Lange, Jessica (1949–)

American actress and model. Born Jessica Phyllis Lange on April 20, 1949, in Cloquet, Minnesota; dau. of Al Lange and Dorothy Lange; attended University of Minnesota, 1967–68; studied mime at Opéra Comique, 1971–73; m. Paco Grande (photography professor and filmmaker), 1970; lived with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Sam Shepard; children: (with Baryshnikov) Alexandra Baryshnikov; (with Shepard) Hannah Jane Shepard, Samuel Walker Shepard.

Began career studying mime in Paris with Etienne Decroux, then worked as model with Wilhelmina Agency; made film debut in King Kong (1976), and did not work much for a few years thereafter; came to prominence and gained acting credentials in remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981); followed that with drama Frances (1982), for which she was Oscar-nominated for Best Actress, and comedy Tootsie(1982), for which she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress; also nominated for Academy Awards for portrayal of Patsy Cline in Sweet Dreams (1985) and for role as Ann Talbot in Music Box (1990); appeared on Broadway as Blanche Du Bois in A Streetcar Named Desire (1992); won 2nd Academy Award for Blue Sky (1995); won Olivier Award for performance in Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night (2000), taking play to Broadway (2001); politically outspoken, has been active on issues of environment and human rights; also appeared in Country (1984), Crimes of the Heart (1986), Cape Fear (1991), Losing Isaiah (1995), Titus (1999), Prozac Nation (2001) and Big Fish (2003).