All hail the glorious Glenn Close!
Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 12:00PM 
It's been over a week since the Oscars. Despite losing the prize, it's fair to say that Glenn Close came out of it all as a winner. Dancing to "Da Butt" and insinuating Daniel Kaluuya was too young to know Donna Summer's Oscar-winning tune, the most nominated actress never to have won the Academy Award brought needed playfulness to a mostly somber ceremony. The internet was riveted, and Close may have earned another legion of fans if her sterling filmography and acting acumen hadn't done that already. All this, and she's still making news…
As the speculations surrounding the Sunset Blvd. musical movie continue, the erstwhile Norma Desmond of the stage can be found promoting a jazz album with Ted Nash. In interviews, Close further said she wants to return as Cruella haunting the sewers of NYC and has also opened an exhibition made up of her vast costume collection at the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, IU Bloomington. The thespian might not have an Oscar yet, but it's still an excellent time to be Glenn Close. In fact, she doesn't need an Oscar. Nobody does, especially those who have already carved a place for themselves in Hollywood and cinema history.
I'm a fan of Glenn Close – have been for many years – and would undoubtedly love to see her rejoice about an Oscar victory. That being said, her lack of a little golden man in no way diminishes what she has accomplished, the fame her work has earned, the devotion and admiration of millions worldwide. As an Oscar obsessive, it's easy to become angry about a supposed injustice inflicted upon a personal favorite. However, it's good to step back, get some perspective, and realize that if Glenn Close never wins an Oscar, it will be the Academy's loss, not hers.
In the aftermath of her record-breaking eighth loss on Oscar night, I'd like to try and ignore AMPAS a little bit, wax poetic about Glenn Close, and enumerate some of the reasons why I love her so. Perchance, we can have ourselves a little actressexual lovefest, bursting with admiration and a cinephile's devotion. Here are ten reasons to adore Glenn Close:
THAT LAUGH, THAT CRY, THAT VOICE!
I don't know about you, but my first encounter with this actress' wonders came through Disney. First up, there's her singing voice, which enchanted me as I listened to the English soundtrack of Tarzan. She played Kala, the protagonist's adoptive mother, and I remember how her melodious tonalities rang with maternal warmth, promises of love much more profound than whatever might transpire later between Tarzan and Jane. She was voicing a gorilla in that movie, but the emotions she telegraphed couldn't be more tenderly human.
And, then, there was her Cruella. I first saw the villainous creation on the big-screen not a year after marveling at Tarzan's kinetic animation. 102 Dalmatians was a hoot! Seeing my instant affection for the flick, my parents purchased the VHS of the first flick. Readers, if Kala warmed my heart, Cruella chilled me to the bone while also capturing my attention like few other cinematic works at the time. I particularly loved her laugh, a hysterical cackle so feverish that it seemed to echo through the place long after the screen turned to black.
Of course, as a baby gay, I tried to imitate her in an improvised drag show with no audience. Fluffy blankets were my substitutes for Anthony Powell's delirious costumes, a pencil played the part of the cigarette holder, and I tried my best to evoke Close's shrieking delight. I didn't come close to success, but I had a lot of fun trying. From then on, whenever a film starring the actress crossed my path, I was sure to watch it. Still, I don't think I quite understood what a great performer she was until I first caught sight of Dangerous Liaisons.
Witnessing how she modulated between quiet bon-mots, sweet words laced with arsenic, and overt emotion was like gazing at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. She could say as much with a half-smile as with a Christopher Hampton-penned monologue. In her hands, loud silences are more precious than garrulous words, even when those epitaphs are savored with a predator's gusto for fleshy pleasure. Better yet, is her desperate cry, a furious roar that added a new vociferous miracle to my list of Close's talents. As mellifluously melodic as her song, as impressive as her evil laugh, her cries are the stuff of cinematic dreams.
That was a long one. Let's see if I can be more concise from now on.
A STAR OF THE BIG SCREEN, THE SMALL, AND THE STAGE
Not only is she a great movie actress, but Glenn Close has also proven to be a titan of the theatrical tradition and televised drama. While I've never been so lucky to have seen her live, I've long read about the actress's grand stage performances. The many clips of her Norma Desmond on Youtube are certainly enough to whet the appetite of anyone interested in great acting. As far as the small screen's concerned, I've long been a fan of her Patty Hewes, though the first seasons of Damages tend to show some limitations in Close's approach.
It's a pity she won her prizes for the early years of the series, as she did some of her best work on the last few episodes, plunging deep into the character of a lawyer whose soul has been long lost in Faustian deals. Her work with Rose Byrne, their malignant dynamic, is an especially twisted delight. Moreover, on the week since the 93rd Academy Awards, my days have been full of Close's TV movies and miniseries, her take on Eleanor of Aquitaine, her Emmy-winning Margarethe Cammermeyer, and much more. It's fair to say she's astounding in every medium.
AN ALLY
Speaking of Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story, it's important to mention that Glenn Close is an ally to the LGBT+ community and has been so for decades. Not only did she star in that flick about a lesbian officer's legal battle to be out in the military, but she also produced it, working hard to spread the story and promote change. Two years later, she returned to the realm of queer storytelling. In the Gloaming saw her play the mother of a dying man who has AIDS and suffers from the scars of growing up in a society that despises his people.
In both works, Close's performances are shining examples of dramatic restraint, carefully constructed tapestries where unsaid words are interwoven with a placid mask of illusory peace. The moment when she gazes at her son's unconscious body and learns how to check for his pulse is one of the best scenes in Close's career, an exercise in illustrating emotion by showing the struggle to hide it. On a lighter note, she guest-starred in Will & Grace and has been vocal about her support for queer causes in public.
She's also an advocate on matters of mental health and works closely with the non-profit Bring Change to Mind. It's nice when good artists are also good people.
ALWAYS UNDERSTANDS THE ASSIGNMENT
Whether boiling bunnies, smirking as she kills herself with ice cream, or having her own Jekyll/Hyde transformation to the sound of the Big Ben, Glenn Close always understands the assignment. Some actors, while brilliant, can have difficulty molding their skillset to different challenges. They may try to play live-action cartoons like a Greek tragedy or make the mistake of joking their way through serious sci-fi. Not so with this particular thespian. From The World According to Garp to Sunset Blvd., Close runs the gamut of stylization. She's as skillful at playing naturalism as she is at letting go in a flurry of melodramatic abstraction.
Just examine her on-screen output in the 90s, and you'll find an insane variety of acting styles. In Zeffirelli's Hamlet, she manages to resolve the irksome part of Gertrude like few other actresses before her, finding a middle point between realism and the needs of Shakespeare's florid verse. Contrast that with the morbid farce of Mars Attacks!, the stoic anxiety of Air Force One, the drag king excellence of Hook, the drag queen extravagance of Cruella. As the internet denizens like to say, your faves could never.
NO GENRE IS BENEATH HER
The actress' tonal versatility is exceptionally apparent, in part, because she's so adept at playing in wildly different genres. While starting her movie career in more prestigious fare, Close has never limited herself to Oscar-bait drama. On film and TV, she's dabbed into sci-fi, horror, erotic thrillers, animated musicals, superhero nonsense, action juggernauts, sudsy whodunnits, and so much more. There's much to admire in her willingness to expand her performative horizons. Just a few years ago, she starred in one of the best zombie flicks of recent vintage – The Girl with All the Gifts. Not many other actresses of her prestige have the same chutzpah.
A COSTUME DESIGN AFICIONADO
Any costume-loving person is close to my heart. For a long time, this star has asked to keep the clothes she wears in character, sometimes stipulated in her contract. The actress appreciates the craft and the role such garments can have in the performer's work, having amassed a splendid collection that includes work from some of the best designers of the past four decades. Over 800 outfits compose her haul, including pieces by Anthony Powell, James Acheson, Maurizio Millenotti, Judianna Makovsky, Ellen Mirojnick, Consolata Boyle, Colleen Atwood, Trisha Biggar, Alexandra Byrne, and this year's Oscar champion Ann Roth. Naturally, she received a special spotlight award from the Costume Designers Guild.
In 2017, the actress donated her collection to the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design's Sage Collection in hopes they could preserve the movie artifacts and exhibit them to the public.
GIVES CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
Beyond just appreciating the craft of costume design, Close is an entertainer who's been frank about how there are more components to a performance than just the actor's work. When discussing The Natural, she's been quick to point out how much of the impact her character has comes from the way she's lit, crediting cinematographer Caleb Deschanel with a big part of her success in the baseball movie. Cinema is an intrinsically collaborative art, and everything we see on-screen is a collective effort. While a celebration of the individual is understandable, one should also pay attention to those whose faces aren't projected big and wide. We love a humble queen like Glenn Close.
CLOSE GIVES GOOD SPEECH
That facet of the actress, that professional generosity, is also evident whenever she accepts an award. She may have never won the Oscar, but Close has been privileged enough to receive many other golden trophies. Her speeches are always well-crafted and thought-out exercises in jubilant humility. The actress' Golden Globe victory in 2018 for The Wife is probably her greatest ever, but there's a lot to choose from when it comes to great Close awards speeches. After all, she's won multiple Globes, Emmys, SAGs, Tonys, and more.
A GOOD SPORT WHO KNOWS HOW TO HAVE FUN
Still on the topic of awards, Close's many Oscar losses don't mean she's not a good sport about it. Sure, she looked momentarily crestfallen upon losing to Olivia Colman, but as she was the favorite to victory, a mild surprise and a flash of disappointment are understandable. This year, even as she wasn't favored to win, the actress looked like she was having a good time, finding fun in the ceremony. It's a Close specialty to have fun even in the most complicated of projects. Say what you want about Hillbilly Elegy, but, judging by the many behind-the-scenes tidbits, Close looked like she was having a blast. Honestly, good for her.
WEAVES STRAW INTO GOLD
Hillbilly Elegy was also a good showcase for one of Close's most remarkable talents. Like all artists, not all her work is good, and there are some misses along the way. However, it's impressive how often the actress manages to rise above the mediocrity of her projects. Beyond the newest Ron Howard misfire, Close's filmography is full of such feats of an actor overcoming lousy writing, bad direction, horrible cinema.
In 1985, upon finally becoming a leading lady, Close plowed her way through two unfortunate creations, Jagged Edge and Maxie, breathing humanity into them. The procedural saw her tackling an impossibly naïve lawyer, while the later comedy demanded she adds gravitas to a gossamer-thin narrative of Hollywood possession. No matter how miscast Mel Gibson may have been in Hamlet, Close pulls through, and she manages to make Reversal of Fortunes into a much more interesting film than the drama would have been without her ambivalent presence.
The House of Spirits is horrid, but even there, we can find Close indulging in some perverse Mrs. Danvers impersonations. Ron Howard's clumsy considerations on racial conflict and office politics may bring The Paper down, but the actress electrifies the screen from the sidelines. Her supporting role enlivens the whole affair. The same happens in the devastatingly bad Mary Reilly, where Close is the only actor willing to tap into the ridiculous gothic melodrama the script demands.
Lumet's Strip Search is clumsy, but Close's performance is a miracle of scalpel-sharp precision. In The Stepford Wives remake, she knew exactly the correct wavelength of camp to tune herself to, making a preposterous twist ending into that movie's saving grace. Better yet, she finds gradations of blistering anger, repressed indignity, creative pride, and matrimonial acrimony in The Wife. Unlike some, I was very disappointed by the novel adaptation. However, I also thought that Close managed to find the complexities that were otherwise lost in the transition from page to screen. Because of this and more, I'll always be excited to see a Glenn Close movie. She's a star!
It was fun waxing poetic about this actress I love. Join the celebration, dear reader, and sound off in the comments to tell us what you love about Glenn Close.
Reader Comments (61)
One of the Academy Awards most touching moments was Glenn handing the Honorary Oscar to Deborah Kerr for her brilliant career in 1994 Ceremony. Two great actresses and stars who never won despite multiple nominations.
I love her just for the way she's never made me able to forget the importance of intonation in delivering lines. She's one of the few key actresses (Mary McDonnell, interestingly enough, is another) who has always placed a welcomed emphasis on this part of the craft.
Her "I'm not gonna be igNOOOOred, Dan" is an all-timer for a reason.
Adore her to pieces.
For me who only knew Close from her work in 101 Dalmatians, watching her in Things You Can Tell was a revelation.
Most people forgot about that film , but it holds a very special place in my heart because of all the beautiful, subdued performances from the incredible cast.
@Pre-K Teacher When someone says "I don't understand how..." they are usually speaking colloquially, not literally. They understand how politics plays into awards season, how some years are more competitive than others and so on. They're really saying something along the lines of "It just doesn't seem right that Glenn Close has 0 and Frances McDormand has 3." I know one doesn't teach colloquial speech practices to Pre-K students, but you, really, should know about it yourself.
I discovered Glenn when Dangerous Liaisons was first released on VHS in 1989. I have been hooked ever since.
She should have won for DL and FA and I believe the performances in both RoF and the Wife were equally worthy of wins; but there is joy to be found in nearly all of her performances.
No one acts silence better then her, irrespective of what is needing to be conveyed.
It is a cliche that in later films, she is frequently better than the final
Product and I have often wondered whether that is a product of her taste in material being a bit off or more likely that she doesn’t get offered the great roles.
One shouldn’t live in what could have been but I do wonder if she had won for DL or FA whether the roles offered to her would have been different.
Similarly, I wonder what the world would have seen if she and Meryl had managed to film Mary Stuart directed by Richard Eyre. Her attempts to get that made seem to have been legendary (with attempts to get it off the ground with both Huppert and McTeer both of whom who had appeared on stage in different productions
Of Schiller play, after Meryl dropped out) The reference to that never made film in the Heights suggests how much she regretted it.
I don’t whether SB will ever get made let alone produce the win; but I do hope that there is at least 1 great role left for her.
If you ever wonder about her loss in DL and her lack of precursor support (including missing a Globe nomination) take a listen to Stephen Frears DVD commentary - in January of ‘88 they hadn’t even started the screenplay adaption and it was only news about Milos Forman’s rival version that prompted them to get something going; filming didn’t start until May (?) and it was not shown to the HFPA; and only just finished in time for Oscar eligibility.
Even in a pre-modern campaign period, can you imagine what they would have achieved with a month or so more time to show that masterpiece to the world?
Admittance that the only arguable robbery was for Garp AND praise for Mary McDonnell (who should've left her face alone and snuck more awards-worthy roles by now)? I love this comments section inspired by the once in a generation Claudio's words!
Just for all of you to know how far and wide the immense acting prowess of The Glenn Close has reached, I am a fan from the Philippines.
If they had any class they would give her an honorary Oscar next year
Jaragon, then she gets the Paul Newman treatment of a competitive win after the honorary. I like the cut of your jib!
Glenn Close should have won outright at her first nomination (Supporting Actress for "Garp"), but the Academy was intent on rewarding Jessica Lange for having a breakout year. Since Meryl Streep was steamrolling to the Best Actress win, the Academy couldn't award Lange for "Frances," so it played the category fraud game and honored Lange as Supporting Actress in "Tootsie" even though she was the obvious female romantic lead in that movie. (Teri Garr was the supporting female player in "Tootsie.") At worst, Close will join fellow all-time greats like Garbo, Stanwyck, and Ullman as non-Oscar recipients (avoiding using terms like "winner" and "loser" in respect to Close's recent criticism of the media constantly using those terms when she feels all the nominees, regardless of whether one "wins" or "loses" should be celebrated). So, it will be a great distinction without any shame to it. It's only a matter of time before Close is given an honorary Oscar and a thunderous standing ovation proclaiming their love of her work in film and acknowledging that she's long overdue for an Oscar and has probably even been "robbed" on occasion (even though these will be the same people who denied her a competitive win throughout her career, so it always seems a bit weird with these honorary awards, sorta like SorryNotSorryKindaSorry).
More surprising and bothersome to me is that, while still churning out work, with a career spanning fifty years in film and television, on stage, and even in recordings, with eight Oscar nominations, three Emmy awards, three Tony awards, and even three Grammy nominations, she not yet been saluted by the Kennedy Center. I find that quite egregious. In fact, I seem to recall she has regularly appeared on the televised ceremony to pay tribute to other honorees, so it's not like she should be slipping the minds of whomever votes on these awards. Her contemporaries Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks have long ago been recognized. (Streep was honored in December 2011 as I recall, just when "The Iron Lady" premiered, and I always wondered if that televised celebration of her career nudged her past Viola Davis for the Oscar even though the heat was on Davis to win). Close is very deserving of this award as an acknowledgement of not just her film career, which an honorary Oscar would address, but her long career in television movies and series and guest shots in both drama and comedy shows (she should have won an Emmy for her guest role in "Will and Grace"! She slays me whenever I see her in that role!) and her equally long career on the Broadway stage in plays and musicals (and even to her forays into spoken word albums). This is the recognition that I think is most glaringly lacking. (Hey, Kennedy Center, if you are reading this, pay attention closely and rectify this oversight.)