Diane Warren on why her Oscar-nominated ‘Dear Me’ is her most personal (and universal) song<\/p>\n
One of the most successful and prolific songwriters in the world, Diane Warren has written classic hits like \u201cI Don\u2019t Want to Miss a Thing\u201d and \u201cIf I Could Turn Back Time.” She\u2019s won a Grammy, an Emmy, received an honorary Oscar, and been nominated for the Academy Award for best original song a total of 17 times. Her most recent nomination is for the song \u201cDear Me,\u201d which Warren wrote and Kesha performed, for a documentary about Warren\u2019s life titled \u201cDiane Warren: Relentless.\u201d Warren spoke with LAist News host Julia Paskin about her nomination for \u201cDear Me.”<\/p>\n
You probably already knew that Diane Warren \u2014 the creative mind behind hit songs like \u201cIf I Could Turn Back Time\u201d (Cher) and \u201cI Don\u2019t Want to Miss a Thing\u201d (Aerosmith) \u2014 is one of the most successful songwriters of all time.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s an inductee into the Songwriting Hall of Fame, an honorary Oscar recipient and a Grammy and Emmy winner. According to the 2025 documentary, Diane Warren: Relentless<\/a> \u2014 for which she\u2019s nominated for another best original song Oscar (with \u201cDear Me,\u201d<\/a> her nominations now total 17) \u2014 she\u2019s written songs for more than 450 recording artists, and her music catalog is valued at over a half-billion dollars.<\/p>\n The illuminating documentary about Warren\u2019s life, love of music and approach to songwriting also explores her lesser known love: animals \u2014 from her own pets (like her late cat Mouse and parrot Buttwings) to the animals that live at her private sanctuary (fittingly named Mousebutt Rescue Ranch<\/a>) in Malibu.<\/p>\n Warren also is vegan, or as she puts it, \u201cpretty much 99.9% vegan,\u201d to account for the possibility of something like an egg ending up in a pasta dish without her knowledge.<\/p>\n Let us help you find the most interesting things to do<\/p>\n Sign up for the Best Things To Do newsletter, our twice weekly roundup of L.A.’s most interesting events.<\/p>\n When Warren spoke with LAist host Julia Paskin about her latest Oscar nomination (as her birds Chicken and Charlie occasionally chirped from the other room), she also shared her favorite vegan restaurants in L.A.<\/p>\n Follow Your Heart<\/p>\n This Canoga Park cafe and market<\/a> dates back to 1970 and Warren, who grew up in nearby Van Nuys, counts it as one of her favorite vegan restaurants.<\/p>\n Location: 21825 Sherman Way, Canoga Park Au Lac<\/p>\n Au Lac<\/a>, Warren says, \u201cwhich is a vegan Vietnamese restaurant in downtown L.A., […] is kind of my favorite. It\u2019s the best.\u201d<\/p>\n For those in Orange County, the restaurant\u2019s original outpost is located in Fountain Valley.<\/p>\n Location: 710 W. First St., DTLA Pura Vita<\/p>\n Warren\u2019s go-to spot for \u201cgreat Italian\u201d? Pura Vita<\/a> in West Hollywood.<\/p>\n Location: 8274 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood Vinh Loi Tofu<\/p>\n Vinh Loi<\/a> in Reseda, which specializes in Southeast Asian cuisine, Warren says is really good for takeout. They also have a location in Cerritos.<\/p>\n Location: 18625 Sherman Way, Reseda Crossroads Kitchen<\/p>\n
Hours: Monday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.<\/p>\n
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m.; Closed Mondays<\/p>\n
Hours: 4 to 10 p.m., Monday; noon to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 10 or 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday<\/p>\n
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Closed Tuesdays<\/p>\n