Laura Dern Endures Personal Losses While Creating Her Most Intimate Film
Oscar winning actress channels grief and personal reflection into upcoming film Is This Thing On?, exploring themes of intimacy, longing, and resilience.
Los Angeles, Dec 25: Oscar winning actress Laura Dern is navigating a deeply personal chapter in both her life and career with the upcoming release of Is This Thing On?, a film she describes as “intimate and emotionally resonant.” For Dern, the project mirrors a year marked by profound loss and reflection.
The film also serves as a tribute to creative partnerships. Dern drew parallels between her decades long collaboration with legendary filmmaker David Lynch, who gave her a breakout role in Blue Velvet, and her work with director Bradley Cooper, who handled the camera on this project. “Your director becomes your partner,” Dern reflected. The experience was especially poignant as Lynch passed away shortly before filming began.
Dern’s personal life in 2025 has been marked by grief. She lost her mother, Oscar-nominated actress Diane Ladd, who passed away at 89, and witnessed the destruction of wildfires across her Los Angeles hometown. Speaking candidly, Dern admitted, “It’s been tender, heartbreaking,” reflecting on the compounded emotional toll of the past twelve months.
Working on Is This Thing On? has provided Dern with an unexpected source of solace. The film explores themes of intimacy, grace, longing, and grief resonating closely with her own experiences. Dern noted that the alignment of the story with her personal journey allowed her to engage with the project in a meaningful and authentic way.
For Laura Dern, 2025 has been a test of endurance, both as an artist and as a human being, with her art providing a path through personal reflection and healing.
