Photo: MGM Media Licensing
In the long history of mother-daughter relationship portrayals in media,Laura Dern’sand her motherDiane Ladd’shas yet to make the limelight — until now.
The book came about when Ladd wasdiagnosed with a sudden, life-threatening illness, and Dern found that the best way to ease her mother’s discomfort was to get her talking, according to the book’s website.
Ellery Harper, Jaya Harper, Diane Ladd and Laura Dern at the 2020 Oscars.Amy Sussman/Getty
“When my mother received a terrifying health diagnosis, we started taking walks,” theJurassic Parkactress tells PEOPLE. “Walks that resulted in us having the deepest, most honest and even the funniest conversations of our lives together. This book is the result of not waiting to share it all and has brought us closer than ever.”
While the two were always close, the stories they shared while Dern took care of her mother grew deeper and broke the “traditional barriers” between mother and daughter. No topic was too unapproachable or inappropriate — Dern and Ladd tackled it all from love, sex and marriage to art, ambition and legacy, according to the site.
Through reflections, anecdotes, photos and even family recipes, the book takes the reader through Dern and Ladd’s lives. “The result is a celebration of the power of leaving nothing unsaid that will make you want to call the people you love the most and start talking,” the website says.
“Happy birthday, goddess mama!” Dern wrote. “You are my endless inspiration and my favorite buddy to go for a swim with!! And just the best darn actor EVER!”
Dern is the daughter of Ladd and critically acclaimed actorBruce Dern, so when it comes to a Hollywood family, this one has no shortage of industry knowledge.
Laura Dern’s own daughter, Jaya Harper, 18, also has ambitions to become an actress, making her the third generation in her family to pursue the career.
In an episode ofThe Ellen DeGeneres Showlast month, Dern shared her daughter’s aspirations — and her hope of possibly starring in a movie with her one day.
“There is something very moving about it,” she told hostEllen Degeneres. “Jaya’s 17 and I started very young at 11 but I’m so happy that she’s waiting and wants to go to school but really knows in her heart she wants to act.”
source: people.com
