born April 20, 1949, Cloquet, Minn., U.S.
U.S. film actress.
She studied mime in Paris and worked as a model in New York before making her movie debut in King Kong (1976). She appeared in All That Jazz (1979) and The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) and became a star with Frances (1982) and Tootsie (1982, Academy Award). Noted for her beauty and her ability to reveal the inner psyche of her characters, Lange won praise for her roles in Country (1984), Sweet Dreams (1985), and Music Box (1989) and in the televised versions of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1984) and O Pioneers! (1992). Her later films include Blue Sky (1994, Academy Award), Rob Roy (1995), A Thousand Acres (1997), and Titus (1999).