Cheryl Ladd and Diane Ladd are both well-known actresses who rose to fame in the 1970s. They have also worked together in a few projects, such as the TV movies “Grace Kelly” and “Bluegrass”. But are they related by blood or marriage? The answer is no. Despite their similar surnames, they have no familial connection.
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How Cheryl Ladd Got Her Name
Cheryl Ladd was born Cheryl Jean Stoppelmoor on July 12, 1951, in Huron, South Dakota. Her parents were Marion Stoppelmoor, a railroad engineer, and Dolores Katz, a waitress. She was interested in music from a young age and joined a band called “The Music Shop” after graduating from high school. She moved to Los Angeles in 1970 to pursue a career in music, using the stage name Cherie Moor.
She also started to get some acting roles, such as the singing voice of Melody in the animated series “Josie and the Pussycats”. She appeared in several TV shows, such as “The Partridge Family”, “The Muppet Show”, and “Happy Days”.
In 1973, she married David Ladd, an actor and the son of Hollywood legend Alan Ladd. She took his surname as her legal and professional name, and they had a daughter together, Jordan Ladd, who also became an actress. They divorced in 1980, but Cheryl kept using Ladd as her last name.
How Diane Ladd Got Her Name
Diane Ladd was born Rose Diane Ladner on November 29, 1935, in Laurel, Mississippi. Her parents were Preston Paul Ladner, a veterinarian, and Mary Bernadette, an actress and housewife. She was raised as a Roman Catholic and attended St. Anne’s Catholic School.
She started acting in her teens and moved to New York City to study at the Actors Studio. She shortened her surname from Ladner to Ladd to make it easier to pronounce. She made her film debut in 1958 with “The Big Operator”.
She married Bruce Dern, another actor and student of the Actors Studio, in 1960. They had two daughters together, Diane Elizabeth Dern, who died at 18 months old, and Laura Dern, who followed her parents’ footsteps into acting. They divorced in 1969.
She married William A. Shea Jr., a businessman, in 1969. They divorced in 1976. She married Robert Charles Hunter, a lawyer and writer, in 1999. They are still together.
Their Professional Collaboration
Cheryl Ladd and Diane Ladd have worked together twice on screen. The first time was in 1983, when they starred in the biographical TV movie “Grace Kelly”. Cheryl played the title role of Grace Kelly, the Hollywood star who became the Princess of Monaco. Diane played her mother, Margaret Kelly.
The second time was in 1988, when they co-starred in the TV movie “Bluegrass”. Cheryl played Maude Sage Breen, a widow who inherits a horse farm in Kentucky. Diane played Alice Gibbs Tanner, a rival horse breeder who tries to sabotage Maude’s plans.
According to Celeb Answers, there is no bad blood between them. They respect each other as professionals and have praised each other’s performances.
Conclusion
Cheryl Ladd and Diane Ladd are not related by blood or marriage. They both adopted their surnames from their former husbands. They have worked together twice on TV movies but have no personal connection beyond that.
