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Born into acting -

Laura Dern is the daughter of actors Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd, so it's no wonder she started acting young. She began in the '70s with uncredited roles in movies that featured her mother, like 'White Lightning' (1973) and 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore' (1974).

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Her first credited appearance -

Dern's first credited role was in 'Foxes' (1980), a film about troubled teens that starred Jodie Foster.

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She still went to school -

Though she could have believably gone on landing gigs based on her parents' credibility, she still enrolled in the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute for formal training in acting.

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'Mask' (1985) -

Dern landed her first major role in the biographical drama based on Roy L. "Rocky" Dennis, a boy who had craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, known as lionitis. In 'Mask,' starring Cher, Sam Elliott, and Eric Stoltz, Dern plays a blind teenager who shares some tender moments with the lead character. The film picked up various awards and put a lot of eyes on her.

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'Smooth Talk' (1985) -

She earned her first real critical acclaim for portraying a teenage girl exploring her sexual power in 'Smooth Talk' alongside co-star Treat Williams.

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'Blue Velvet' (1986) -

Her real breakthrough performance, however, was in this subversive, surreal shocker from David Lynch about a college student (Kyle MacLachlan) who returns home after his father has a stroke and discovers a severed ear in an abandoned field. He teams up with the detective's daughter (Laura Dern) to solve the mystery.

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Dating Kyle MacLachlan -

The co-stars reportedly dated from 1985 to 1989, though they'd reunite again later with David Lynch.

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'Wild at Heart' (1990) -

Dern then teamed up with David Lynch again for this black romantic crime film in which Sailor Ripley (Nicolas Cage) breaks parole and takes off with his girlfriend Lula (Dern) to California.

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'Rambling Rose' (1991) -

Dern plays orphan Rose, a woman trying to avoid prostitution who is hired by a Southern family to take care of the household, where she develops feelings for the father, while also developing a relationship with the son. For her performance, Dern received her first Academy Award nomination.

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'Afterburn' (1992) -

Dern starred as an air force widow who takes on the US military and General Dynamics, manufacturer of the jet fighter aircraft that took her husband's life. She won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture – Television for her moving performance.

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'Jurassic Park' (1993) -

While she had established herself as a talented actress in Hollywood, it was her role in Steven Spielberg's blockbuster sci-fi film that put her on an international level of fame. She would also reprise her role in the 2001 and 2022 sequels.

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Relationship with Jeff Goldblum -

After their characters unsuccessfully flirted in 'Jurassic Park,' Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern actually dated from 1995 to 1997, with rumors that they were even engaged.

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Relationship with Billy Bob Thornton -

After she and Goldblum split up, Dern dated Billy Bob Thornton from 1997 to 1999, and they really did get engaged. They didn't wed, however, as Thornton left Dern for Angelina Jolie. "I left our home to go and make a movie, and while I was away my boyfriend got married, and I never heard from him again," Dern later reportedly said.

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Historic role on 'Ellen' -

In 1997, Dern appeared in the landmark 'Puppy Episode' of the sitcom 'Ellen,' as a lesbian whose flirtation with the lead character (Ellen DeGeneres) prompts the latter to come out—marking the first show with a gay lead. The episode won a Peabody and an Emmy, but it wasn't all rainbows...

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A decline in work -

In 2019, Dern revealed that people had warned her against the role in 'Ellen,' but she thought they were being ridiculous. Afterward, however, she admitted she indeed lost work and needed a "full security detail," NBC reports. Still, she looks back at the role as a "gift."

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Relationship with Ben Harper -

Dern began dating musician Ben Harper after they met at one of his concerts in fall 2000. She married the singer-songwriter in 2005, but five years after their marriage Harper allegedly blindsided Dern with divorce papers.

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Relationship with Ben Harper -

They reportedly attempted to reconcile, but ultimately finalized their divorce in 2013. In their time together, they had two kids, Jaya and Ellery.

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Reuniting with David Lynch -

Dern reunited with Lynch to star in his experimental film 'Inland Empire' (2006) as the lead role of Nikki, an actress whose jealous husband warns her co-star not to make any moves on set of their current film, which they learn is the remake of an unfinished film in which the previous stars were murdered.

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'Recount' (2008) -

Dern took home a Golden Globe Award for her role as Katherine Harris in this TV film about the few weeks after the US presidential elections in 2000, when the Gore campaign demanded a recount with the claim that there were voting irregularities in Democratic strongholds.

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'Enlightened' (2011-2013) -

Dern co-created and starred in this comedy-drama series as Amy Jellicoe, a self-destructive executive who must get her life back together after her professional life implodes. In 2012, Dern won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a TV comedy series, and the show was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series. Still, it was canceled after just two seasons.

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'Wild' (2014) -

Dern was given a second Academy Award nomination for her performance as the mother of the lead character in the Reese Witherspoon-starring biopic 'Wild.'

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Another turn with David Lynch -

Dern once again reunited with the famed director for 'Twin Peaks: The Return,' the third and very delayed season of the cult-favorite show, in 2017.

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Joining the 'Star Wars' franchise -

Dern joined the huge franchise in the role of Vice Admiral Holdo in 'Star Wars: Episode VIII—The Last Jedi' (2017), proving there isn't a genre she can't do.

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Participating in the #MeToo movement -

In October 2017, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse scandal, Dern appeared on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' and shared her own story of having been sexually assaulted at 14, but how she didn't even realize it because of the way society and culture has "justified, and therefore even condoned behavior, as though it's the norm."

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'Big Little Lies' (2017-2019) -

In 2017, and for its short two-season run, Dern played the role of wealthy and high-strung Renata Klein in the drama series 'Big Little Lies,' alongside Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, and Zoë Kravitz. She won a Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, and quickly became TV's best loved villain.

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'The Tale' (2018) -

In this auto-biopic directed by Jennifer Fox, Dern plays Fox who, while filming a documentary on child victims of sexual assault, finds herself re-evaluating her childhood relationships with her riding instructor and her running coach. Dern was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture – Television.

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Brief relationship with Common -

Dern was seen out and about with musician Common in early 2016. The couple had met on the set of 'The Tale,' but reportedly called it quits shortly after.

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'Little Women' (2019) -

Greta Gerwig's retelling of Louisa May Alcott's classic coming-of-age novel featured Dern in the charitable role of Marmee March, alongside her on-screen daughters Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, and Eliza Scanlen. It's a rare period piece for Dern, but she nailed it!

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'Marriage Story' (2019) -

For her role as high-powered divorce lawyer Nora Fanshaw, Dern earned her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and her fifth Golden Globe.

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Unintentional gay icon -

At the 2020 Independent Spirit Awards, the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles took the stage to celebrate all the LGBTQ+ representation of the season's big films—including things most people wouldn't realize were gay. The list concluded with: Laura Dern kicking her feet up on the couch, Laura Dern ordering a kale salad, and Laura Dern dressing promiscuously in court in 'Marriage Story,' as well as just all of Laura Dern. She had a great laugh.

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And as if that weren't enough... -

Throughout her life, Dern has been an advocate for Down syndrome awareness, a supporter of immigrants' rights, an advocate for women's rights and gender pay parity, and a fighter against gun violence and climate change.

Sources: (Britannica) (Rotten Tomatoes) (Insider) (NBC News)

See also: Hollywood's nicest actors and actresses

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