Quick Read
- Laura Dern stars in Bradley Cooper’s 2025 film ‘Is This Thing On?’
- Dern faced personal losses this year, including her mother Diane Ladd and director David Lynch.
- She emphasizes resilience, vulnerability, and the importance of communal moviegoing.
When Laura Dern steps onto a set, she brings more than just her formidable talent—she brings a history shaped by both triumph and heartbreak. In 2025, Dern’s name once again commands headlines, this time for her work in Bradley Cooper’s deeply personal film Is This Thing On?. But behind the camera and beneath the surface of this new project lies a year marked by seismic change, both for Dern herself and for the industry she’s devoted decades to shaping.
Dern recently reflected on the unique experience of collaborating with Cooper, who not only directed but operated the camera himself. For Dern, this dual role sparked memories of her formative work with David Lynch, a director whose partnership with her stretched from Blue Velvet to Twin Peaks: The Return. Lynch’s passing just before production began on Is This Thing On? weighed heavily on Dern’s heart. “I’ve been lucky to have that experience firsthand, where your director becomes your partner,” she shared, describing the sense of intimacy and trust that can transform a set into a sanctuary.
The losses didn’t end there. Dern’s mother, Diane Ladd—herself an Oscar-nominated actress—also passed away this year. Speaking candidly, Dern admitted the emotional weight is still with her, unprocessed and raw. Yet, she finds solace in the legacies left behind: “I feel really blessed by their legacies—in art, friendship, memories, and activism.” The themes explored in Is This Thing On?—intimacy, grief, authenticity—echo these personal experiences, making the work feel less like performance and more like catharsis.
The film’s dynamic draws further depth from Dern’s relationship with Bradley Cooper, forged over a decade of friendship and creative support. Dern was present during pivotal moments in Cooper’s directorial journey, attending screen tests and editing sessions for A Star Is Born and Maestro. In Is This Thing On?, Dern and Will Arnett portray separated spouses, each committed to emotional honesty in their performances. One standout scene finds Dern’s character silently absorbing Arnett’s stand-up routine—a moment that, thanks to Cooper’s filming style, unfolds with raw vulnerability and unexpected humor. “It was painful, but also funny in ways I hadn’t expected,” Dern recalled, highlighting the real-time emotional evolution allowed by Cooper’s intimate direction.
Yet, Dern’s reflections don’t stop at personal narrative. She is acutely aware of the industry’s shifting landscape. Independent films, she notes, face mounting challenges in reaching theatrical audiences. “That’s the church of moviegoing that I was raised on, and I just don’t ever want us to lose that,” Dern said, referencing the communal experience of cinema that shapes empathy and conversation. The potential acquisition of Warner Bros. by Netflix is just one sign of the changing times, but Dern remains hopeful, believing theaters are essential for filmmakers to fully connect with their audiences.
2025 has been a prolific year for Dern: roles in Jay Kelly’s film and the Netflix romance Lonely Planet have kept her in the spotlight. She fondly remembers her Oscar win for Marriage Story and champions streaming platforms that respect the theatrical experience. Looking ahead, Dern hints at new ambitions. With her youngest child now at NYU, she’s considering stepping into the director’s chair herself. But she approaches this possibility with characteristic thoughtfulness: “The story will reveal itself,” she mused, suggesting that her next chapter will be chosen with care, not haste.
What emerges from Dern’s reflections is a portrait of an artist navigating grief and transformation with resilience. The collaboration with Cooper—built on trust, vulnerability, and shared history—has given Dern both a creative outlet and a means to process profound personal loss. Her insights, shared candidly in interviews (Hollywood Reporter, Bharat Barta), provide audiences with more than behind-the-scenes trivia; they offer a window into how art and life intertwine, each feeding the other in cycles of renewal and healing.
Dern’s message is clear: storytelling matters, not only as entertainment but as a vehicle for empathy and endurance. In a year where the future of cinema itself seems uncertain, her faith in the communal power of moviegoing is both nostalgic and forward-looking. By embracing vulnerability—in her roles and in her public reflections—Dern invites viewers to see their own struggles mirrored on screen, reminding us that even in the wake of loss, connection and resilience can flourish.
Laura Dern’s journey through grief and creative renewal in 2025 exemplifies how personal experience can deepen artistic collaboration. Her work on Is This Thing On? with Bradley Cooper stands as a testament to the healing power of authentic storytelling, both for the artist and the audience. In a rapidly changing industry, Dern’s perspective urges us to cherish the spaces—cinematic or otherwise—where empathy and conversation thrive.