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Jessica Lange

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17 Dec, 1976

King Kong

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In her first screen appearance, Lange plays Dwan, an aspiring actress, in this adventure fantasy directed by John Guillermin. When the yacht she is on explodes, Dwan is rescued from the sea by a member of a petroleum exploration expedition and brought to the island where they’re working. She is kidnapped by the island natives and delivered as a sacrifice to their god, Kong. Co-starring Charles Grodin and Jeff Bridges.

The moment I was signed, things started happening. I was so busy I didn’t even have time to be apprehensive, to wonder how well I could act. And there were times, I think, although nobody would admit it, when we all had our doubts that the movie would ever actually be completed.

King Kong 1976 - Theatrical Trailer

3 Dec, 1982

Frances

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Lange plays Frances Farmer, an actress who had an acclaimed though short-lived Hollywood career, in this drama directed by Graeme Clifford. The film follows Frances from her high school years to her film career and subsequent stay in an institution after a nervous breakdown. Co-starring Kim Stanley and Sam Shepard.

She was very high strung and had overpowering elements in her personality of self destruction, but she was a real warrior. It was misguided heroics. There are certain battles that aren’t worth fighting, but Frances never let anything slide.

17 Dec, 1982

Tootsie

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Lange plays Julie, a soap opera star, in this romantic dramedy directed by Sydney Pollack. When Dorothy (Dustin Hoffman) joins the cast, Julie promptly befriends her though she is unaware of Dorothy’s secret. Co-starring Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, and Charles Durning. On her character:

It angers me when I run into women who are totally submissive, completely dependent. What angers me more are men who like that kind of woman. I’m 180 degrees opposite. I don’t have an ounce of masochism in my pioneer upbringing.

Making of Tootsie Dustin Hoffman Jessica Lange

18 Apr, 2009

Grey Gardens

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Lange plays Edith “Big Edie” Bouvier Beale, once a socialite, now a recluse, in this biographical drama written and directed by Michael Sucsy and based on a true story. After Big Edie’s husband divorces her and the settlement money runs out, Edie, her daughter Little Edie (Drew Barrymore), and their home, Grey Gardens, descend into squalor and isolation. Co-starring Jeanne Tripplehorn. On Big Edie Beale:

The Beales marched to their own drum, and, unfortunately, they were not raised to look after themselves. We had an amazing trove of photographs to draw from—Big Edie’s wedding at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral was the event of 1917. Thousands of people stood in the snow just to catch a glimpse of her. I took that image as my starting point.

Grey Gardens: High Society (HBO)

16 Jul, 2009

Emmy nomination

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Lange is nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards for portraying Edith “Big Edie” Beale on Grey Gardens.

I was awake already and I had forgotten that this was the morning. I’m way up north at my cabin in the woods in northern Minnesota. And I thought it was somebody calling to talk to me about my bat problem here in the cabin. So I was very relieved and it was an unanticipated bit of joyful information.

Primetime Emmy Nominations

19 Jul, 2012

Emmy nomination

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Lange is nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards for portraying Constance Langdon on American Horror Story.

I want to thank the Academy for honoring American Horror Story for all the incredible nominations. It’s been wonderful to work on a show with such talented actors and the fabulous creative team of Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and all the brilliant writers who make Constance such an interesting character to play.

23 Sep, 2012

Wins Emmy

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Lange wins the Emmy for Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie at the 64th Annual Emmy Awards for portraying Constance Langdon in American Horror Story.

I felt we had told that story in the first season and to return to it and revisit it was less interesting to me than starting fresh with a whole new place, time, characters, story, circumstances.

Jessica Lange Wins Best Supporting Actress TV Series
 - Golden Globes 2012

18 Jul, 2013

Emmy nomination

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Lange is nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards for portraying Sister Jude Martin / Judy Martin on American Horror Story: Asylum.

I am so grateful to the academy for the incredible amount of support shown for AHS: Asylum. To be nominated is a huge honor and I am thrilled that the show itself has been highlighted in so many other areas as well.

2013 Emmy Award nominees announced

8 Oct, 2013

Tavis Smiley interview

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Lange discusses her new children’s book, It’s About a Little Bird, which is illustrated with hand-tinted photographs, and the upcoming season of American Horror Story: Coven, in this interview for PBS.

I really wrote it for my granddaughters, just with the intention of giving it to them, making a little handmade book for them, illustrated with these photographs, about our lives together and everything. But as I started writing it, this story came to me that I wanted to share with them about something that had happened to me, and it’s all true. When I was living and working in Rome one time, I bought a tiny little canary at a bird market on the streets in Rome.

25 Aug, 2014

Wins Emmy

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Lange wins the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress, Miniseries or Movie at the 66th Annual Emmy Awards for portraying Fiona Goode in American Horror Story: Coven.

I’m profoundly surprised. I don’t know what to say.