Laura Dern

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Born 1967-02-10 in Los Angeles, CA

Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actress. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in the movie Rambling Rose. Her other movies include Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park III, Blue Velvet, A Perfect World, Wild at Heart, October Sky (based on the book Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam), Mask, and We Don't Live Here Anymore, for which she received the award for Best Supporting Actress from the Boston Society of Film Critics. Dern and her mother Diane Ladd were the first and only mother and daughter ever to be nominated for an Academy Award for acting in the same film in Rambling Rose. They, however, did not play a mother and daughter in the film. Dern also starred as Ruth in the satire Citizen Ruth, the directorial debut of Alexander Payne. Dern may also reprise her role as Ellie Sattler in Jurassic Park IV.

Dern has also done much work on television, most notably "Afterburn," for which she received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Mini-series or Movie. She has also guest-starred on "The West Wing," as a voice on "King of the Hill," and as a lesbian who coaxes Ellen Degeneres out of the closet in the infamous "Puppy Episode" of the television series "Ellen".

Dern is also known as an out-spoken activist and supporter of many charitable causes, such as The Children's Health Environmental Coalition, which aims to raise awareness about toxic substances that can affect a child's health.