A widely recognized actress, Diane Lane has received mainstream recognition for her contributions to the movie industry. She began her career trajectory as a child star, exploring the theater in her budding days. Lane later made her screen debut in her early teens and has recorded over 70 film and television roles in the course of her acting career. Nonetheless, it wasn’t a smooth ride for the actress from the beginning but she bounced back after a brief hiatus.
Diane Lane quickly rose to become one of the leading ladies in the 1980s, particularly lauded for her role in The Outsiders. Her role in the Western miniseries Lonesome Dove (1989) earned her a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. She also gained major recognition for her depiction of Connie Summer in the 2002 Unfaithful for which she earned The Best Actress Award at the Satellite, New York Film Critics Circle, and National Society of Film Critics awards.
1. Diane Lane’s Father Was an Acting Coach
Diane Lane was born on January 22, 1965, in New York City, to a Manhattan drama coach father, Burton Eugene. Her dad managed an acting workshop with legendary filmmaker John Cassavetes. On the side, Eugene worked as a cab driver and later joined City College where he taught humanities. On the other hand, Lane’s mother, Colleen Leigh Farrington, was a model and nightclub singer. She was also a Playboy Playmate (Miss October 1957) who was sometimes credited as Colleen Price.
2. Her Parents Divorced Within Days Of Her Birth
Diane Lane was 13 days old when her parents separated. Her mother retained custody of Lane and took her to Mexico where she secured a divorce. Lane lived with her mother until she was six years old. At this time, her father got custody of her while her mom moved to the state of Georgia. Subsequently, Lane resided in many residential hotels in New York with her father and often rode with him in his taxi.
At the age of 15, Diane Lane declared independence from her father, jetting off to Los Angeles with her friend and costar- actor Christopher Atkins. She returned to New York after a week, moving into a friend’s family house where she paid rent. Subsequently, Lane took correspondence classes before enrolling in high school in 1981. Her mother forcefully took her to Georgia to live with her but Lane teamed up with her father to challenge her and in a few weeks she was back to New York. Her relationship with her mother became strained for the next three years but they have since mended fences between them.
3. Diane Lane Began Acting at Age Six
Before her screen debut, Diane Lane was already acting professionally on stage. Her earlier inspiration for the arts was drawn from her grandmother, Eleanor Scott, whose demonstrative quality during sermons as a Pentecostal preacher left a lasting impression on little Lane. She joined the La MaMa Experimental Theater Club in New York City at the age of six and performed in the production of Medea. At the age of 12, she took part in Joseph Papp’s production of The Cherry Orchard alongside industry greats Meryl Streep and Irene Worth. She attracted more stage roles afterward but chose to build her career on the screen.
4. She Debuted On The Big Screen In The 1979 Film A Little Romance
In the late 1970s, Diane Lane put her stage career on a decade-long hiatus to focus on her screen career. She turned down a role in a Broadway production of Runaways to make her feature film debut, portraying Lauren in the 1979 American romantic comedy, A Little Romance. She starred alongside Laurence Olivier who praised her performance, declaring her “The New Grace Kelly.” She also appeared as one of Hollywood’s “Whiz Kids” on the cover of Time at the time. Lane went on to establish herself as one of the top stars in the ’80s with her performances in projects such as Cattle Annie and Little Britches (1981), Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains (1982), and Six Pack (1982), the latter which saw her share the screen with Kenny Rogers. She also appeared in cult classics The Outsiders (1983) and Rumble Fish (1983).
5. She Has Appeared in Four Films Directed By Francis Ford Coppola
Director Francis Ford Coppola was impressed by Diane Lane’s talent so much that he made her a favorite star in his films. She has appeared in four adaptations of novels by S. E. Hinton (The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, The Cotton Club, and Jack) directed by Coppola, recording her breakout performances in the process. The Outsiders (1983) and Rumble Fish (1983) saw her share the screen with remarkable actors like Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, and Matt Dillon who would go on to dominate the industry. She temporarily pulled the plug on her acting career after The Cotton Club (1984) turned out to be a critical and commercial failure. Lane made her comeback with roles in The Big Town and Lady Beware in 1987.
6. Diane Lane Has Been Married and Divorced Twice
Diane Lane‘s first husband was French-American actor Christopher Lambert whom she met in Paris while promoting The Cotton Club in 1984. They then got married in October 1988 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and divorced in March 1994. The marriage produced a daughter named Eleanor Lambert before it ended. Lane and actor Josh Brolin became engaged in July 2013 and married on August 15, 2004. They later filed for divorce in February 2013 and it was finalized on December 2, 2013.
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