Jessica Lange Completes Film Adaptation of Long Day's Journey Into Night

Jessica Lange has completed a feature film adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night, a project she pursued for over a decade. The 77-year-old actress is currently promoting the movie at the Virginia Film Festival, where she received the event's Visionary Award. She is also in the middle of a television run, having just finished the 13th season of American Horror Story. This concurrent activity has placed her back in contention for both an Academy Award and an Emmy.

The film marks a major career milestone for Lange, who has been working in cinema for 50 years. She first played the role of Mary Tyrone on the London stage in 2000, becoming the first American actress to receive an Olivier Award nomination for the part. She returned to Broadway in 2016 to reprise the role, winning a Tony Award. Lange described the character as the most important part she has ever played. She stated that she would not mind ending her career with this role because of its depth.

The path to bringing the play to the screen was difficult. Lange worked with writer David Lindsay-Abaire and director Jonathan Kent on the project. Financing for the movie collapsed on multiple occasions. At one point, the cast and crew were already on location in Ireland when the funding issues arose. The film is now in theaters through a small distributor. Lange is actively working to ensure audiences see the film as it moves through the festival circuit and select theaters.

Lange is one of only 10 living people to win the triple crown of acting, which requires at least one Oscar, one Emmy, and one Tony. She has won two Oscars, three Emmys, and one Tony. Her film career began in 1976 when producer Dino De Laurentiis cast her in a remake of King Kong. She had been working part-time as a model when she was discovered. The King Kong film was a major box office failure. Lange said the experience damaged her self-confidence and nearly ended her career early on.

She rebuilt her reputation in the early 1980s. She earned Oscar nominations for The Postman Always Rings Twice and Tootsie in 1981 and 1982. She won her first Oscar for Tootsie. Her filmography includes Country, Sweet Dreams, Crimes of the Heart, Music Box, Cape Fear, and Blue Sky. She won her second Oscar for Blue Sky in 1994. After becoming a mother and entering her forties, she worked less frequently for several years. She often took supporting roles during this period.

Her career regained momentum with the 2009 HBO limited series Grey Gardens, for which she won an Emmy. This led to a long collaboration with producer Ryan Murphy. She appeared in four seasons of American Horror Story from 2011 to 2015. She won two Emmys for her work on that series. She also starred in the 2017 limited series Feud: Bette and Joan. She recently returned to American Horror Story for its 13th season, which aired between September 24 and October 29.

Lange discussed her thoughts on retirement during a recording of The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast. She acknowledged that actors age out of many roles. She said the nature of the industry means that opportunities change with age. She expressed a willingness to end her career on the note of the Mary Tyrone character. She believes no other part will exceed the emotional weight of that role. Her current schedule includes promoting the new film and preparing for the upcoming awards season.