Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress whose four-decade career has earned her an Academy Award, a BAFTA, a Primetime Emmy, and five Golden Globes. The daughter of actors Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd, she broke through in the 1980s with David Lynch's Blue Velvet and Wild at Heart, then reached global audiences as paleobotanist Ellie Sattler in Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993). Her role as a divorce attorney in Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story (2019) won her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
Dern plays in Baumbach's Jay Kelly (Netflix) alongside George Clooney and Adam Sandler; the film had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
In Bradley Cooper's Is This Thing On?, Dern plays the ex-wife of Will Arnett's character; the film had its theatrical release at the end of January 2026.
On November 3, 2025, Dern's mother, actress Diane Ladd, died at the age of 89; Dern confirmed her death with a personal statement.
Dern made her runway debut during Paris Fashion Week, where she walked for Gabriela Hearst in the spring/summer 2026 show.
The Ringer magazine ranked Dern's performance in Inland Empire (2006) at 19th place in its ranking of the 101 best film performances of the 21st century.
in 3 days
Lynch's cult film about two young lovers on the run. Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern in a surreally twisted romantic road movie full of tension, absurdity, and dark beauty.
Spielberg's landmark sci-fi thriller about a dinosaur-filled theme park that becomes a fight for survival when security systems fail.
David Lynch's legendary film "Blue Velvet" in the Legends at Aero series. A psychological thriller exploring the dark underbelly of American suburbia.
