Jessica Lange Hints at Acting Retirement: ‘I Feel Like I’m Coming to an End… It Doesn’t Seem Easy to Get Things Made Anymore’

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Jessica Lange teased to Rolling Stone that her retirement from acting is likely coming soon. The Oscar winner returned to film and television this year with the releases of “Long Day’s Journey into Night” and “American Horror Story 13,” respectively, but that might be it for the 77-year-old icon.

“I actually feel like I’m coming to an end,” Lange answered when asked about 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. 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.”

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And how does Lange want to be remembered when her retirement becomes official? “For some good parts. For some good films. For being an honest actor,” she said. “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 started acting in 1976 with her film debut in “King Kong,” which won her the new star of the year award at the Golden Globes. Her career would go on to include four more Golden Globe wins from 16 nominations as well as a Tony award (for “Long Day’s Journey into Night” in 2016) and six Oscar nominations, with wins for “Tootsie” (best supporting actress) and “Blue Sky” (best actress). She’s also been nominated for nine Emmy awards, winning three times for “Grey Gardens” (lead actress in a miniseries or movie), “American Horror Story: Murder House” (lead actress in a miniseries or movie) and “American Horror Story: Coven” (lead actress in a miniseries or movie).

In recent years, Lange has slowed down her acting output. While her film adaptation of “Long Day’s Journey into Night” opened in theaters in September, it was actually shot in 2022. She’s only starred in two other movies in the last decade: 2016’s “Wild Oats” and 2022’s “Marlowe.”