Jessica Lange says King Kong was not what she imagined her first acting job would be. The two-time Oscar winner, 77, looked back on making her 1976 film debut when she appeared on Live with Kelly and Mark last month.
"I never imagined that my first acting job would be in a film of that magnitude," she said. "That was not the fantasy I had about starting in the business." At the time, Lange was working as a waitress and living in a fifth-floor walk-up in the West Village, after moving back to New York from Paris.
A modeling agency told her that producer Dino De Laurentiis was looking for an unknown to play Dwan. She flew to Los Angeles for a screen test.
She was initially turned down after one look at a cattle call. As she told Vanity Fair in 1991, the producers saw other women, "a lot of big, buxom blondes", and "just from sight they weren't interested".
Her agent pushed for a second look, and she was ultimately cast. The film was a box office success, but not for her career.
"The film came out and I was completely dismissed," Lange said. "I didn't get another offer for years.
Nobody took me seriously as an actor." Host Kelly Ripa observed that her character, who wants desperately to be a star, mirrored her experience. Lange won the Golden Globe for New Star of the Year for the film.
Critic Pauline Kael wrote that Lange's relationship with Kong was why the movie worked, praising her "fast, yet dreamy, comic style". Lange won the Oscar for best supporting actress for Tootsie in 1983 and best actress for Blue Sky in 1995, and later found a second career on television in American Horror Story.
Her journey from a struggling waitress to a Hollywood icon remains a testament to her resilience in an industry that initially failed to recognize her talent. Reflecting on her long career, she noted that the challenges of her early days shaped her approach to acting.
She emphasized that while the start was difficult, the lessons learned during those years of rejection were invaluable for her later success. Today, Lange is celebrated not just for her film roles but for her versatility across different mediums.
Her transition to television in the 2010s introduced her to a new generation of fans who admire her depth and range. The actress continues to be a prominent figure in entertainment, often speaking candidly about the evolution of the film industry.
Her story serves as an inspiration for many aspiring actors who face similar hurdles at the beginning of their professional journeys. As she looks back, Lange remains grateful for the opportunities she has had, even those that began with uncertainty.
Her legacy in cinema is firmly established, marking her as one of the most respected performers of her generation.