Jessica Lange Says Acting Retirement Is Near: 'I'm Coming to an End'

Jessica Lange, 77, has told Rolling Stone that her retirement from acting is likely coming soon. The two-time Oscar winner returned to screens this year with the film "Long Day's Journey into Night" and the series "American Horror Story 13" — and she signaled that those projects may mark the close of a five-decade career.

"I actually feel like I'm coming to an end," Lange said when asked what projects she still wants to tackle as an actor. "Maybe it's not a bad way to end, that last film being 'Long Day's Journey Into Night' and playing Mary Tyrone."

She was blunt about the practical obstacles facing an actor of her generation and tastes.

"There are a couple projects that have been in the works forever that may or may not happen. I don't know. It doesn't seem easy to get things made anymore. At least not the kind of films that interest me."

What does this change for Lange's legacy?

Asked how she wants to be remembered once retirement becomes official, Lange kept her answer simple.

"For some good parts. For some films. For being an honest actor," she said.

She expanded on the arc of her working life with visible gratitude: "I've been incredibly lucky. I love acting, and I've had decades of being able to do it, which has been a joy for me. Difficult at times, balancing family and career and locations and dragging my kids here and there. But it all was a great adventure. I'm so grateful that [it] came my way."

Lange began acting in 1976 with her screen debut in "King Kong," which earned her the Golden Globe for new star of the year. The career that followed stacks up as one of the most decorated in American acting:

• Five Golden Globe wins in total, from 16 nominations
• A Tony Award in 2016 for "Long Day's Journey into Night"
• Six Oscar nominations, with wins for "Tootsie" (best supporting actress) and "Blue Sky" (best actress)
• Nine Emmy nominations and three wins — for "Grey Gardens," "American Horror Story: Murder House" and "American Horror Story: Coven," all as lead actress in a miniseries or movie

Notably, her Tony and her latest film performance share the same role: Mary Tyrone in Eugene O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey into Night."

A slowing pace

Lange's output has thinned in recent years. "Long Day's Journey into Night" opened in theaters in September, but it was shot in 2022. She has starred in only two other films in the past decade: "Wild Oats" (2016) and "Marlowe" (2022).

Lange stopped short of declaring retirement outright. But her framing — of an ending arriving at exactly the right role, with few projects left that can be made — suggests that "American Horror Story 13" and the O'Neill adaptation may be the last chances audiences get to watch one of the great screen actors of her generation work.