Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress. She is the recipient of
numerous accolades, including an
Academy Award, a
Primetime Emmy Award, a
BAFTA Award, and five
Golden Globe Awards.
Born to actor
Bruce Dern and actress
Diane Ladd, Dern embarked on an acting career in the 1980s and rose to prominence for her performances in
Mask (1985) and the
David Lynch films
Blue Velvet (1986) and
Wild at Heart (1990). She received her first Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of the titular orphan in the drama film
Rambling Rose (1991), and achieved international recognition for her role as
Ellie Sattler in
Steven Spielberg's adventure film
Jurassic Park (1993), a role that she reprised in the sequels
Jurassic Park III (2001) and
Jurassic World Dominion (2022).
After winning two Golden Globe Awards for her performances as
Katherine Harris in the television film
Recount (2008), and Amy Jellicoe in the comedy-drama series
Enlightened (2011–2013), Dern garnered her second Academy Award nomination for her work in the biopic
Wild (2014). In 2017, she began starring as Renata Klein in the drama series
Big Little Lies, winning a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award, and reunited with David Lynch for
Twin Peaks: The Return. She has played supporting roles in the films
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017),
Marriage Story (2019), and
Little Women (2019). Her performance in
Marriage Story won her numerous accolades including an Academy Award and her fifth Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.
