Jessica Lange’s 15 Best Film and TV Roles

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All That Jazz (1979)

The actress played Angelique opposite actor Roy Scheider's Joe Gideon, a womanizing, drug-using dancer.

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The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981)

After married diner operator Cora Smith (Lange) began an affair with drifter Frank Chambers (Jack Nicholson), the two hatched a plan to murder her husband, Nick Papadakis (John Colicos).

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Tootsie (1982)

Soap opera actor Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) was attracted to single mom Julie Nichols (Lange), who unfortunately happened to be in a relationship with the show's sexist director, Ron Carlisle (Dabney Coleman).

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Frances (1982)

The film told the true story of actress Frances Farmer's rise to fame in Hollywood and the tragic turn her life took when she was later blacklisted. Lange -- who played the titular role -- was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Academy Awards; she also met longtime love Sam Shepard on the film's set.

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Country (1984)

Lange and Sam Shepard teamed up again to tell the story of a Midwestern family trying to keep their farm afloat during tough economic times in the 1980s.

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Sweet Dreams (1985)

Lange snagged the lead role in the biopic about country music legend Patsy Cline. The film also starred Ed Harris and John Goodman.

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Music Box (1989)

Defense attorney Ann Talbot (Lange) defended her Hungarian-American immigrant father (Armin Mueller-Stahl), who was accused of having been a war criminal. The trial put him in jeopardy of losing his American citizenship.

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Cape Fear (1991)

Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film was a remake of the 1962 film of the same name; Lange played Nick Nolte's wife. The movie also featured Robert De Niro, Juliette Lewis and Gregory Peck.

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Blue Sky (1994)

Lange played a mentally unbalanced married woman. Her antics repeatedly caused the Marshall family to move from one military base to another. Tommy Lee Jones played Lange's husband, Hank.

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A Thousand Acres (1997)

Wealthy Iowa farmer Larry Cook (Jason Robards) decided to retire and split his land among his three daughters, Ginny (Lange), Rose (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Caroline (Jennifer Jason Leigh). It inadvertently caused problems for the family and unearthed painful secrets from their past.

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Normal (2003)

Irma Applewood (Lange) was shocked when her husband Roy (Tom Wilkinson) revealed he suffered from gender identity disorder and planned to transition into a woman. Hayden Panettiere and Joe Sikora played their children in the HBO film.

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Big Fish (2003)

Lange played the elder version of Sandra Bloom, whose husband, Ed (Albert Finney), was confined to his deathbed. The film also starred Ewan McGregor, Billy Crudup, Marion Cotillard, Steve Buscemi, Danny DeVito and Helena Bonham Carter.

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Grey Gardens (2009)

The scripted HBO movie was based on the 1973 documentary about mother-daughter duo Edith Bouvier Beale (Lange) and Edith Bouvier Beale (Drew Barrymore), who lived in squalor and isolation in the family mansion, Grey Gardens. Lange won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie trophy at the Primetime Emmy Awards for her role.

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American Horror Story (2011)

The actress earned a Primetime Emmy Award for her role as secretive neighbor Constance Langdon in the FX series, created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk.