Oscar-winning actress Laura Dern is stepping into a deeply personal chapter of her life and career with upcoming release of ‘Is This Thing On?’, a film she describes as “intimate and emotionally resonant.” For Dern, this project is a mirror to a year filled with loss and reflection.
A tribute to a creative partnership
Working on the film brought back memories of her decades-long collaboration with legendary filmmaker David Lynch, who gave Dern her breakout role in ‘Blue Velvet’. She found a similar intimacy on set with director Bradley Cooper, who also handled the camera.
“Your director becomes your partner,” Dern reflected drawing parallels between her experiences with Lynch and Cooper. The bond was especially poignant as Lynch passed away shortly before filming began.
A year of personal grief
Dern’s year hasn’t been marked by professional milestones alone. The actress also endured the loss of her mother, Oscar-nominated Diane Ladd, who passed away at 89, and witnessed the destruction of wildfires across her hometown of Los Angeles.
Speaking candidly, Dern admitted that she hasn’t fully processed these compounded losses yet. “It’s been tender, heartbreaking,” she said reflecting on the emotional weight of the past twelve months.
Art imitates life
Discussing ‘Is This Thing On?’ has provided Dern with an unexpected form of solace. The film delves into themes of intimacy, grace, longing, and grief mirroring the personal experiences she is currently navigating.
She described feeling fortunate that the story aligns so closely with her own life, noting it would have been far more difficult to engage publicly had the film explored entirely different territory.
For Laura Dern, this year has been a test of endurance, both as an artist and as a human being.