Muriel Lang (It Could Happen to You)

Muriel Lang (Rosie Perez) is the villainess of the 1994 film It Could Happen to You. She was the wife of police officer Charlie Lang and lived in Queens together, that having been where Charlie grew up. Unlike her selfless and modest husband, Muriel was self-absorbed, materialistic, and often complained about how much she hated her life and wanted to live large. When Charlie and Muriel won 4 million dollars in the lottery (forced to split their winnings with an Albany bowling team), Muriel was ecstatic and planned to live off their winnings. She was outraged, however, when Charlie revealed that he'd promised half of his ticket to struggling waitress Yvonne Biasi when he was unable to tip her.
Despite Muriel's insistence against it, Charlie went through with his promise to Yvonne and split the 4 million dollars with her. But Charlie was able to appease his wife by telling her about the great publicity the act would bring her. Soon after accepting their winnings, Muriel began flaunting her newfound wealth and going on shopping sprees, much to Charlie's discomfort. While on a cruise for the lottery winners and other high society members (which Charlie and Yvonne both missed), Muriel met the newly rich Jack Gross, asking him for financial advice and obviously taking an attraction to him. When Charlie began using their money charitably alongside Yvonne, Muriel became furious, angrily berating her husband and accusing him of having an affair with Yvonne before announcing that she wanted a divorce.
During the divorce hearing with her and Charlie's lawyers, the evil Muriel demanded Charlie give her his share of their lottery winnings as well as Yvonne's share, callously disregarding Charlie's pleas that what she was doing was wrong. The case went to trial, where Muriel allowed her lawyers to paint Charlie as an abusive and unfaithful husband. The jury ruled in Muriel's favor, allowing her to take the money and marry Jack. But Muriel's luck took a sharp turn when Jack turned out to be a con artist, emptying Muriel's bank account before fleeing the country. This force Muriel to move back in with her mother in the Bronx and return to her job as a manicurist.
== Trivia ==
* Rosie Perez later played corrupt cop Carol Brazier in 2008's Pineapple Express.
Category:1990s
Category:A Taste Of Her Own Medicine
Category:Brunette
Category:Callous
Category:Deceiver
Category:Greedy
Category:Hero's Lover
Category:Live Action Villainess
Category:Villain's Lover
Category:Fate: Humiliated