Jessica Lange is an award-winning American actress known for her roles in iconic films like King Kong (1976), Tootsie and Blue Sky.
She has received multiple prestigious awards, including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award.
Lange’s career spans over 40 years, with notable performances in theater, television and film, earning her recognition for her versatility and talent across various genres.
Siblings
Jessica has two older sisters named Ann and Jane and a younger brother named George.
Ann, Jessica’s oldest sister, born in 1939 worked as a dietitian and nutritionist. She helped raise Jessica and her other siblings after their father died.
Jane, Jessica’s second oldest sister, was born in 1941, and worked as a teacher and helped support the family financially after their father’s death.
George is Jessica’s younger brother born in 1948. He became a photographer and published several books of celebrity portraits and family photos.
Growing up, the Lange siblings were very close, especially after their father, Albert John Lange, died of cancer when Jessica was 10 years old.
Her two older sisters helped their mother, Dorothy Florence, raise Jessica and George.
The family lived in a small town in Minnesota, and the siblings remained close as they pursued their respective careers.
Jessica has credited her sisters with helping shape her into the person and actress she is today.
Career
Lange began her acting career in the 1970s, initially working as a model before being cast in the lead role of the 1976 film King Kong.
Despite the film’s commercial success, her performance was criticized by many critics.
After a few years away from acting, Lange began to gain recognition for her work in the early 1980s.
She received Academy Award nominations for her performances in Frances and Country, and won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Tootsie.
Lange continued to earn critical acclaim throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with Oscar-nominated roles in Sweet Dreams and Music Box.
She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Blue Sky.
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In addition to her film work, Lange has had a successful career on stage, making her Broadway debut in 1992 in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire.
She won a Tony Award in 2016 for her performance in the Broadway revival of Long Day’s Journey Into Night.
More recently, Lange has starred in several television projects, including the FX anthology series American Horror Story, for which she won two Emmy Awards.
She has also appeared in the Netflix series The Politician.
Awards and accolades
Lange has received numerous awards and accolades throughout her illustrious career.
She is one of the few performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, having won two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award.
Additionally, Lange has received five Golden Globe Awards, one Screen Actors Guild Award and has been nominated for various prestigious accolades, showcasing her exceptional talent and versatility across film, television and stage.
Personal life
Lange has been married once, to photographer Francisco “Paco” Grande, from 1970 to 1982.
After her divorce, she did not remarry, choosing instead to focus on her career and raising her children.
Lange has three children from two relationships. Her first child, Aleksandra Lange “Shura” Baryshnikov, was born in 1981 to Mikhail Baryshnikov, a renowned Latvian ballet dancer.
Shura is a dance teacher and actress, combining the strengths of her parents.
Her second and third children were with playwright Sam Shepard, with whom she was in a relationship from 1982 to 2009.
Hannah Jane Shepard, born January 13, 1986, is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and has worked as an administrative assistant for the Hawthorne Valley Association, also being involved in various charities.
Samuel Walker Shepard, born June 14, 1987, is a musician who has played in bands such as The Dust Buster and The Down Hill Wrestlers, skilled in instruments like the violin, banjo, guitar and harmonica.
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