Actor Laura Dern is set to return to the screen on the 2024 movie schedule, and with that in mind she’s been making the rounds to promote her next project. At the same time, the acting legend from films like Jurassic Park and Marriage Story has taken a moment to honor an interaction she had with the late Kris Kristofferson. Sharing a touching story about their time together on the set of Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Dern discussed the country singer turned actor and his “deeply generous” spirit.
Through her guest spot on SiriusXM’s The Spotlight with Jessica Shaw, Laura Dern was on hand to promote her next film, the Netflix original Lonely Planet. In light of Kris Kristofferson’s passing, the Academy Award winner shared this anecdote about what she learned from the man himself:
I do love to watch people for sure. And it's very easy to watch Kris Kristofferson. That was an amazing gift. But it's interesting, you know, poets have a particular nature and, you know, the way he would use his hands and scratch his beard. I remember as a kid kind of figuring out that that person was a poet somehow not understanding songwriting per se yet. So, there was something deeply generous about his nature to watch. And, you know, I think that, at the time, mostly being in a household with women, it was cool to see someone with a deeply generous energy on set with the actresses and, yeah, he was amazing.
Laura Dern, SiriusXM’s The Spotlight with Jessica Shaw
Making a cameo in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Laura Dern’s short appearance was probably due to her mother, actor Diane Ladd, playing the role of the legendary Flo. While this might be seen as a perk for an actor you may not remember has famous parents, Dern was able to get an education that would undoubtedly help along her future career of accomplishments.
This moment was at a critical time in her life too, as the "household of women" raising young Laura Dern included her mother Diane and maternal grandmother Mary, which was due to her parent's divorce in her early years. Much like Martin Scorsese’s tribute to Kris Kristofferson, Laura Dern’s remembrance saw the Blade alum once more remembered as a poet of his time. Which coincidentally was helped along in her drive to this guest spot, and revealed thusly:
I know we were just, we pulled up here to get to talk to you today, and I saw a ticker tape and it said some of his song titles of which there are many, but I was thinking about “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” which is like, oh my god, one of the great songs ever written.
Laura Dern, SiriusXM’s The Spotlight with Jessica Shaw
To be able to remember such a pivotal interaction with Mr. Kristofferson, and all the little details that came with it, is a dream for a budding actor and a human being who appreciates good company. We also saw this in Wesley Snipes’ fond memories of his Blade co-star. In these handful of memories shared with the world at large, the legacy of Kris Kristofferson as both an artist and as a person is richly appreciated across the board.
The same could be said about Laura Dern, a woman who is just as widely considered to be one of the great actors of our time. Her own curiosity has benefitted her career, and those memories have made us all richer in having observed them. So with that in mind, let’s watch that very Kris Kristofferson song Ms. Dern name checked:
Fans can next see Laura Dern in Lonely Planet, which premieres on October 11. Those looking to catch that new movie will only need a Netflix subscription to be able to do so.
