Feisty Female Friday: Laura Dern

The FFF this week is Laura Dern.

Laura is an American actress who was born in CA, is the daughter of actors Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern. She was a part of the movie industry from infancy and obtained several bit parts as a child. Laura was largely brought up by her mother and maternal grandmother and studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute.

Her first films include White Lightning , Alice Doesn’t Live Her Anymore, The Stains, Blue Velvet, Smooth Talk, Mask, Wild at Heart, and The Jurassic Park series. All her characters were no-nonsense feminists who had their own independent spirit and were intense, complex, and determined strong women. Her roles always featured sensible, earnest, and compassionate women in films such as A Perfect World, Citizen Ruth, I am Sam, Year of the Dog, Recount, Tenderness, The Fault in our Stars, and in the Star Wars films. Laura appeared in the music video "Bejeweled,” in the Hulu television series Tiny Beautiful Things, Lonely Planet, Morning. and both as an executive producer and star.

Laura’s work earned her an Academy, a Primetime Emmy, BAFTA, and fiveGolden Globes. She and her parents were presented with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame becoming the first family to do so.

Laura is an activist and supporter of many charities including Down syndrome awareness, immigrants and women’s rights, gender pay parity, combating gun violence, and climate change. She is an ambassador for the ALA and serves as an Advisor to the group's National Board of Directors.

She is divorced, has two children, is a stepmother and lives in LA.