Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. Born to actors Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd, Dern embarked on an acting career in the 1980s and rose to some prominence for her performances in Mask (1985) and David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (1986) and Wild at Heart (1990).

She received an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of the titular orphan in the drama film Rambling Rose (1991) and achieved international recognition for her role in Steven Spielberg’s adventure film Jurassic Park (1993), a role that she reprised in the 2001 sequel Jurassic Park III.

After winning two Golden Globe Awards for her performances as Katherine Harris in the television film Recount (2008) and Amy Jellicoe in the comedy-drama series Enlightened (2011–2013), Dern garnered her second Academy Award nomination for her work in the biopic Wild (2014). In 2017, she began starring as Renata Klein in the drama series Big Little Lies, winning a Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award, and reunited with David Lynch for Twin Peaks: The Return.

She has since played supporting roles in the films Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), Marriage Story (2019), and Little Women (2019). Her performance in Marriage Story won her an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award, both for Best Supporting Actress.