Laura Dern has spent more than four decades building a career across independent films, major Hollywood productions, and acclaimed television. Born to actors Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd, she developed a reputation for taking distinctive roles while also becoming a familiar face in major productions such as Jurassic Park. Her work in Big Little Lies and Marriage Story brought further recognition, including an Academy Award and Primetime Emmy Award. The table below brings together her key biographical, career, family, appearance, and financial details in one place.
Laura Dern – Quick Bio Table
| Profile Detail | Laura Dern |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Laura Elizabeth Dern |
| Date of Birth | February 10, 1967 |
| Height | 5 ft 10½ in (1.79 m) |
| Age | 59 years old (2026) |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles, California, USA; born at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Actress and Producer |
| Years Active | 1973–present |
| Parents | Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd |
| Siblings | Diane Elizabeth Dern, her older sister who died in infancy |
| Famous For | Jurassic Park, Blue Velvet, Big Little Lies, Marriage Story, Wild, Little Women |
| Career Beginning | Began appearing in films as a child and developed a full-time acting career in the 1980s |
| Breakthrough | Blue Velvet (1986), Rambling Rose (1991), and Jurassic Park (1993) |
| Oscar Win | Best Supporting Actress for Marriage Story (2019) |
| Academy Award Nominations | 3, including Rambling Rose, Wild, and Marriage Story |
| Major Awards | Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Primetime Emmy Award, and five Golden Globe Awards |
| Height in Feet & Inches | 5’10½” |
| Height in Centimeters | 179 cm |
| Weight | Not reliably publicly documented |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Former Husband | Ben Harper |
| Marriage | Married Ben Harper in 2005; divorced in 2013 |
| Children | Two |
| Son | Ellery Walker Harper |
| Daughter | Jaya Harper |
| Education | Studied at USC, UCLA, and the Lee Strasberg Institute |
| Estimated Net Worth | About $20 million; estimate reported by Celebrity Net Worth, not a verified financial disclosure |
| Main Sources of Income | Acting and film/television production |
| Notable Film | Jurassic Park |
| Notable Television Series | Big Little Lies, Enlightened, Twin Peaks: The Return |
| Notable 2019 Films | Marriage Story and Little Women |
| Jurassic Park Character | Dr. Ellie Sattler |
| Big Little Lies Character | Renata Klein |
| Marriage Story Character | Nora Fanshaw |
| Wild Character | Bobbi Grey |
| Blue Velvet Character | Sandy Williams |
| Hobbies/Interests | No definitive, consistently documented public hobby list |
| Maintains an official public social-media presence | |
| Family Background | Daughter of two professional actors and part of a long-established Hollywood acting family |
| Hollywood Walk of Fame | Received a star alongside her parents in 2010 |
| Career Style | Known for moving between independent cinema, television dramas, comedies, and major studio productions |
| Current Career Status | Active actress and producer |
| Known Collaborations | David Lynch, Steven Spielberg, Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig and other major filmmakers |
| Career Highlight | Academy Award-winning performance in Marriage Story |
| Overall Career | More than four decades in film and television |
Laura Dern Timeline
| Year | Laura Dern Timeline |
|---|---|
| 1967 | Born February 10, 1967, in Los Angeles, California. |
| 1973 | Made an early film appearance as a child in White Lightning. |
| 1974 | Appeared in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore alongside her mother, Diane Ladd. |
| 1980s | Built her early acting career with films including Foxes, Mask, and Blue Velvet. |
| 1986 | Played Sandy Williams in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. |
| 1990 | Starred in Lynch’s Wild at Heart. |
| 1991 | Received her first Academy Award nomination for Rambling Rose. |
| 1992 | Won a Golden Globe for the television film Afterburn. |
| 1993 | Became internationally recognized as Dr. Ellie Sattler in Jurassic Park. |
| 2001 | Returned as Ellie Sattler in Jurassic Park III. |
| 2006 | Starred in David Lynch’s Inland Empire. |
| 2008 | Won a Golden Globe for Recount. |
| 2011–2013 | Starred in HBO’s Enlightened. |
| 2014 | Earned another Academy Award nomination for Wild. |
| 2017 | Won the Primetime Emmy Award for Big Little Lies and appeared in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. |
| 2018 | Received an Emmy nomination for The Tale. |
| 2019 | Appeared in Marriage Story and Little Women. |
| 2020 | Won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Marriage Story. |
| 2022 | Returned as Dr. Ellie Sattler in Jurassic World Dominion. |
| 2024 | Served as an executive producer on Palm Royale, which received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series. |
| 2025–2026 | Continued working in film, television and producing, while remaining active on social media. |
Laura Dern Family
| Family Member | Relationship / Information |
|---|---|
| Bruce Dern | Father; acclaimed American actor |
| Diane Ladd | Mother; acclaimed actress and three-time Oscar nominee |
| Diane Elizabeth Dern | Older sister who died in infancy |
| Ben Harper | Former husband; musician |
| Ellery Walker Harper | Son |
| Jaya Harper | Daughter |
Awards & Nominations
| Award | Wins | Nominations | Notable Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | 1 | 3 | Won Best Supporting Actress for Marriage Story |
| BAFTA Awards | 1 | 1 | Best Supporting Actress for Marriage Story |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 1 | 9 | Won for Big Little Lies |
| Golden Globe Awards | 5 | 8 | Wins include Afterburn, Recount, Enlightened, Big Little Lies and Marriage Story |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 1 | 4 | Recognition for Marriage Story and ensemble work |
| Critics’ Choice Awards | Multiple | Multiple | Recognition for Big Little Lies, Marriage Story and other work |
| Independent Spirit Awards | Multiple | Multiple | Recognition for independent-film performances |
Laura Dern Handbag Collection
| Year / Event | Bag Detail | What Is Documented |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 BVLGARI Pre-Oscar Event | Red clutch | Dern was photographed carrying a red clutch with her evening dress. |
| 2024 Emmy Awards | Red handbag | She carried a red handbag with her black off-shoulder dress. |
| Public appearances | Clutches and evening bags | Her red-carpet styling has included small evening bags and clutches. |
Laura Dern Dress Collection
| Year / Event | Designer / Look | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 Emmys | Proenza Schouler | Silver-sequin embroidered dress with black ostrich feathers. |
| 2017 Oscars | Rodarte | Rodarte dress paired with Bulgari jewelry. |
| 2017 Twin Peaks Premiere | Rodarte | Rodarte dress and shoes with Bulgari rings. |
| 2020 Golden Globes | Saint Laurent | Embroidered Saint Laurent gown. |
| 2020 BAFTAs | Valentino Haute Couture | Valentino Haute Couture red-carpet look. |
| 2020 Oscars | Armani | Armani red-carpet gown. |
| 2020 SAG Awards | Stella McCartney | Stella McCartney look. |
| 2024 Emmys | Black off-shoulder gown | Black dress with a red handbag. |
Laura Dern Watch Collection
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Personal Watch Collection | Not publicly documented |
| Documented Jewelry | Bulgari jewelry has been associated with several of her public looks. |
| 2020 Golden Globes Jewelry | Vogue reported that Dern wore Neil Lane jewelry. |
| Verified Watch Brands | No dependable public ownership list found |
| Recommended Article Wording | “Laura Dern’s personal watch collection is not publicly documented.” |
