"Nightmare Classics" (1989) TV Episode as Rebecca
"Fat Man and Little Boy" (1989) as Kathleen Robinson
"Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Broken Hearted" (1990) (TV)
"Wild at Heart" (1990) as Lula Fortune
"Rambling Rose" (1991) as Rose
"Afterburn" (1992) (TV) as Janet Harduvel
"Jurassic Park" (1993) as Dr. Ellie Sattler
"Fallen Angels" (1993) TV Episode as Annie Ainsley
"A Perfect World" (1993) as Sally Gerber
"The Gift" (1994) (TV) (Director)
"Down Came a Blackbird" (1995) (TV) as Helen McNulty (also executive producer)
"Frasier" (1995) TV Episode (voice) as June
"Citizen Ruth" (1996) as Ruth Stoops
"The Siege at Ruby Ridge" (1996) (TV) as Vicki Weaver
"Bastard Out of Carolina" (1996) (voice) as Narrator
"Ellen" (1997) TV Episode as Susan
"The Baby Dance" (1998) (TV) as Wanda LeFauve
"October Sky" (1999) as Miss Frieda Riley
"A Season for Miracles" (1999) (TV) as Berry Thompson
"Dr. T & the Women" (2000) as Peggy
"Daddy and Them" (2001) as Ruby Montgomery
"Jurassic Park III" (2001) as Dr. Ellie Sattler
"Within These Walls" (2001) (TV) as Sister Pauline Quinn
"Novocaine" (2001) as Jean Noble
"Focus" (2001) as Gertrude 'Gert' Hart
"I Am Sam" (2001) as Randy Carpenter
"The West Wing" (2002) TV Episode as U.S. Poet Laureate Tabatha Fortis
"Damaged Care" (2002) (TV) as Linda Peeno (also produced)
"King of the Hill" (2003) TV Episode (voice) as Katherine & (2002) TV Episode (voice) as Serving Wench
"We Don't Live Here Anymore" (2004) as Terry Linden
"Happy Endings" (2005) as Pam Ferris
"The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio" (2005) as Dortha Schaefer
"Lonely Hearts" (2006) as Rene
"INLAND EMPIRE" (2006) as Nikki Grace/Susan Blue
"Year of the Dog" (2007) as Bret
"Tenderness" (2007)
"Jurassic Park IV" (2008) as Dr. Ellie Sattler (tentative)
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Laura Dern.
