Bio
Laura Dern is an American actress, director and producer best known for her starring role as Dr. Ellie Sattler in Steven Spielberg's trilogy of Jurassic Park movies.
She also starred as newly awakened former executive Amy Jellicoe in the comedy-drama television series Enlightened, from 2011-2013. She won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2012 for her role in the series.
Dern played opposite Will Ferrell and Rebecca Hall in the indie film Everything Must Go, and alongside Ben Stiller and Robert Deniro in the hit comedy, Little Fockers.
In 2008, her portrayal of Florida's Secretary of State Katherine Harris earned her a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television as well as nominations for an Emmy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award.
In 2007, Dern starred in Mike White's film, Year of the Dog.
In 2006, Dern starred in David Lynch's film Inland Empire, reuniting her with the acclaimed director who she had worked with on Wild at Heart and Blue Velvet. At the 2007 Independent Spirit Awards, Film Independent gave their Special Distinction Award to Lynch and Dern for their collaborative work on this movie, as well as their previous films together.
Her other work in the decade includes Ted Robinson's Lonely Hearts, Dan Roos' dark comedy Happy Endings, 2005's The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio, independent films Terry Linden and We Don't Live Here Anymore, and in 2001, I Am Sam, Novocaine, Focus and Jurassic Park III, as well as Showtime's Damaged Care and Lifetime's Within These Walls opposite Ellen Burstyn, and Daddy and Them, written and directed by Billy Bob Thornton.
In 1996, Dern starred in the critically acclaimed black comedy Citizen Ruth, for which she won Best Actress at the Montreal Film Festival. In 1993, she starred in Steven Spielberg's worldwide phenomenon and record-breaking box office success, Jurassic Park.
In one of the most critically applauded performances of the year, Laura Dern received both an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe nomination in 1992 for her performance as Rose in the acclaimed film Rambling Rose, directed by Martha Coolidge and co-starring her mother, Diane Ladd.
In 1985, Dern won the Los Angeles Film Critics' New Generation Award for her performance in the coming-of-age story Smooth Talk and Mask.
Dern's other film credits include Robert Altman's Dr. T and the Women, October Sky, Mask, Fat Man and Little Boy, Haunted Summer, Teachers, Foxes and Ladies and Gentleman, The Fabulous Stains.
Dern made her directorial debut with a short film called The Gift, which aired as part of Showtime's "Directed By" series in October 1994.
In 1997 Dern was nominated for an Emmy Award and won an American Comedy Award for her guest-starring role in the controversial Puppy Episode of the ABC comedy, Ellen. She received a 1998 Golden Globe nomination for her role in Jane Anderson's The Baby Dance.
Dern received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, as well as Emmy and Cable ACE nominations for her starring role in the 1992 telefilm Afterburn.
Her other work on television includes the film noir series, Fallen Angels, for which she received an Emmy nomination, and Showtime's original film, Down Came a Blackbird.
In 2010, in celebration of their family legacy in film and television, Dern, her mother Diane Ladd and father Bruce Dern were awarded with the first ever Family Star Ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Dern resides in Los Angeles with her two children.