Jessica Lange was born in 1949 in Cloquet, Minnesota, a city where her father worked as a traveling salesman, traversing the country to peddle his wares, and it was here that she spent her formative years, developing a sense of wanderlust that would later serve her well in her own journey to Paris, where she would pursue her passion for drama.
With a scholarship in hand, Lange had initially planned to study art at the University of Minnesota, but her artistic inclinations soon gave way to a desire to tread the boards, and she set her sights on the City of Light, where she would immerse herself in the world of drama.
Upon arriving in Paris, Lange's aspirations took a backseat to the demands of modeling, and it was here that she honed her skills, learning the art of posing and presenting herself to the world. Her stint as a model was brief, however, as she soon found herself cast in the role of the female lead in King Kong (1976),a film that would prove to be a critical and commercial failure, leaving Lange off the screen for a period of three years.
Lange's time in the wilderness was short-lived, as she soon landed a small but showy part in Bob Fosse's All That Jazz (1979),a film that showcased her versatility as an actress. Her performance was met with widespread acclaim, and she soon found herself in high demand, landing a memorable role as an adulterous waitress in Bob Rafelson's The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981).
The following year, Lange delivered a tour-de-force performance as actress Frances Farmer in Frances (1982),a role that earned her widespread critical acclaim and a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her work in Sydney Pollack's Tootsie (1982). Her portrayal of a beautiful soap-opera actress was nothing short of exceptional, and it cemented her status as one of the leading ladies of Hollywood.
Lange's subsequent performances were just as impressive, as she brought to life the character of country singer Patsy Cline in Karel Reisz's Sweet Dreams (1985) and a lawyer who defends her father and discovers his past in Music Box (1989). Her range as an actress was truly impressive, as she effortlessly transitioned between playing a frightened housewife in Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear (1991) and a mentally unbalanced wife of a military officer in Tony Richardson's Blue Sky (1994),for which she won a Best Actress Academy Award.
In addition to her impressive filmography, Lange made her Broadway debut in 1992, playing the iconic role of "Blanche" in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, a performance that showcased her versatility as a thespian and her ability to adapt to any role that came her way.
