JESSICA LANGE

Fast forward to 1994. My mom has divorced my father and moved us to South Florida. I'm 13 years old now. I experience a severe case of culture shock and completely implode. A voracious reader, I spend a period of about 2 months skipping school and going to the local Waldenbooks where I research everything from comic books to films. Nostalgia pushes me to do some research on "King Kong" and "Sweet Dreams" while perusing one of those Film Encyclopedias. Eureka! Not only do I discover the actress Jessica Lange; I learn that she's the same actress in two very different films that occupied my imagination so pointedly seemingly so long ago.

I make notes of all of her films up to that point and push my mom to rent them for me. Making my way through her films, I'm struck by "Frances" on my second viewing. This time the film sticks. I relate to this woman on so many levels. Her isolation, her sadness, her creativity, her rage.

During another one of my skipping sessions at Waldenbooks, I happen upon a Vanity Fair issue with Lange on the cover sitting on a pearl white staircase, majestic in a tight black top and a long shiseido red skirt which spills to the bottom of the staircase. It's as if I've discovered the meaning of life, lol.

I learn that she's up for an Oscar. I have no idea what that is so I do some more research. Afterwards, I realize the importance of this small but heavy golden statuette. I learn she's won one before. I learn many actors and actresses - in fact, most - are never even considered for one of these awards. My growing obsession is validated, at least by what little I know of Hollywood at the time. I also learn that they will be airing the ceremony on television.in a month. I take the Vanity Fair magazine to the bathroom and tuck it away in my pants, quickly making my way out of the bookstore.

I spend nights reading and rereading the interview, in which she talks about depression. Suffering from a major depression at the time, I fall even harder for this strange creature; this goddess.

Oscar night comes. The Best Actress category comes up. As Tom Hanks opens the envelope, I can't help but clasp my hands over my ears, telling my mom, "Tell me if she wins!" and proceeding to shout "la la la la la la" so as not to hear what I'm sure will be another actress; not Lange. My mom quickly nudges me, growing impatient but also completely amused with my shenanigans. "She won, pa, she won," she assures me.

I scream like a banshee, running around the house as if I've just been told I'll never have to attend school again. Quickly, I come to my senses to watch Magisterial accept her award. That moment cemented her in my mind as my favorite artist ever (she and Tori Amos are my only bonafide artistic obsessions). My love for and obsession with her is further validated by this prestigious win.

(to be continued...)

tl;dr

Please, don't.

My high school years (14-17 years old) are spent anticipating every one of her film releases, researching her on "Infoseek" and going to the theater alone, usually for multiple viewing of her films. Watching "Titus" was an exceptional experience.

I graduate high school, move back to New York on my own and lose myself in a world of sex, drugs and clubs. It seems Lange, too, loses herself, her film appearances becoming shorter and more sporadic. (I have a theory that we were both going through similar astrological transitions - we're both Leo Risings along with Meryl).

I wouldn't feel fully satisfied with a Lange film until "Grey Gardens", ten years later. Then too, when she won her first Emmy, I screamed and ran around my apartment like a nut.

Anyway, needless to say, I love her hard to this day. She remains my favorite actress. Someone I've championed and defended online with a manic fervor. Witnessing her resurgence between 2009 and 2016 has been beyond gratifying.

One thing I love most about Ms. Lange is her humility. Also, her candor when it comes to the dark places she occupies in her mind and heart. Her openness about depression, her shyness, her fierce and unrivaled talent and presence.

Magisterial Lange, here's a toast to you.

As for the haters: MUAH!

I am by no means a Lange hater, I've always thought she was terrific. The Postman Always Rings Twice comes to mind, from back when she was smoking hot. It has been good to see her catch a break again.

However, OP, it must be said - [bold] M! A! R! Y! [/bold]

op are you the person that the staff of the Roundabout Theater in New York had special meetings about? Security had to be pumped up for Lange's safety at her recent play.

r6 Honey, don't go there with me. Seriously. I've been focusing on love, animals, dick and overall goodness. I don't feel like sharpening my nails at the moment.

Fact: I would NEVER impose upon Magisterial Lange's privacy like that. First, I'd be too nervous to dare approach her; second, I'd feel like I turd if I did.

r5 lmao!

op reminds me of someone. I can't quite place him though

Seems like I've acquired a bunch of Daisy's, lol. :sigh:

....

"Tootsie" was the last 'glam' role she had that wasn't a period film, where she looked hot and wasn't gunning for an Oscar.

She went on to do "Frances" and "Country" - and began to take herself way too seriously.

Now that she's fucking up her face surgically, she probably wishes she had appreciated her natural beauty at the time.

I doubt she's had any face surgery. Her face seems to have aged naturally. She's has a lot of wrinkles and I'm not throwing shade bc at her age, that's natural. If she were doing Botox of some sort of facelift, the wrinkles would be gone.

You stole from a library?

You son of a bitch.

Poor delusional R12.

Lange did go through a period of botoxing. Severely. It crushed me to see her go there, but then again, she was candid about considering "work" in the aforementioned Vanity Fair article. She continued dabbling in botox throughout AHS, finally stopping with Coven, where she looked the best she had in YEARS.

Freakshow, Horace and Pete and Wild Oats contain an actress who has stopped caring. She's beautiful now in all of her ravaged beauty

As for surgery, I don't think so. If anything, she might've had an eyelid tuck around 2003-2005, but even that has since gone away.

She's gorgeous now. Anyway, I've always loved her for her humanness.

R14 That's botox, honey. And that's from like 5 years ago. The pic I posted above and the one below are from 2014 and 2016 respectively. Forgot to sign my name above.

In the end, I don't judge her for her decision to use botox. She's a fragile, insecure woman despite the strength she projects. If anything, that low point just makes her all the more mysterious and fascinating. I am, however, proud that she's stopped. That she actually still looks like a woman in her late 60's.

She's beautiful.

I wrote her a letter after Tootsie, and she sent me a signed photo from "Country" where she looked like she was just getting out of bed.

It's like a glossy autographed photo of Katherine Heigl's Dayquil ad.

So is OP on meth or cocaine?

Lange in season 1 of AHS. She looks completely herself sans botox.

r18 lol, clever bitch. I've done both in my day.

Not into it anymore so, sorry I can't join in on your fun.

r17 Bitch, be grateful she replied.

P.S. When you have a face lift, your eyebrows don't move.

What's her sexual orientation?

r22 Dick. Lots of it. A woman after my own heart.

She is a dyke that sleeps with men, or to be more exact she used to sleep with them.

r24 Oh, honey. I think you're confusing her with Sarah Pension, lol.

The first season of AHS, Evan Peters hit on Lange. She punched him leaving him with a black eye. How on earth could she turn that down?

r26 That was some cute spin; intentionally sarcastic.

He actually got the black eye from the scene in which she goes crazy and beats the fuck out of him in the basement.

Queen.

Bow. The. Fuck. Down.

Question:

Correction. Let's try that again.

QUESTION:

Answer:

Giving "Tootise" teas in the upcoming "Wild Oats".

Sarah banged her pussy.

And what if she did? Lange used her up and spit her out like the dirty tampon she is.

Lange is close to senility. Sarah is too much for her. Jessica should be grateful that Sarah tickled her vag with her skillful tongue.

Who is Sarah?

r37 Why, she's the one in this thread claiming Lange fucked her. You see, Sarah's been known to do strange things like stan for herself on here and on IMDb message boards, or attack fans/detractors on twitter.

She's petty but dogged.

Sarah, Sarah Paulson i gather.

Oh god, let's not have that cunt Paulson stink up the thread.

Lange did an interview years ago, it may be the Vanity Fair piece a couple of you have referenced. In it she said, "I just want to be pretty." They were asking her about Oscars and heavy duty acting roles and very serious things. She just wanted to be pretty and she was lamenting getting older.

Do the theater queens say anything about her run on Broadway? How has she been?

r40 Well, let's see...

OP, you do realize that your little Kong fantasy makes you a trans, right ?

No surgery, my ass! Watch the Wim Wenders film 'Don't Come Knocking' from 2005 or 2006, she looks like fucking Jocelyn Wildenstein.

r42 One of the most ignorant things I've read on here.

I'm a proud gay male. I have no desire or inclination to change my sex. I considered it at one point in my youth but I realized I liked my dick and coming through it. I also discovered that getting my ass fucked was quite pleasurable. I still feel that way.

I deeply admire women and relate to them more than men. However, that doesn't mean I want to become one, though I do understand and sympathize with the plight of those that do.

r43 I've already established that she was using botox. Botox can lift one's eyebrows and face, actually, to emulate a facelift. However, once you've been "pulled", you stay pulled.

Lange is completely expressive now, which indicates that she's dropped the botox.

Get it?

Lighten up Mary at r44....it was a joke.....you are aware that today all a boy has to do is pick up a doll or a girl pick up a truck and they are now labeled trans, right ?......

r45 That's sad.

The original Marcia Clark.

Queen has been slaying since '76.

Some of these responses have me like -

"Men Don't Leave". She deserved a 6th Oscar nomination for her brilliance here.

Come at her, bitches.

Exactly.

Unbelievable, some of these trolls.

[quote]Seriously. I've been focusing on love, animals, dick and overall goodness.

Stalker or not, I'd vote for you for president, OP.

r53 xo

r40 I'm the only one that's mentioned a Vanity Fair article from 1994/95. In the one I mentioned, from what I remember, she only talks about realizing that she's getting older and not recognizing herself. She also talks about considering getting work done but not having the heart to go through with it.

Now, in more recent interviews (around 2011-2014), she talked about reaching a point where she wants to enjoy her beauty unlike in her youth and look pretty. I've been trying to find the article, but I can't, though I do remember her specifically saying something along the lines of what you mentioned.

However, she's never avoided answering serious questions to talk about beauty, lol.

So . . . In other words, this thread has nothing to do with Jessica Lange and everything to do with you.

Self involved much, OP?

r56 Um, ok.

Lange did the botox/plastic surgery when she was still trying to get her pet project "Chéri" made (after nearly a decade in development hell), but alas had grown too old to play the aging courtesan. She was dumped for Michelle Pfeiffer.

Jessica Lange & a 5 minute scene of her playing Blanche DuBois in Streetcar Names Desire

How many times did Sarah bang you old cow?

“I did bail on the glamour thing very early,” she says. “And now I look back and think, Oh, hell, I should have done it for another five or ten years when I was still able to pull it off. I’m tired of thinking I have to rip my heart out for every character.” (Vogue, 1997)

The Vogue article mentioned how Lange was so traumatized by the mockery she received after "King Kong" that she spent the next 20 years trying to prove she wasn't a bimbo by deliberately deglamming herself in role after role.

The article was a double feature spotlighting Lange and "A Thousand Acres" co-star Michelle Pfeiffer. Jessica announced her next film would be a Belle Epoque love story, "Chéri", which she likened to a "Michelle Pfeiffer film." The next paragraph begins with "Meanwhile, Pfeiffer has been dipping into Jessica Lange territory..." Oh, the irony!

I love her beyond words. I think she's a fantastic actress and a real beauty. You're all delusional if you think she hasn't gone under the knife but the surgery she's had has been excellent.

She's one of the only older women I know who actually retained their "sexiness." The straight guys at work, those in their 30s and 40s, are NUTS about her.

Jessica Lange is our greatest actress. Yes, you-know-who, Jessica is the best, not you.

R61. Thanks for posting.

[quote] op are you the person that the staff of the Roundabout Theater in New York had special meetings about? Security had to be pumped up for Lange's safety at her recent play.

Is this true? What happened?

I had the pleasure of seeing her on stage in LDJIN this year. She was astonishing. I'm so glad I got that opportunity. It was an incredibly demanding role that would challenge most actors half her age. Her stamina alone....crazy.

Queen.

When will your faves EVER?

Never. That's when.

Who better to praise.

She could still look good if she went to Christie Brinkley's plastic surgeon. It's the jowls that really age her.

Anyone know who Brinkley's surgeon is - asking for a friend...

No, she doesn't need to fuck with her face. I like her ravaged and beautiful like Bette

OP sounds like Michael Biehn from The Fan

Didn't someone on here post that the poster gave a ride to a drunk Sam Shepard years ago? When they arrived at the home he shared with Lange, she allegedly screamed:" I can't believe you are bringing your whores home with you!!!!!". Whereupon poster allegedly screamed back: "I was just giving him a ride, you crazy bitch!!!!"

R73 lol.

R73 What does Meryl sound like to you, then? She mentions Lange - loving, envying, wanting to be her - every three years or so.

xo

I've always loved Jessica Lange, but she was so determined to erase the King Kong bimbo image that she turned down roles that would've capitalized on her good looks and talent (Romancing the Stone, War of the Roses, Thelma & Louise, The First Wives Club, etc.) to tackle more "serious" stuff. Now, decades later, you look at her filmography and, with the exception of Tootsie and one or two others, it's lacking in bona fide hits or modern classics.

R77 I agree! I hate that the critics traumatized her so much. I mean, she would've been exceptional in the roles you mentioned.

She also left "Marvin' s Room" (!!!!!!) which De Niro was producing and asked her to do (read "Being De Niro) and turned down "American Gigolo".

The link below is a fantastic read of all the roles she turned down and was turned down for.

Oh and "Gorillas in the Mist" was written with her in mind. She would've slated but she was pregnant.

This is such a legendary moment in time and article. Sessums on Lange's Best Actress win. She asked him to be her date to an afterparty where he witnessed Courtney Love bow down to Magisterial. It's an amazing excerpt from his book. His muses are Lange, Love and Madonna.

Speaking of Madonna, there have been quite a few biographies which reveal that Madge was head over heals for Magisterial Lange. Like, wanted to be her kinda thing. Look them up.

But here's a recording of Madge declaring her admiration for Ms. Lange.

Again, when will your faves EVER?

One of her cutest interviews.

Here's where that douchebag Tom O'Neil mentions my name to Ms. Lange. He and I have a nasty history, hence why he purposefully named some unknown user on Goldderby has her "biggest fan". It was a dig at me. He did mention my name to her (I asked about "In Secret"), though, so I was satisfied.

Also, I'm the one that asked him to ask her what her favorite Meryl Streep role was. I didn't know mama would be so shady, though, lol.

She opted to praise Kim Stanley in "The Goddess" (another one of my favorite performances EVER).

Magisterial is such a bitch sometimes. I think she felt he was baiting her. Lange actually admires Streep greatly. She's mentioned her a few times in interviews.

I forgot to sign my name above. Mark-Alexis.

Here's "The Advocate" mentioning my sad Lange blog to Magisterial herself in 2009. She found it scary and maybe "illegal", lol. She's too fucking cute.

So, yeah. Two of my favorite life accomplishments are being mentioned by name and blog to Magisterial herself.

call me Jess. I know a wonderful security company. Trump even uses it. All the guard are former Israeli commandos.

Miss Lange's reaction when she was informed of this thread:

I remember that story, R74.

Bitches, stop hating.

Me today after a crazy drunken night last night.

Why would Jessica sleep with Sarah? No thanks.

R91 lol

Ms.. Lange is the 22nd actor/actress in history to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting.

There are some sad, crazy bitches on this thread

Love her.My favorite actress by a mile. Hot to this day. One of 3 women would definitely make out with, if not fuck.

I particularly love her admitting to the darkness and loneliness she has felt.

She is a complex woman.

R94 You sound too cute. The contempt, though.

::hops onto your lap::

It's sexy.

R95 .

"Magisterial"? No. Just no.

R98 Who the fuck cares what you are.

Has every one forgotten Cousine Bette? One of her best .

R100 omg. Cousin Bette. I had to travel like 40 miles to see that in some dinky Fox theater in West Palm Beach. Those were the days.

I'll admit, I was disappointed at first (I think I just wanted Lange to be more glamorous. I was 16), but in the intervening years I've grown to love the film and esp. her performance. She veered into Bette Davis territory and was beyond with the pathos.

She was brilliant.

This scene.

Goddess.

She has been drinking heavily ever since she found out that "Wild Oats" will air on Lifetime. She can't seem to break out of cable TV.

R104 She's been drinking heavily her whole life. She's an alcoholic.

Let's see, you're going to make fun of that too?

All you wayward butches that try knocking her down for her flaws only prove how fascinating and infinitely more interesting she is than about 95% of Hollywood.

Iconoclast.

I doubt "butches" is apropos.

*bitches

All these gifs are hysterical. Ham actress

R107 All the greats are hams, botch.

Jess, Meryl, Cate, Bette. The list goes on.

I approve of this thread.

Is Jessica really an alcoholic?

R110 I've read everything about her.

She drinks a bit, yeah. She and Sam used to have these crazy, violent public drunken brawls back in the day.

Substance abuse is common with people who suffer depression.

She still dances, though. In the rain.

To all addicts:

L'amour toujours !

R113 omfg. What a perfect gif, lol.

Yeah, yeah, I get my drink on once in a while...

Behind the beauty and talent there's a lot of sadness and loneliness.

Music Box is truly one of my favorites. That scene with the aforementioned music box in the car, and everything that follows with the father... Just a great performance and underrated and forgotten film..

Another film that's gotten better with age.

I can watch this all day, lol. This should've nabbed her and Meat in nominations with Spacek, who was the best but also has the most interesting role.

Lange is no less potent here. She's hilarious and heartbreaking. Meat in is a livelwire.

R117 She was really astonishing in this.

A lot of these emotions also came from her own relationship with her dad.

Pauline Kael compared this performance to a Cello Concierto. I agree. She's so measured and nuanced and graceful throughout and then - BAM- she's a supernova.

A classic film; an Oscar-worthy performance.

This spell check is pissing me off. Meat = Keaton.

Lol

She and Spacek (and Keaton are SO good together.

Tootsie was her only hit with movie audiences. I admire her but find her really odd. Not generous generally, and reeks of booze.

If you ask me, I think hooking up with Sam Shepard while Jessica's career was white hot, killed her momentum. Even her agent at the time, Ron Meyer, lamented (paraphrasing from memory) "How am I supposed to make her a star when she keeps running off to New Mexico to be with her lover?" From that point on, she chose projects based on how long the shoot will pull her away from Sam and their kids. It's no surprise this late career resurgence happened after she had dumped him. She even admitted that she was with a man who didn't want her to work.

She doesn't strike me like someone who could be forced to be a housewife and mother, R123. Maybe she's just a man-pleaser.

R123 She's very generous.

She got Chris O'Donnell his start, insisting he be cast in Men Don't Leave and Blue Sky. She also got Ryan Murphy to give Sarah Paulson a job on AHS and stayed on as executive producer after suggesting Pfeiffer to Frears who thought it was a perfect idea/choice for Cheri.

As for the booze,

Post above was meant for r122

R125, I thought Jessica was blindsided by the casting of Pfeiffer. From my understanding, Thom Mount was pushing for Pfeiffer in the lead at Lange's expense, and Lange didn't know she was dumped until the first day's read. Lange was given executive producer credit to appease her. And Frears had already worked with Michelle on Dangerous Liaisons.

R127

Perhaps you're right about Cheri. I had read differently. She definitely was replaced for being too old, but I heard she suggested Pfeiffer, though her Frears connection was already in place.

Jess has something to say to DL

Jess was wonderful in The Help.

Easy mistake, M. That girl copied me. And to quote another blonde, "It felt reductive."

But it's all good. That girl was kind enough to remind filmmakers of my prodigious talents.

Michelle Pfeiffer and Jessica Lange were two of the more striking and interesting actresses in the 80s, but then both of them became so serious in the 90s

Their early films showcase their beauty, spontaneity and comedic skills and never to return in their endless race for Oscars.

What comedies did Jess do in the 80s r133?

Tootsie doesn't count. She was grim and depressed the whole time. But then so was I when I had to be around Dustin.

Lange was hilarious and poignant in the dramadies Crimes of the Heart, Far North and Men Don't Leave. All good films that have survived the test of time despite their financial and box-office failures.

Poor M, she seethes at not having nor ever getting a Tony.

Lange has conquered all acting mediums (film, theater and television) despite adversity, with talent, strength and badassery.

M and G: neither of you will ever do this. You're flipsides of the same coin and will remain on the second tier of acting greatness.

Lange has cemented her status as the best actress of her generation and probably ever.

Doubtful. She only can get a show on cable TV. She can't even sustain her own thread

[quote] Lange was hilarious and poignant in the dramadies Crimes of the Heart, Far North and Men Don't Leave.

I love all three movies.

Diane Keaton is absolutely hilarious in Crimes, in my opinion she midgets Lange and Spacek in it, who are also good.

R138 Um, she's doing a film w/ Naomi Watts for Gia Coppola in 2017.

Also, it's so passeto make fun of TV nowadays. Everyone is flocking to TV and streaming services for work.

Try sgain.

Yeah, that Naomi Watts film will also end up on Lifetime. Film audiences were never into Jess

[quote] Diane Keaton is absolutely hilarious in Crimes

The scene where she's blowing a fuse on Lange about the chocolate box has stayed with me, it always makes me smile when I think about it.

R139 Opinions vary for many here. Some prefer Spacek, others Keaton, others Lange.

I think they worked beautifully together as a unified whole, with Spacek having the best role, Keaton the most outrageous and Lange the most subtle and realistic role.

R141 Keep hoping, honey, lol. So bitter.

Anyway, even if she were to remain on TV, she'll still be remembered and loved more than your faves, lol.

As a mental patient? Ha. Agree

R145 You seethe and I love it.

They were so good together.

Jessica Lange first caught my attention when she played the Angel of Death named Angelique in "All That Jazz" (1979). I went to see the movie because I was a huge Bob Fosse fan. I ended up being captivated by this beautiful, sexy, seductive actress. This was the first movie she made after "King Kong" (1976).

Another pic from "All That Jazz".

My favorite All That Jazz pic -

She's barely in All that Jazz. Most of her scenes were cut out of the final film. Many of these other cited films are poor to terrible (A Thousand Acres).

R150 None of her scenes were cut. Her role was small to begin with. Fosse loved her romantically and professionally and wrote the part for her.

Also, whether or not her films are good or bad is subjective. The point is, she has s lot of fans because of them and her television and stage work.

The fact that you're not one of them is probably for the best.

Post above meant for r151

Even Tarantino loves her.

I don’t really know if I’m writing the kind of roles that Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore would play. Jessica Lange on American Horror Story is a little bit more my cup of tea

I still smoke cigs like her, when I do (only when having drinks).

Pinky to thumb, fidgeting. Lol

I thought Jessica Lange and Albert Finney made a handsome couple in "Big Fish" (2003).

This scene in "Big Fish" was heartbreaking.

I love the scene in Big Fish where Lange is waiting in the water for Finney.

Love.

Spectacular.

She is sooo amazing in "Rob Roy". She, Neeson and Roth killed it.

She should've been nominated for Oscar.

Also, the film itself has held up. It's really good, actually, and should've gotten the same attention "Braveheart", which hasn't held up as well, got.

I have a soft spot for "Losing Isaiah" with it's wonderfully ambiguous ending which promotes true love and unity.

Land and Berry are BOTH Oscar worthy in this.

The tenderness and love she imbues into her relationship with Isaiah is transcendent.

I've lost interest in this thread. It sounds like the ravings of a mental patient.

Typo. I meant "Lange", obviously re r162.

Her performances in Rob Roy are exceptional.

R164 Then don't read it, lol. Isn't that simpler than spewing psychotic venom over people you don't know?

I mean, can't you find a more dignified way of making yourself feel better.

Plenty of fans have expressed their opinions and reasons for liking Lange. Even neutral critics as well as detractors are chiming in.

If you don't care for that sort of thing, don't read the thread.

Don't hate.

r166 doesn't understand how the internet works.

R166 I do, actually. I was just trying to be civil.

But really, who gives two good fucks what you think of this thread or the people that have posted in it.

Your thoughts and opinions are just as wayward and meaningless as you deem this thread to be, lol.

It's all balanced, you know?

[quote]But really, who gives two good fucks what you think of this thread

clearly you do since you keep responding to my posts.

BTW are you John Hinckley?

R170 True, but it's fun so

Around 2002/3 she was in a relationship with Ricky Skaggs, which always seemed strange to me.

Phenomenonal.

I always wanted Jessica to play in a film with Faye Dunaway - where they had scenes together - my two fave actresses.

"I’ve never been a sunny personality. I’ve never been outgoing. I’m a solitary person. So those are areas of the human psyche that I like to explore, probably in a subconscious attempt to understand my own place in the world. It hasn’t been easy; it’s been my own horror at times. "

In Paris, drunk, high and living.

I adore this pic. The love mama gets is beyond.

Hillary and Meryl know they're in the presence of greatness.

Meryl's like, "Check me out. Aren't we great?"

American Horror Story breakdown:

Coven: This was just a hit through and through. Great premise, fantastic writing, scary but also funny and dramatic. Also contains some of Lange, Bates and Conroy’s best work ever. Lange’s work here is her best in the entire series and some of her best work since “Titus” and “Grey Gardens”.

Asylum/Freak Show: These two tie for me, both exploring similar themes in almost diametrically opposed ways. Asylum is scary, tragic, dark and claustrophobic while Freak Show was eerie, melancholy, colorful and expansive. The cast is top rate in both. Both seasons are slow-burns that move and captivate nonetheless. Lange as Sister Jude is legendary, while her turn as Elsa Mars is iconic.

Murder House: Where it all began. Still a wonderful piece of pop horror. This season is intimate, familial and really moving. Constance’s loss of Addie, Tate’s school shooting and subsequent death, Violet’s suicide – all of it was fresh, emotionally charged and wonderfully bizarre. Also, it contains the series’ signature character, Constance Langdon, and another iconic performance by Lange

I stopped watching after Lange left. In the end, I love the first 4 seasons because they each have their own distinct tone and voice, and they’re all on some level surprising, scary, moving and fun.

OP, (a.k.a. "Bronx boy") sounds mentally ill and should be kept away from all photos and performances of poor Mrs. Lange. No wonder she's creeped out about psycho stalker queens.

R181 Bitch, please. I'm intelligent, fairly handsome, outgoing, spiritual (When I'm centered enough and have the patience), healthy and creative with a myriad outlets at my disposal.

My Hollywood obsession just so happens to be Lange and I just so happens to love reading others' views and opinions on her and her career. That doesn't mean I'm some flacid, scary creature crouched in a corner in a basement ready to attack like you apparently are.

And it's "Ms" Lange, dimwit. That's her maiden name.

Animals...

Twitter.

Jessica should be put into a remake of "The Fan" with Paulson cast as the secretary and OP as the psycho gay.

R185 Paulson would fit the title role of "The fan" much better, lol.

Thanks for posting all of these wonderful pictures from my varied TV career.

Lol.

Horace and Pete w/ Louis C.K.

Horace and Pete w/ Louis C.K. 2

Horace and Pete w/ Louis C.K. 3

Fetus Lange modeling video excerpted from upcoming "Antonio 70" documentary.

Wonderful

Oscar Isaac on the Lange

I still have my copy of this. Jessica Lange on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine (March, 1983).

That's so hot.

I know you love me.

Lange will be featured in this 2017 documentary covering the life of fashion icon Antonio Lopez, "Antonio 70", who discovered Lange in Paris in the early '70's when she shared an apartment with Jerry Hall and Grace Jones.

Basking in all of your adoration...

1981

2014

Never a cheerleader.

Serving Kim Novak realness in 1991

Thanks, R14, for the best laugh of the day. Exactly the kind I come to DL for.

P.S. I did something similar as a young gayling when Liza won ten years earlier. So, "Mary!" or not, your post made me smile.

Fascinating.

'70s glam.

I think it's interesting that back in 1981, "The New Republic" film reviewer Stanley Kaufmann called Lange a Faye Dunaway clone (others compared her to Dunaway as well), and now 35 years later she'll be tackling a role that sunk Dunaway's career--Joan Crawford. Maybe Ryan Murphy should get Faye to do a cameo on "Feud."

[quote]“Cloning may be new in science, but it's old in Hollywood. Got a successful star? Clone him/her. Sigourney Weaver is patently being groomed to be another Jane Fonda. You don't have to adore everything Fonda has done to be mild about Weaver's chances. Now comes Jessica Lange, first noted in the remake of King Kong, whom some apparently see as a new Faye Dunaway. Lange can wear clingy cheap clothes provocatively, she has blunt sensual features, so in her new film she is put through a lot of sweat and sultriness to remind us of the early Bonnie in Bonnie and Clyde. But Dunaway--sometimes, anyway--is an actress of sustained power. No hint of that yet from Lange.” (Stanley Kauffmann, The New Republic)

But as most detractors of Lange, he quickly grew to admire her.

[quote]Two losses are involved. Armin Mueller-Stahl [check sp.] . . . . [fill in] . . . . And Jessica Lange plays his daughter, the lawyer, perfectly. After Frances and Country and Far North, Lange has become an actress worth hoping about.

Too bad that a rudderless vessel is carrying these two performances out of reach.

Stanley Kauffmann New Republic February 5, 1990

Why is some freak posting random pictures over and over again? Weirdo!

It's fun.

I LOVE Jessica Lange. I'd say I'm IN love with her but I don't want to sound crazy.

Waldenbooks had bathrooms?

R213 Yes, dear. Lol.

New preview for "Wild Oats".

All this is doing is making Jess look like a crazy, washed up Lifetime star. Oh, wait, maybe that's true.

r216 You're obviously a pathetic hater.

The woman has won a Globe, a SAG, a Critics' Choice, 3 Dorian Awards, 3 Emmy Awards, an Outer Critics Circle Award, a Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award in 6 years. She's hardly washed up, lol.

Stop hating because she's probably figuratively beating the shit out of whatever non-entity you stan for. It's not only tacky -

But why do you feel the need to constantly promote her? If she is so great, then why is she on Lifetime? Your embarssing obsession with a 67 year old woman knows no limits. Please apply to those job listings I sent you yesterday

r218 I promote her because I feel like it. Same reason people promote Meryl Streep or Nicole Kidman or whoever else's work they enjoy.

She's on Lifetime because TWC is going under, basically, and in this day and age, a film about two over 60 yo's isn't necessarily popping at the box-office.

Your embarrassing obsession with me is what knows no limits and is truly scare. Thank God, it's hilarious to me.

I'll get right on those jobs, thanks ;)

Jessica is always an interesting broad. I like her, too. You have a good taste OP.

I love this LIFE Magazine cover featuring Jessica Lange, Sally Field, Barbra Streisand, Goldie Hawn and Jane Fonda.

Jess ignited audiences only with boobs in King Kong and Tootsie. This the sad detritus of my TV life.

Q: Who’s on your list of current-day great actresses?

[quote]It’s a short list. I love Jessica Lange, always been a fan of hers. Annette Bening. And Kate Winslet. She’s always been good, even in those early movies in England.

Watch What Happens Live! 2012

Andy Cohen - Was there ever a film you turned down and went to see and said, "Oh my God, I didn't do it!"

[quote]Yes, yes, that happened...there have been movies that I have really, really, really, really, really wanted to do but they didn't want me and I went to see the movie and I thought, "They were right." [...] I think of Sweet Dreams that Jessica Lange did with Karel Reisz - and he was a friend of mine [long funny pause] and he was the director and, yeah, he cast Jessica and I went to see that movie and I thought, "NOBODY can do that better." I mean, it was DIVINE.

Susan Sarandon, Glenn Close, Jessica Lange have always been [role] models for me. I also think that Julianne Moore has an amazing talent, not to mention Nicole Kidman. Among the missing ... I would cite Bette Davis and Marlene Dietrich ... each is individually good in specific roles.

[quote]I wish I could go to the theater and see Jessica Lange more often because she is my favorite actress.

Darren Aronofsky, her director on Requiem for a Dream, describes Burstyn as the 'greatest living American actress'. Burstyn accepts such praise with typical modesty.

[quote]When I hear that I should apologize to the likes of Vanessa Redgrave, Meryl Streep and Jessica Lange, and all the other great actresses who are slighted by high praise", she says.

[quote]To Lange: "I can die happy. Now, in New York, all in one day I have seen two of the women I admire most - you and Susan Sarandon."

[quote]When I was asked who I wanted to do this with, you’re the first person that came boldly into my head, because you are so bold in all of the things that you do. You are a brilliant movie actress, a brilliant theater actress, you do television...you do it all, and not everyone can.

[quote]I love Meryl Streep. She’s such an incredible actress. But I feel like she’s the only one in her age group who gets those parts. I’d like to see Jessica Lange in a movie again, you know? (Glamour Interview)

A year or so later...

[quote]No big deal. Just posing with this #LEGEND #jessicalange #longdaysjourneyintonight #tbt from last night's opening. (on Twitter)

[quote]Off set, Jessica was sweet, a pro, not social, beautiful, intense, and a brilliant dramatic actress. I liked her a lot and assured her she would be funny. We had many conversations about the men in our lives, which will certainly not be shared here.

[quote]I don’t have any idea what happened with Jessica that particular day. What concerned me was what effect the disruption would have on Jessica’s performance. We had a dramatic scene to play in the hot sun, a scene in which she was supposed to cry. We absolutely had to get the scene within the hour or we would fall behind and there was no money to cover a reshoot. Jessica pulled herself together. Andy yelled, “Action.” Without a moment to prepare and with a jittery crew looking on, Jessica was brilliant in the scene and cried exactly on cue. I couldn’t believe it. “Cut!” I said, “Jessica, you are good, good, good. How did you do that?” “I guess I have a well of sorrow in my life,” she answered with a little smile. I thought of Misha Baryshnikov and Sam Shepard, but I didn’t ask one single question. I knew I was in the presence of a great actor.

[quote]Working with you, babe, is like riffing jazz with the lights turned down low and nobody else around.

Kirk Douglas Award speeches by Murphy and Lange.

Y'know, for all the talk of how Hollywood has no room for actresses over a certain age, the cover at r221 puts the lie to that. All five of those actresses have current projects, thirty years after that picture was taken - and some of those projects are fairly high-profile.

r234 So, true. What's painful is that Hollywood out-and-out rejects the viability of women over 40.

For example, with "Wild Oats", the production was a hot hilarious mess, but most everyone who attended WIP screenings and test screenings said the pic was pretty good, with MacLaine and Lange giving top-notch performances. What happens? It gets shelved for a year and a half and then dumped by TWC, though the state of their affairs is looking scary, on Lifetime.

Look it Charlotte Ramnpling in 45 Years. She was utter perfection.

That's what's great about television and streaming services. They showcase women over 40, giving them delicious roles and ample room and time to strut their stuff. In many ways, this medium has succeeded film in terms of quality and variety.

It's interesting. Out of all of the seasons of "American Horror Story", the four with Lange in them rated the highest, with "Coven" garnering the series it's highest on average ratings to date, averaging between 4-5 million viewers a week. This was with a woman in her mid-60's headlining the show.

When they replaced Lange with one of the biggest pop-stars in the world, the rating plummeted. Go figure.

By any chance, does any Lange fan in here have Sam Shepard's ebook "Two Prospectors" containing his letters to Johnny Dark? I've been trying to get it for years but cannot find it in a version compatible with my kindle (cannot display images)...

R236. I'll search. Sam Shepard letters are so interesting and kaleidoscopic.

In one of the myriad published, he writes about Lange being "tired" and "done" with his behavior, the drinking and disappearing and violence.

It's a tender experience to read over those letters. You realize how tempestuous they both are as creative artists.

"Jessica [in SWEET DREAMS] was absolutely wonderful. I'd like to think I could have played the part as well, but I don't think I could have played it better."

"I liked her in Tootsie talking about getting the wallpaper with the rosebuds instead of the big purple flowers."

-Me, Datalounge, 8/18/2016

Her Razzie nomination for Hush made my day

R230

Wonder what Jess thinks of Patti Smith and the play "Cowboy Mouth" written while Sam and Patti were boning.

R242, Patti wrote the introduction to Jessica's book "50 Photographs." So apparently, Jess thinks highly of Patti to get her to do that.

R241 What interview is this from?

Chastain really loves her some Lange.

Love. It.

Heaven.

R243 Yeah, I always loved that Patti wrote the intro to Jessica's first photography book.

She's quite a gifted photographer.

Her shit smells like perfume

R248

I see a lot of myself in her. Pig face

r250

Like most women, Lange's peak attractiveness was in her 30s and 40s. Love her too even though the grand guignol of her late career is beginning to get a little tiring.

Anyone know why she broke up w/Shepard after so many years?

She is perhaps the best elderly basic cable actress I have ever seen.

r252 Why is the "grand guignol of her late career" getting tiring? I think it's fabulous. It's funny how Streep gets accused of the same thing with her 2000's films and performances. It's almost as if a passionate actress in her 60's and beyond can't escape the "grand guignol" criticism. More power to them.

Lange's performances within the last 10 years have been wonderfully varied. From her subtle, passive work in "Sybil", to her iconic turn in "Grey Gardens", to all of her varied supporting work in film - "The Vow", "In Secret" and "The Gambler" - to the first 4 seasons of "American Horror Story", her triumphant Broadway return in "Long Day's Journey Into Night" and now "Wild Oats". All of her performances are different yet just as committed, intense and revelatory.

I can't wait to see what she does with Joan Crawford and Edith Stevenson Wright. She's going to slay.

There's a rumor of one final physical altercation. During press for "Grey Gardens", Lange emerged with a broke collarbone from an accident she apparently had in her cabin in Minnesota. She apparently fell from the top of some stairs, breaking her collarbone and injuring her hand.

The rumor is that Lange and Shepard had actually gotten into a fight, he pushed her and she broke her collarbone. It was soon after announced that she was separating from him.

Shepard was extremely controlling of Lange and hated to see her to take roles that would require her to leave to film on location. He was known to make her take the kids with her while he went off and did his thing.

r253 Bitch, please -

Okay. Omg. So, just fast forward to 2 minutes and thirty seconds. That's how I feel bout you but he's, fans and detractors alike.

It's a community thing.

Ay.. Spell check .

"Why is the "grand guignol of her late career" getting tiring?"

Because, there must be other parts for women 50 and over apart from the freak show parade Hollywood puts them into.

Shepard's a jerk. Yes, he's a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, but he's still a jerk. He abandoned his wife O-lan and their 13-year-old son to run off with Jessica. And then, he saddled Jess with the kids, while he ran off to every watering hole from Duluth to Santa Fe. But then again, Jess tolerated his antics for 30 years. No wonder she was depressive.

R244

I can't believe Courtney Love bowed at Lange's feet in '95. That was like unheard of. Not even Madonna received that respect.

Then again, Kurt and her named their daughter Frances after Frances Farmer. Did they watch "Frances"? I'm almost sure they did.

Anyway, Courtney Love loving Lange. That Is so hot.

R244 " I love Jessica Lange!

sorry my reply was for R245

She sent me a black & white autographed photo of this still from "Country"

The Jessica Chastain Jessica Lange love is real. I love how excited she gets when the interviewer mentions Jessica. You can see how much she respects and adores her.

Thanks for the shares!

R260, No doubt they watched "Frances." Frances Farmer was a Seattle native. Kurt came out of the Seattle grunge scene and wrote the song "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle." And Jessica once mentioned in an interview that when she met Courtney Love at an Oscar afterparty, Courtney kept talking about Frances Farmer.

I stumbled upon her majesty at a Tesco's drinking off label vodka she pulled off the shelf.

Didn't even pay when she left.

Wait, what? Jessica who?

omg. In that second interview, Chastain mentions Lange in "Titus". Okay, she's a true fan.

That's one of Lange's best performances ever.

Another interesting fact. Whitney Houston's favorite actress was Lange.

Also, Ross was a fan. So many female diva singers loving her! Madonna, Courtney Love, Whitney Houston, Patti Smith, Diana Ross. Quite a list.

Is there a medication you are supposed to take and aren't taking Lange troll?

I say take it.

Oh, and Patti Labelle, too.

Oh, Patti...

Patti LaBelle shoved a small piece of her Yam Pie down Jessica's gullet and Jessica said "This tastes like SHIT you fucking cunt!"

Magical. Magical moment.

Lange is the best at playing women on the edge. I really don't think there are many other American actresses who can go that deep into emotional and psychological despair as Lange does in front of a camera.

I remember her moving me to tears when she gave that speech in the remake of Cape Fear while she was in handcuffs being terrorized by deNiro.

r273 She is so amazing in Cape Fear. She knocks all of her pivotal scenes out of the park: when her dog is killed, her fight scene with Nolte, her physical confrontation with De Niro on the boat, the offering scene (below) and the scene in which De Niro tells her and Lewis to get on their knees and get undressed.

The dog scene.

Her fight scene with Ed Harris in "Sweet Dreams" is EVERYTHING.

"Maybe they can make me look like Grace Kelly." /dead

She is so fucking beyond perfect in this movie. Meryl was right when she called her "Divine" here.

Divine, bitches. Divine.

"Let me have a sip of this."

CHEEK BONES

I still remember her hissing at Jack Nicholson in "The Postman Always Rings Twice": "Do I look GREEK to you"?

One of her most underrated classics. A brilliant little movie that has stood the test of time and grown in the intervening years into one of the best films on mourning and healing.

You're welcome, bitches.

This scene, done to pure perfection by Joan Cusack is what this film is about: absurdity in the face of healing.

All I can say is that Jess made a lot of shitty movies. OP would eat her shit for breakfast, lunch and dinner

r283 That clip above is what you need. You need a little Jessica Lange and Joan Cusack in your life. It's evident.

If I could, I'd take you up on a balloon, too.

r283 Wait, why are you smearing Magisterial Lange? What are your motives and intentions?

Who are you working for?

r283 No answer. Which means you did.

A trio of awesome.

Imagine those three in a film together. That would be amazing, even now.

So who's better: Lange or Streep?

Lange.

Streep by a mile. At least as far as film work and versatility. Jess wins for TV horror.

Let's let M speak:

They are the best of their generation.

Fucking adorable Queen.

Jessica is best at the dark and tormented characters. Meryl has more range and can play pleasant housewives and comedy and she can be more of a chameleon and change her appearance and type.

They are both pretty great. That 1982 Oscars was the first time I really paid attention to the awards. I was a kid and didn't see the films but for some reason that ceremony cemented in my mind that they were the two best around.

r295 I agree with the first sentence, though I think Lange has just as much range and can morph into any character. I just don't think the technicalities of a performance (hair, make-up, accent, etc.) have always meant as much to her as capturing something emotionally spontaneous and authentic.

However, when Lange wants to put on a technical show, she's aces. Her 6 Oscar nominated performances alone are a perfect example of her diversity and range. The soft-spoken and effervescent Julie (Tootsie) is nothing like Lange's fiery, tempestuous and, eventually, quite storm Frances Farmer. The stoic and earthy Jewel Ivy (Country) is nothing like the spitfire, good-time-lovin' Patsy Cline Lange delivers us. Then there's my two favorite performances of her nominated work: Ann Talbot (Music Box) and Carly Marshall (Blue Sky). The way she embodies these two diametrically opposed characters is truly astonishing.

To think, sandwiched in between those two roles, she did Men Don't Leave (a pleasant housewife on an imploded downward spiral), O'Pioneers (a luminous frontierswoman), Cape Fear (a jaded wife, beautiful, talented and broken by betrayal) and Night and the City (an ordinary New York barmaid trying to untangle herself from a man she loathes).

The subtly and nuance with which she composes her work in Music Box never fails to take my breath away. She's so measured and assured and then - the moment. Just wow. In Blue Sky she gives a classic old-school Hollywood turn - one that would've won her an Oscar in Hollywood's Golden Age as certainly as it one her one during Hollywood's Grunge Age). I can see why critics and voters fell over themselves for her in this pic.

I remember at the time there were big-time critic fans of Lange's - Pauline Kael was one of them - who just wanted her to do more "Tootsie"'s - roles in which her beauty and charisma were truly showcased, but she refused. And then, she turns and in her early-to-mid fourties gives one of the sexiest and explosive performances of her career. Her technical prowess in the role shouldn't be overlooked either, for she did a damn fine Bardot and Monroe. Scarily good, actually.

"Grey Gardens" is another picture in which she struts her stuff and jumps head first into the accent, make-up, wigs, old-age make up and mimicry and knocks it the fuck out of the park. I mean, you can do a side to side viewing of the "Tea for Two" scene when Lange imitates the infamous scene from the documentary and it's scary how good she is.

Constance Langdon (American Horror Story: Murder House) is nothing like Sister Jude (American Horror Story: Asylum), who herself is worlds apart from Fiona Goode (American Horror Story: Coven) and Elsa Mars (American Horror Story: Freak Show).

She can go from quiet, soft and subtle to fiery, intense and explosive. She can even do Shakespeare and outshine Anthony Hopkins (Titus) which is no easy feat.

As for comedy, lets see how she does in "Wild Oats" tonight.

Really, for me, they differ in that Lange is, to use your words, "best at the dark and tormented characters", while Streep is better at more buoyant and sentimental characters.

I love them both dearly.

Wild Oats tonight.

Poor Jess. I hope she doesn't drink too much tonight. 10 pm on Lifetime on a Monday night. Ouch. Chins up!

r298 Oh, Susan, you're so adorable. Didn't you do some Marilyn Monroe biopic especially made for Lifetime a few years back? I never did see it.

As for Lifetime, I'm broadening my fanbase. I've acquired the millennials, the pop stars and divas, other actors and actresses (all of them, really) and most of the general population.

Time reach out to the Lifetimers, which means I'm sure be watching. xo

Well, how was it?

Synopsis: Two best friends take off to the Canary Islands after one of them is accidently awarded $5,000,000 by her recently deceased husband’s insurance company. ________________

Towards the end of "Wild Oats", an ebullient Shirley MacLaine and a luminous Jessica Lange share a poignant, tearful moment that reminds one of the power of love, friendship and spontaneity. Maddie (Lange) has made a crucial decision about the direction she will take after having seen her quiet life unexpectedly disrupted by cancer, Eva's (MacLaine) $5,000,000 windfall, a tropical island caper and, finally, love. As she hugs and thanks her best friend of forty years for the adventure of a lifetime, one gets the feeling that Lange is thanking MacLaine as a mentor and a friend. This becomes the key ingredient of the film: the chemistry between and prowess of its two stars, who literally light up the small screen with charm, humor and heartbreak. Coco Chanel once said, "You can be gorgeous at thirty, charming at forty and irresistible for the rest of your life." This has never been truer of MacLaine and Lange.

Still, The Weinstein Company’s latest comedy premiered on the Lifetime Channel with little fanfare. Plagued by a chaotic and uncertain shoot, production for “Wild Oats” was completed in February of 2015, after which it sat on the shelf before being suddenly pulled from a September 16, 2016 limited theatrical release and dumped on basic cable. Nonetheless, with a funny, charming script by Gary Kanew and Claudia Myers, a whimsical score by George Fenton, and exuberant and effervescent performances from MacLaine and Lange, this is probably Andy Tennant’s best directorial effort since “The Wonder Years” and “Ever After”. Tennant directs this with an assured hand and pulls it off. The picture shines and feels every much the theatrical film it was intended to be. One can’t help but wonder what the critical and financial response would’ve been had it been allowed a life in theaters. It’s very likely this will get its moment of redemption next year at the Emmys and other awards bodies.

MacLaine and Lange spar with the freedom of icons with nothing left to prove, and MacLaine has the grace to step aside and let Lange shine and nearly claim the movie. She in turn reveals herself to be just as adept at comedy as she is at tragedy, flitting, flirting and farting around (literally!) like a feisty, ethereal cherub. Maddie is by turns impatient, fun-loving, prideful, vulnerable and often hilarious: traits Lange wields to compose a performance that is both comfortingly grounded and zanily unpredictable. There's a moment one-third of the way through the film in which she attempts to explain Eva's strange behavior at an ATM. "He was a machine," Maddie blurts out in reference to Eva's recently deceased husband, mumbling something incoherent afterwards. It's one of her character's funniest moments and one of Lange's finest. Another moment comes as she readies herself for a night out. Looking in the mirror, she lets out a cry of disappointment before brushing it away and flirting with her reflection. Priceless. Lange handles comedy here with gusto and aplomb, though when the time comes to display her prodigious dramatic talents, she triumphs there too. I can see her getting double nods next year: Supporting for "Wild Oats" and Lead for "Feud". She's so good here, I can even see her winning for this and giving Sarandon a clearer path to her first Emmy for "Feud", especially after being overlooked this year for her wonderfully nuanced work in Louis C.K.'s masterpiece, "Horace and Pete."

Demi Moore as MacLaine's uptight daughter is surprisingly effective, masterfully and subtly playing on the clichés of her character type, but not succumbing to them. Her "Yes it is!" breakdown is hilarious.

"Wild Oats” doesn’t stray from the tested formulas of the genre, but it does get those formulas right. What the screenwriters lack in innovativeness, Tennant makes up for with a keen eye and generosity, to the actors and in turn, the audience.

Nice try for fantasy island

Just love La Lange.

The trailer of wild oats was the first time I seen her "Tootsie" character come to life again. It was a bit startling!

r304 OMG. Wait until you actually see "Wild Oats".

She goes beyond Julie in "Tootsie". This is definitely her best comedic performance ever.

Goddess Lange makes me feel like a real woman.

Yes Jess. Sarandon did that Marilyn Monroe biopic where she played Monroe's mother!

r307 Thank you, M.

You're such a good dog.

LOL at the faux review you wrote. No one actually reviewed it because it was dumped on Lifetime. Your delusion is endearing.

r309 If it's endearing, then it has a shot at getting Magisterial Lange some attention for this gem of a pic.

I mean, you read the review and you thought it was crazy to review something that was digested by TWC and shit out by Lifetime.

The proof is in the pudding.

Shirley MacLaine wrote a book about the making of this movie.

It is sort of sad in a way. Shirley actually thought she was in love with some young crew guy and though it might be requited.

Jess was just there for the money and the booze.

R311 Lange was there for Shirley, primarily, and the booze, lol.

Lange, MacLaine and Moore deferred their salaries for this film.

When does Wild Oats air again?

R313 That's the crazy part. Not only did they dump it on cable TV with no promotion, there's no sign that they're airing it again.

It's not even bootlegged, lol.

It's got a 8.9/10 on IMDb so far.

Fans are spreading the love.

And remember:

"He was a machine."

Don't cry. You look like a million bucks baby.

Get it, girl.

Mama.

That hair. Living.

Shirley's wig looks like pubic hair.

Shirley looks wonderful. 89 years old and still kicking.

Yes.

Jess will not get the AFI. Her films are rotten and there are too many other deserving women: Julie Andrews, Jodie Foster, Dianne Keaton, Sophia Loren, Doris Day, etc. People love Jess on her TV shows.

She'll get it.

Yes, I am sure she will have Ryan Murphy try and rewrite the rules for her..

So, if she's so shirty, why does Lange have so many fans, ordinary and high profile? The best of the best revere her

Check it.

Right TV fans.

Shall we post more Meryl quotes from her varied Jessica Lange Fangirling career?

Good grief Meryl has been gracious her whole career to Jess, who patently never mentions Her battle with rules and regulations to still get Emmys cannot be revenged enough. I said good day!

R329 This sentence made no sense, Dotty.

You were right about the stubble, too.

"Great actresses"

Notice how Meryl always mentions Lange first.

I've been both shocked and gratified with Lange's work this new millennium.

Here are my top 5 favorite Lange performances of the 2000's. Funny enough, I think this last 10 year stretch has provided her with some of the best material of her career, not just for her as an actress but as stories/movies in and of themselves.

1. Grey Gardens '09 - Such a beautiful, tender, outrageously good film. This was initially intended for theaters but deemed uncommercial. Nonetheless, HBO was great enough to give it a life on television. It ended up being nominated for 17 Emmys and winning 5, including Best Miniseries/Movie and Lange's first for Best Lead Actress in a Miniseries/Movie. Lange and Barrymore are top notch, with Lange claiming the film with her "Tea for Two Moment". It was Lange's breakout role in nearly a decade.

2. Wild Oats '16 - This recently aired on Lifetime to almost no fanfare. Given no promotion and then dumped on basic cable, it was also initially intended for theaters. It was lined up for a 9/16/16 release date and then just pulled by The Weinstein Company and thrown to Lifetime. Still, it's a beautifully shot, subtly directed, charming and poignant film. It could win major Emmy, Globe, SAG, etc. love. It could also be released theatrically, which some say is happening, in the UK, where it'll be eligible for BAFTA. Whatever happens, it's probably my favorite thing of Lange's in a long while. She's just so damn delightful in it. She's beautiful and heartbreaking and sexy. She and MacLaine are a fire duo. Like crazy good they need to get a series lined up together kinda fire. Effervescent.

3. American Horror Story: Coven '13 - My favorite of all the four seasons Lange was in. I think this is where the show peaked, hitting its stride and discovering its voice. This season was feminist, sexy, angry, funny, scary, disgusting and, ultimately, heartbreaking, too. It showed that a cast made up mostly of women 50 or older could be compelling and addictive. Lange, Bates, Conroy and Bassett all give career high performances here. They're delicious and poignant. Lange won her third Emmy for this and deservedly so. She's mythical and elemental here.

4. Horace & Pete '16 - Oh, what a delight this was to discover one January morning, earlier this year. It came out of nowhere. The brilliance of Louis C.K. suddenly appeared and I was rapt. Certainly one of the best TV shows of the year if not the millennium so far, Horace and Pete hit like a bullet. C.K., Edie Falco, Laurie Metcalf, Steve Buscemi, Alan Alda and Lange were astonishing, serving us up Brooklyn realness and breaking our hearts in the process. Stunning.

5. Sybil '07 - One might think that venturing off to remake one of the most revered TV movies of all time would be a venture doomed to being plagued by comparisons and to fail under them. Not so here. Filmed in Canada over two months, Lange and Tammy Blanchard create a whimsical, noirish, scary world set in the bygone era. Blanchard is a force here and makes the film, but Lange is there every step of the way with her, providing a steady hand and graceful touch to the proceedings. Her Dr. Wilbur is more reluctant and suspicious than Joanne Woodward's was and she's also more feisty. Still, the relationship she develops with Blanchard is uplifting, and provides hop in the midst of such dark circumstances. Sybil, in the end, is a myth that speaks to all of our pain and fears.

I finally saw Wild Oats and found it very low brow and beneath her. But she's beautiful in it.

r334 Did you at least like her performance?

I thought she was the most effervescent she's been since "Tootsie".

I forgot to add Prozac Nation to my top five I probably tie it with Coven in best.

So underrated.

Yes I did like her performance, but then I always like her performances. I just don't understand why she did that movie. Was the paycheck enormous?

I LOVED her in Prozac Nation. Thanks for reminding me, I'm going to download it and watch it again.

r337 She would've done anything for Shirley. She told her so. That's how Lange is. If she gets to work with someone she like or really admires, she'll do the smallest role or iffy project.

Personally, I think they were wonderfully successful with this. "Wild Oats" is about a woman pushing 90 and another 70. It's about one woman's coming to terms with her entire life while the other is coming to terms with cancer and death.

If the film suffers at all, it's from the format it was thrust into. You can tell they shaved about 15 minutes of the movie for television purposes. Thankfully, the DVD comes out October 4th. Hopefully they'll be selling us the unedited version of the film.

Again, for me the selling point is in MacLaine and Lange's chemistry together, their joke bits are hilarious and delivered with precision and nuance. That final good bye scene has already made me cry 3 times in the last 4 days. Granted, I'm a bit sentimental at the moment over something personal, but I'm objective when it comes to reviewing film. I stick by my opinion: MacLaine and Lange totally sell the movie with that final scene. You believe in their friendship, you believe in their heartbreak at getting older and perhaps, after a 40 year friendship, never seeing each other again. They're both closer to 100 than they are 0 and Maddie has cancer and was never given a solution for that. Just 3-6 months to live.

It's a spirited little film, if not a masterpiece, and it's certainly poignant.

r338 She was bonkers in Prozac Nation. Truly masterful work there. I remember when I first saw this trailer with the Ebert & Roeper blurb - I had just finished the memoir, too, because of finding out Lange would be In the film and I was also struggling with severe depression which is what the book is about) - I was stunned.

The hardest thing to digest about the story was that there really was no substantial external conflict. It was all, as they say, in her head. But the commitment and power Ricci and Lange channel through their performances makes this one of the best films on depression ever.

Seeing a young glowing Michelle Williams here is great, too.

Last 25 minutes of Wild Oats.

Sublime.

Poor Maddie....

They're too cute.

Farting around.

goddesses

Yes.

The fans are so cute.

I wonder what Jess is doing right now.

Feud.

Such a good movie.

Today's my birthday. Isn't it apropos that mama would record such a song, lol.

Losing Isaiah is so good.

Don't listen to those that don't count

lol, perfect. And "Feud" is filming, too.

Jessica's drinking again...

She's giving Dame Davis the "ew" side eye on that pic. I don't like it.

Bette Davis once wrote Meryl Streep a letter praising her as a "worthy successor" to her acting legacy, but if you ask me, late period Lange seems like a worthier successor.

R357 No she's not. She's stunned by Ms.. Davis.

R357, is this better?

That letter was according to Meryl....

No one else saw or heard of it, lol...

Lange looks in awe of Davis, nothing else.

You bitches best be checking out "Wild Oats" this weekend.

Here's a free ticket on me.

Why are they even bothering with theaters when it already played on Lifetime? Poor Jess

r364 More critical exposure and to make some more profit. Lifetime probably paid TWC a nice fee to premiere it on their network. Now, it'll be eligible for the television awards, where it'll at the very least get Lange and MacLaine nods. Maybe even some technical nods.

I am doubtful that it will be nominated for anything, but dream big my darling

It will

My body is ready for this.

Lange is not an alcoholic...

Is she?

I don't remember her ever saying, "I am an alcoholic, but she has been fairly open about coping with depression. Re the drinking, there have been several blind items about her drunk on set at AHS or the recent play.

Lange arrived sauced at the American Airlines Theatre, slept if off for a good 30 minutes, woke up, put on the greasepaint, then walked onto that stage and slayed.

Lange is a throwback to the grand dame actresses of old--boozing, smoking, sexing (at least, when she was younger: messy, messy love life), and not giving one god damn what Hollywood thinks of her. A refreshing change from all the twee actresses of today--the AnnEs, the Bries, the Jennifers, and the Emmas--who try to come across as all goodness and light.

R371 This is like the 3rd time I've heard this story.

If it's true: Damn, that's what makes a legend.

[quote]Lange is a throwback to the grand dame actresses of old--boozing, smoking, sexing (at least, when she was younger: messy, messy love life), and not giving one god damn what Hollywood thinks of her. A refreshing change from all the twee actresses of today--the AnnEs, the Bries, the Jennifers, and the Emmas--who try to come across as all goodness and light. - r372

We know who G was rooting for at the Tony's...

Yikes, Jess looks like she is one of those puppets from "Team America" in that photo above.

R376 You're disgusting. AIDS jokes, seriously?

Also, mama was still in the midst of doing a 4 hour show 2 times a day 6 days a week, including on Tony night!

So please, maggot, move on.

R376, it's "EveryONE has AIDS, AIDS, AIDS, AIDS..."

I've had AIDS. Now I'm just HIV positive.

I've always loved Jessica Lange, though.

R377 is clearly "Team America"-impaired.

I be team Lange.

Mary Stewart Masterson in this 1991 pic, looks like a young Jessica Lange :

Looks like Lange without the charisma. Masterson fell under that category of Good Actress/Bad Star.

I remember Mary being compared to Lange a lot back in the day.

I think Lange and Robin Wright should've been the leads in August Osage County.

Perfect mother/daughter combo.

Jessica:

Robin:

Jessica:

Robin:

Slay, gurl. Slay.

Yas.

Jessica Lange: Sept 2013 and Sept 2016

Mama's in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly.

On the cover.

This is such a wonderful candid shot of a fan gawking- open mouthed - at it s creator.

The POWER of

Jessica

Lange.

R393 lmao.

Ooo.

Wow. Now this is a fan

OP, did you fuck the She-Ra doll, pretending it was Lange and you were Kong?

R397. Nah, I was more into fingering myself whilst picturing a hot throbbing dick sick in me.

That and pretending I was Dwan. Those cheekbones! What growing gay boy wouldn't want to be her.

Wild Oats comes out on DVD and VOD tomorrow.

These fans are nuts...

And beautiful.

R400, for reals.

r401 OMG. Hell no! lmao. He's adorable, too. Too young for me, but in like 10-15 years time, he'll be hot.

God, I never thought I'd live to see Magisterial's signature being tattooed on a fan or her rocking millennial tees, lol.

I agree.

Yes.

bump

Bump.

I will always love you, Jessica.

I wanna have sex with her. Is that a bad thing?

R408 of course

From a gracious poster on here who's working on "Feud" re: Lange's performance:

[quote]She's serving the voice but she is very careful with the performance. It's such a thin line and she knows it. She seems to be more subtle, even with the meltdown scenes. She definitely made her more human than Dunaway in Mommie Dearest. I'm more than convinced that they both will get nominated (and possibly win) for this piece. You'll see it in spring.

[quote]Jessica is a fan of dirty jokes and I remember when they were doing a scene in Freakshow with Sarah (it was the first ep) and Sarah took a drag of Jessica's cigarette and the other head was supposed to exhale the smoke. Jessica said something like: "So if this head blows a guy, the other one spits out the goodies?" Imagine the laughs this line received.

"Antonio 70" has been retitled "Sex Fashion & Disco: Antonio Lopez 1970."

Aw, she's billed first. Love it.

Antonio deserves a medal for discovering Jessica Lange, Jerry Hall, and Grace Jones.

R413 Seriously. That's some astonishing shit.

Antonio's Girls: Illustrator Antonio Lopez and his models.

Jessica Lange is at bottom left. Grace Jones is at bottom right.

The photo is from Interview magazine, August 1973.

Here's a closer look at the "Antonio's Girls" photo at r415. (The photo on the right is model Pola.)

R415, And in the center is Patti D'Arbanville. She and Antonio are surrounded by Lizette Kazan, Paula Klimak (aka Pola), Alva Chinn, Louise ?, Karen Bjornson, Grace, and Jessica.

That pic is iconic. Can't wait for the doc.

I love how Kathy fangirl for Jessica.

*fangirls

R419 why didn't she answer which was her favorite season? That's the first part of the question.

She's being PC.

We all know it's between Coven and Freak Show - The true peak seasons of AHS.

Wow, that Jessica told joke was wildly unfunny. When does this air on Lifetime?

E423. what joke?

Fantastic montage of Lange's film work.

Queen.

All I see is a lot of rotten apples. TV has been better for her because her filmography is not good.

R427 No one cares about filmographies.

Besides, she's a legend no matter how you cut it.

Jessica Lange is very popular with young kids today, mainly due to AHS. My 16-year-old niece and her friends adore her because of that show and miss her. GREY GARDENS was her come back, and AHS introduced her to a whole new generation of fans.

I still question OP's enthusiasm and devotion.

R430 Question it all you like, hun. It's solid.

R479 So true.

Meant R429.

They're going back to Coven on AHS.

Fiona Goode, please.

The fans on Twitter are so beautiful.

This fan (@charitypcook) found this pic of Lange on a mural at an older theater.

Her declaration?

"I am not ashamed of this."

God, I love how Magisterial is worshipped. So validating as a fan.

Another Bette and Jess shot.

Is that when Jess was working James Caan pole for cash? She and Joan have a lot in common - scrappy girls who worked their way up, were box office poison, and then found success on TV horror anthologies

R437 :yawn:

2 Oscars, 1 Tony, 3 Emmys, 5 Golden Globes, 3 Dorians...

I'm almost positive your fave is missing a few of these, lol.

Lange is also one award from being an EGOT. She just needs a Grammy. Streep needs a Grammy and a Tony, which Lange just won this year for her remarkable work in LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO LIGHT.

R439 Preach, sista.

She'll be returning to AHS as a surprise Guest star this season.

Bitch is going to slay.

Love it.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

You better love her like you love dick and ass.

She deserves it.

Slay QUEEN. Slay like no one EVER will.

Sometimes I love her more than dick, tbh, lol.

What a fantastic essay on "THE LAUREATE OF THIS YEAR'S KRZYSZTOF KIEŚLOWSKI AWARD", Magisterial Lange.

_____

Jessica Lange. American film, stage and television actress, fully committed humanitarian, renown photographer whose works were exhibited on two continents, and non-conformist who became a role model for many young people. She is already a laureate of the so-called “Tripe Crown of Acting,” consisting of an Academy Award® (she won two), an Emmy® (she won three), and a Tony® award; she also has five Golden Globes®, among many other distinctions, and is widely considered one of the best actresses of her generation. She is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador who traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Russian Federation to shed some light on the increasing problem of rape on women and the dangers of HIV/AIDS. She achieved worldwide fame for her black&white photographs depicting the everyday beauty and simplicity of life in various places around the globe. She is a true artist, always looking for new means of expressing herself, full of everlasting energy and passion; before she became who she is right now, she had been shaping her artistic personality while traveling during her beatnik youth across Europe and North America.

Jessica Lange, photo courtesy of Jessica Lange

The truth is, however, these several sentences cannot possibly do justice to who Jessica Lange really is, though they outline a portrait of a woman who spent her entire career on a reciprocal affair with cinema and popularizing the importance of culture and art; a woman who went on using her fame and social status to promote humanistic and humanitarian approaches, as well as support the people whose voices are too often silenced by the world. Needless to say, these are the traits we, at Camerimage, look for in artists we distinguish with the KrzysztofKieślowski Award, whose patron is one of the greatest humanists of world cinema. It is therefore our distinct pleasure to announce that Jessica Lange will come to Bydgoszcz to accept the award during the 24th edition of the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography CAMERIMAGE. She will also present the festival participants with a selection of her extraordinary photographs in the UNSEEN exhibition.

Still from "The Postman Always Rings Twice"

If one would notice only the external appearance, Jessica Lange, an immensely attractive blonde with playful eyes and voluptuous figure, should have been left stranded long time ago in a gilded cage of stereotypical bombshells whose only talent is to make men loose their heads and commit numerous sins for their attention. That is probably how the legendary producer Dino De Laurentiis perceived her, signing the inexperienced but extremely beautiful blonde for a multi-picture deal, with John Guillermin's King Kong being the first film she was to star in. That is not, however, how Jack Nicholson and director Bob Rafelson thought of her a few years later – they saw intelligent, vulnerable and immensely talented young actress, and helped her show her true colors in their film The Postman Always Rings Twice. Lange was a revelation as Cora Papadakis, a dazzlingly beautiful and yet tragic woman in the vein of the greatest American femme fatale. This was 1981, almost five years passed since King Kong and the broken deal with De Laurentiis; Jessica Lange could finally took her first steps on the path that lead her to who she is today.

Still from "Tootsie"

Cont'd

Despite a flood of negative reviews, Guillermin's King Kong was for Lange, who was praised for being one of few saving graces of the whole picture, quite an introduction to the entertainment industry. Several years before she returned to the United States from Europe, where she had studied the art of being mime, among other things, only to start working as a waitress and a model; thus she was very happy to use the presented opportunity and make a start in films. A couple of years later, when she was praised for The Postman Always Rings Twice and the comedic Tootsie (dir. Sydney Pollack), the message – that she was not another dumb blonde, but a young and ambitious artist with a hunger for challenges – was twice as powerful. This second film brought her an Academy Award® in “Best Supporting Actress” category, while this same year she was also nominated for “Best Actress” Oscar® for her role in Graeme Clifford's Frances, a harrowing tale of the rise and fall of American thespian Frances Farmer. Those were the parts she was made for – complicated, strong women, ravishing on the outside, while passionate, destructive, sensual, or volatile inside. Such roles made up most of her acting output in the 1980s and the 1990s, when Lange rejected the temptations of Hollywood and made herself a reputation of serious and versatile actress.

Still from "Blue Sky"

She starred in a string of movies that provided the viewers looking for more ambitious form of entertainment with the desired quality, though at the same time could not perform big box-office numbers. Lange produced and played the main role in a socially conscious Country (dir. Richard Pearce), a tale of farmer couple's struggle with the hardships of life and the indifference of the banking system. In Karel Reisz's Sweet Dreams she played, and was uniformly hailed by the critics, Patsy Cline, the tragically deceased American country music legend. In the intense Music Box by Costa-Gavras, Lange showed her acting side as a lawyer who had to defend her father accused of being a war criminal. By contrast, in Far North (dir. Sam Shepard, Lange's longtime partner in private life) she returned to her home state of Minnesota to play another kind of a strong woman with a fragile soul. This does not mean Jessica Lange stayed away from the more commercially viable projects – she made huge impression in both Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear and Michael Caton-Jones's Rob Roy – but her instincts made her look for parts such as destructive Carly Marshall from Tony Richardson's Blue Sky. The role brought her second Oscar®, this time in “Best Actress” category.

Still from "Titus"

For Jessica Lange the 90s were also the time of fulfilling her maternal responsibilities (the previous decade she gave birth to two daughters and a son), as well as looking for new acting challenges. Among them a Broadway debut as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, one of Lange's favorite playwrights. At the same time she distanced herself even more from the Hollywood glamor and its imposed limitations, taking such parts as Queen Tamora in Julie Taymor'sTitus, the experimental rereading of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus. The first decade of the new century brought Lange another set of challenges, among them becoming the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and taking first steps in the field of artistic photography, though she played supporting characters in Tim Burton's Big Fish, Jim Jarmusch's Broken Flowers, and a few other projects. Everything changed in 2009, when Jessica Lange moved to the television realm, firstly starring as “Big Eddie” in Michael Sucsy's Grey Gardens, and later on playing in four seasons of the hugely popular Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk's anthology series American Horror Story.

Still from "American Horror Story"

This new career path that Jessica Lange took upon is leading her in many interesting directions. One of them will be the upcoming TV mini-series Feud, which she produced with Ryan Murphy, Brad Pitt and Susan Sarandon; she is to play the legendary Joan Crawford fighting the equally famous Bette Davis on the set of Robert Aldrich's What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? The way she re-imagined herself for the “Golden Age of Television” makes a compelling case in looking back at Lange's atypical career. Not only did she resisted being pigeonholed as a cute and feisty blonde bombshell, but also won several other battles with the Hollywood, one of them being imposing stereotypical and far less prestigious roles on actresses of a certain age. Even with all these changes, however, Lange has never betrayed herself, her love for her family, her passion for cinema and admiration for art in general. She was and is an artist fully aware of her responsibilities, fulfilling them with a smile on her face and a spark in her eye. We consider it a true honor that Jessica Lange will visit Bydgoszcz to receive her Krzysztof Kieślowski Award, and share with Camerimage participants her admiration, passion and extensive experience in the areas of film and photography.

End.

Add another pop diva to the Lange fan train.

She really is loved.

Tweet:

@gloriaestefan: "With the AMAZING Jessica Lange @thetonys"

I love me some Lange.

Don't forget me!

Who could Lange be voting for?

Meryl and Hillary loving La Lange.

Everybody loves mama.

We do too!

Id love her in the ring with Meryl.

I didn't know Lange was Madonna's fave. Um, homework time.

Beautiful.

What a lovely reception from the Polish people.

Excuse me - you called?

R461, Thank you for that video. I needed her class and that lovely vibe in that video this Sunday.

R463 Agreed. Amazing reception for someone who is pure class.

At her photograph exhibit today.

Jess meeting fans and signing autographs.

Variety coverage of press conference

When I grow up, I want to be Jessica Lange.

Queen.

More great acting advice from Jessica Lange today; "u just walked behind the camera. The front is where the lens is" #Feud

Shura is making momma proud. She's on the left.

Stunning physique, especially for a mother of two. Damn, girl!

Did some reading up on Shura. Very impressive, indeed.

It's starting to dawn on me how many fans Jessica Lange actually has.

There's, like, no end to them, lol.

How's the mental illness Jan Bot?

r474 Alive and thriving, hun. After all, you appeared, and we all know you're just a figment of my imagination.

Hell, you're a pixel in everyone's imagination. Now, shoo.

Pixel. lmfao.

This thread....

I'm decorating my new home with her photographs. Stunning.

Great interview.

I.B.: What is your most important creation?

J.L.: My children.

You can only love or envy this Goddess. Hating doesn't truly exist when it comes to Jessica Lange.

It's an abnormality, at best.

Her son Walker is in a Bluegrass/Southern Mountain band, The Down Hill Strugglers. Straight up Appalachia.

R482 hot

Fucking icon.

She's interviewed for the next Flaunt Magazine.

I want this.

Fan art by Instagram member bluethevigorist

Lange and Sarandon present Ryan Murphy with honors at THR event today.

I love how understated yet gorgeous Lange looks.

OP was F&F so much he got greyed/crossed. What did he do?

Lovely.

R489 I obsess over Lange improvise on the piano and can be quite bitchy when provoked. Other than that, I'm not sure :-/

Quick shout out to magisterial Lange.

I love me some Sarandon (Atlantic City, Thelma and Louise, Lorenzo's Oil and Dead Man Walking make her a legend) but it's amazing how Lange slays her during this intro. She's so simple, graceful and elegant wearing basically a man's suit whilst Susan tries showing tit....

OMG, yes.

When does Feud come out?

Horace and Pete is streaming on Hulu.

Brilliant.

This is a cool photo:

Divine

Beauty

Fan tat.

Fan art.

R494, if you haven't investigated:

According to the report, the series will then be scheduled for a fall 2017 airdate, nearly one full year after the series began filming.

R502 I heard it airs in the Spring. Lange even days so before introducing Murphy at the THR event.

Magisterial is so diverse.

Queen.

Love Lange!

I love ha!