Jessica Lange

Jessica Lange
April 20, 1949
Cloquet, Minnesota

This gorgeous Taurus has won two Oscars and four Golden Globes and serves as a goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.

'Acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness, those are life-altering lessons.'

Jessica Phyllis Lange was born in the Midwest to Dorothy and Albert Lange. She and her three siblings are of Finnish, German and Dutch ancestry. She was an art student at the University of Minnesota and then went to Paris where she learned to mime. Back in the USA by 1973, she worked as a waitress and a model while she studied acting. She also was a student at the celebrated Guthrie Theatre Drama School in Minneapolis.

In 1979 Jessica won the Golden Globe for Best New Actress after her first film, Dino De Laurentiis' 1976 remake of King Kong. In 1979 she appeared in All That Jazz, followed in 1980 by How to Beat the High Cost of Living. She gained credibility in 1981 with The Postman Always Rings Twice and earned an Academy Award in 1982 and a Golden Globe in 1983, both for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Tootsie. She earned even more creds that same year playing troubled actress Frances Farmer in Frances. In 1984 she starred with her real-life partner Sam Shepard in Country, a drama about an American farm in crisis. The following year she played Patsy Cline in Sweet Dreams and Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Between 1986 and 1990 she did Crimes of the Heart, Far North, Everybody's All-American, Music Box and Men Don't Leave. In 1991 she joined an all-star cast that included Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Juliette Lewis, Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck in Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear.

In 1994 Jessica played herself in A Century of Cinema and starred opposite Tommy Lee Jones as his mentally unstable Army wife in Blue Sky. She won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Actress for the part. In 1995 she played Margaret Lewin in Losing Isaiah, Mary MacGregor in Rob Roy and yet another deranged beauty, Blanche DuBois, in A Streetcar Named Desire. She won yet another Golden Globe for this performance. In 1997 she starred with Michelle Pfeiffer, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jason Robards as the first-born daughter of a modern-day King Lear in A Thousand Acres. She also played herself in the documentary Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's. In 1998 she starred in Hush and Cousin Bette and the following year played opposite Anthony Hopkins in another Shakespeare update, Titus. 2001 saw her as Mrs. Wurtzel in Prozac Nation. In 2003 she starred alongside Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Bob Dylan, Penelope Cruz, Luke Wilson and Val Kilmer in Masked and Anonymous, written by Bob Dylan and Larry Charles of 'Seinfeld' fame. In 2003 she starred in Tim Burton's fantasy drama, Big Fish and HBO Films' gender bender, Normal. She was the narrator for Peace by Peace: Women on the Frontlines in 2004. In 2005 she starred with Tim Roth and Sam Shepard in Don't Come Knocking, a road flick written by Shepard and German director, Wim Wenders. She played opposite Bill Murray in Jim Jarmusch's independent feature Broken Flowers, which won the Grand Prix at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. In 2006 she played opposite Kathy Bates and Joan Allen in the girl-buddy road-trip comedy, Bonneville. She played the doctor in the 2007 drama Sybil and Big Edie in the 2008 remake of Grey Gardens.

Sun in Taurus makes Jessica a steadfast and patient soul, capable of tremendous devotion. The ability to follow through is one of her greatest assets. Once her course is set, she pursues it tenaciously. She has a very practical nature and wants to see concrete results for her efforts. She has a great love of the physical world and wants to enjoy it fully. Though she works hard, she also has a strong sensual side that wants to enjoy what she has worked for. She loves the beauty of the natural world and probably prefers a quiet country setting to an urban lifestyle.

At heart her needs are simple and she is easy to please. She has a strong desire for stability and peace. She is not demanding emotionally, though she does crave physical affection. Because of her emotional strength, others often depend upon her for support. She has an innate sense of harmonizing with nature and the patience to nurture something into being -- be it garden, child or creative project. She makes an excellent mother. Between 1971 and 1981 she was married to photographer Paco Grande. She has been in a relationship with actor/playwright Sam Shepard since 1982. They have a daughter Jane and a son Walker as well as her daughter with Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alexandra. 'For me,' says Jessica, 'nothing has ever taken precedence over being a mother and having a family and a home.'

Sun conjunct Venus tells us she is loving and well-loved by others. Her artistic and creative powers are well developed and she does everything in a gracious manner. Aesthetics are very important to her. Sun square Jupiter means she has the desire to succeed in a grand way. She never loses her hope for the future. She does not rely on good luck or grace alone and accepts the need for hard work, saying, 'I have been a waitress, and I was a damn fine waitress too, let me tell you.' Sun trine Saturn makes her realistic and practical. She sets goals for herself that are modest enough to achieve. She is able to tackle long, difficult projects and see them through, for she has self-discipline, concentration and perseverance. She also has a strong sense of responsibility and is very conscientious. Although she takes herself and her responsibilities seriously, there is a part of her that rebels against rules and outside authority. She may feel torn between fulfilling her obligations and breaking free of them. Sun sextile Uranus makes her a true original. She radiates a sort of electrical excitement about the things she is interested in and doesn't mind breaking a few rules.

Moon in Aquarius means she is not easily moved by emotional displays and can be curiously detached. It's almost as if she can turn her feelings on and off at will. In her personal relationships, she insists upon independence and the freedom to pursue friendships with as many people as she chooses. She does not appreciate a jealous, possessive partner and feels comfortable in an atmosphere that is open and experimental. She has little taste for convention or tradition. Moon in the 6th house indicates she has a sympathetic nature and instinctively reaches out to people in need. For Jessica, warmth and caring must be expressed in service of some kind.

Moon conjunct Jupiter makes her tolerant and forgiving, always ready to overlook mistakes and give others a second chance. She expects the best from people and draws it out of them. She enjoys making others comfortable and happy.

Leo rising makes her ferociously proud and somewhat vain. She likes to be seen as somebody special. She is not timid or self-effacing and is rarely content being in the background or in a subordinate position. She is a natural leader who does not take orders from others very well. She must have something creative of her own that she can develop according to her own vision. Whatever she does, she does in a unique, dramatic way. She also has a strong sense of dignity and personal honor. She dislikes pettiness and admires people who are powerful individuals like herself. When she befriends someone, she is tremendously loyal and willing to go to extraordinary lengths to make that person happy. She is very giving and generous, but her gifts are rarely anonymous -- she expects recognition and appreciation for them. She also expects her intense loyalty to be reciprocated. However, she does not share the lead role easily. If she is not in the leading role, she will compete with the person who is.

She has great courage and people often look to her for strength. She rarely allows others to see her hurting or vulnerable. She has a strong need for admiration and appreciation although she doesn't like others to realize how important it is to her. Her outlook on life tends to be very personal and somewhat self-centered. She feels that if she does her best, the rest of the world will take care of itself.

Pluto conjunct her ascendant tells us she achieves her desires in a quiet way. She may be intensely charismatic and wield considerable influence over others, or she may be attracted to such powerful personalities. She tends to be driven by a sense of mission. She doesn't take anything at face value and is always digging beneath the surface for deeper meaning. With Neptune sextile her ascendant she tends to blend in with and take on the characteristics of the people in her surroundings. She may project an aura of glamour or 'make-believe' and enjoys trying on different personalities -- an ideal trait for this super-talented, award-winning actress.