In December 1976, Italian photographer Giancarlo Botti captured a series of portraits of American actress Jessica Lange in Paris. At the time, Lange was 27 years old and on the brink of international stardom, visiting France to promote her film debut in the 1976 remake of King Kong, the film that earned her a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year.
In the 1970s, Lange transformed from a bohemian art student and model into a globally recognized, though initially controversial, film star. Her decade was defined by a rapid ascent from obscurity to the center of Hollywood’s spotlight.
After dropping out of the University of Minnesota, she moved to Paris in 1971 to study mime theater under Étienne Decroux. She also joined the Opéra-Comique as a dancer. While in France, she was discovered by fashion illustrator Antonio Lopez, which led to her signing with the Wilhelmina modeling agency.
Returning to New York in 1973, she worked as a waitress at the Lion’s Head Tavern while occasionally modeling to pay the rent. Her professional film debut came as the damsel-in-distress, Dwan, in the big-budget remake of King Kong. While the film was a massive box-office hit, Lange’s performance was initially widely panned by critics. Despite this, she won the Golden Globe for New Star of the Year.
Following the criticism of King Kong, she did not work on screen for over two years, instead focusing on intensive drama training to prove her capabilities.
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