Glenn Close

Biography of Glenn Close

Glenn Close is a Hollywood diva who can make the viewers laugh and make them cry at the same time, can enrapture with her unique dramatic talent and ability to transform into the villain Cruella De Vil, prisoner of a Japanese concentration camp or even a man.

In the photo: Glenn Close

Early years

Glenn Close was born on March 19, 1948, in the family of a doctor William Taliaferro Close and Bettine Moore. Glenn spent her childhood together with her brothers and sisters in the Congo ‒ her father was the personal physician of President Mobutu Sese Seko. With the assistance of the authorities, William Close opened a clinic in the Congo, which he managed for 16 years.

Glenn Close in her youth

Glenn’s parents got under the influence of the Moral Re-Armament (MRA) movement, which meant a complete rejection of the benefits of civilization and a restriction in communication with people who were not members of the MRA. Several years of solitude life influenced the formation of the character of the girl; she became reticent and shy.

At the age of 16, Glenn was sent to a private school in Switzerland, and until she was 21, she studied literature and English, preparing to continue her tuition at the university. After graduating from school, Glenn entered The College of William & Mary, where she became carried away by the theater. Playing in the student theater troupe helped the girl to become confident, make friends, and determined the choice of profession. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in literature, she entered the drama school.

Glenn Close early career

In 1975, to the discontent of her father, Glenn began performing in one of the famous Broadway theaters. The acting of the young actress with an aristocratic appearance earned the attention of producers and brought her several Tony awards.

Film career. Beginning

Glenn appeared on the screen at a fairly mature age by Hollywood standards. She was almost 30 years old when she got a small part in the adventure film Orphan Train. The film did not become popular and entered the history of cinema as the brilliant Hollywood diva Glenn Close’s first work in the cinematograph.

Glen Close in the films

In 1982, Glenn starred in the drama The Elephant Man directed by Jack Hoffsiss, performing the part of Princess Alexandra. The part of John Merrick, who suffered from a severe form of an unknown disease, was performed by Philip Anglim. The film differed from the more famous adaptation of this story of 1980, in which Anthony Hopkins played. Some critics said that Jack Hoffsiss’ version was more refined and tragic.

The film The World According to Garp, based on the novel by John Irving and released in the same year, brought Glenn's first popularity. In the picture, she played the as eccentric mother of the main character, who grew up in difficult conditions and became a great writer. The role of T.S. Garp was performed by Robin Williams.

Glenn Close in the film The World According to Garp

In the period between 1982 and 1985, Glenn starred in several films, such as the comedy The Big Chill, in which her partners were Tom Berenger and Jeff Goldblum, and the drama The Stone Boy, which tells about the grief of parents, whose one son accidentally killed the second one. In this piercing drama, Glenn played in duet with Robert Duvall.

Shot from the film The Big Chill

In the sports drama The Natural, the actress played as the childhood friend of baseball player Roy Hobbs, who was performed by Robert Redford. The film also starred Barbara Hershey, Michael Madsen, and Kim Basinger. Glenn was nominated for Academy Awards for her role in The Natural, but the real success was waiting for her in the future.

Glenn Close in the movie The Natural

Having played the role of lawyer Teddy Barnes in the thriller Jugged Edge in 1985, the actress showed the full depth of her dramatic talent. The character of the businessman accused of killing his wife was played by Jeff Bridges. Trying to prove his client’s innocence, Teddy falls in love with him, but he turns out to be a cold-blooded killer.

Shot from the film Jugged Edge

The reverse side of passion, dark and criminal, was performed by Glenn in the psychological thriller Fatal Attraction, in which she played in a duet with Michael Douglas. The role of the rejected mistress Alex, who turned out to be a psychopath, ready to do anything to get revenge on her former lover, brought Glenn another nomination for Oscar. The film also starred Anne Archer and Ellen Foley.

Best roles

In 1988, director Stephen Frears invited the actress to the filming of the novel Dangerous Liaisons by Choderlos de Laclos for the role of the brilliant Marquise de Merteuil. This film adaptation of the famous novel is considered one of the best. The role of Valmont was played by John Malkovich.

Glenn Close in the picture Dangerous Liaisons

In the drama, Immediate Family Glenn played the part of Linda, Michael Spector’s wife. Over the years they could not conceive a child and had to take a baby from a young girl who did not want to become a single mother. However, things did not go according to plan, and the mother began to doubt whether it was worth giving away the child, whom she had already fallen in love with. James Woods played the role of Linda’s husband, and Mary Stuart Masterson performed the character of the young mother.

The role in the smart psychological drama Reversal of Fortune is considered one of the most difficult roles in the rich filmography of the actress. In the picture, Glenn appeared in the image of a rich aristocrat Sunny, who dies in a strange way as a result of an overdose of sleeping pills. Sunny’s children doubt that the socialite decided to commit suicide and accuse of murder Claus von Bülow, Sunny’s husband. The film became the best film of 1990 and deserved several nominations for Oscar (and won in the nomination the Best Male Role).

Reversal of Fortune ‒ Trailer

At the end of 1990, there was the release of the saga about love and betrayal called Hamlet, directed by Franco Zeffirelli. The picture was filmed as close to the play of Shakespeare as possible and is considered the best adaptation. Mel Gibson performed the role of Hamlet, and Glenn embodied the image of Gertrude.

Glenn Close as Gertrude from Hamlet

The moving story of 1991 Sarah, Plain and Tall, in which Glenn played in a duet with Christopher Walken, received a continuation in the 1993 film Skylark. Both films entered the history of American cinema and deserved many awards and nominations.

The screen adaptation of the novel The House of the Spirits written by Isabel Allende and telling about the fate of several generations of a noble Chilean family did not receive any awards but became a favorite film for millions of viewers who gave their hearts to Glenn Close, who played one of the leading roles in the film. Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Antonio Banderas and Winona Ryder joined the actress in the film.

From 1993 to 1996, the actress starred in several films that permanently became the leaders of the box office. The most famous films of this period are: Serving in Silence, Mary Reilly, and, of course, 101 Dalmatians.

Glenn Close in the comedy 101 Dalmatians

In the adventure comedy, Glenn embodied the image of Cruella De Vil on the screen. The character hunted Dalmatian puppies in order to sew a coat of their skins. The viewers, who saw their favorite in the image of a luxurious villain for the first time, were astonished by Close’s unsurpassed performance.

The film Paradise Road, released in 1997 and based on real events, told about women who were captured in Japan during World War II. The life-asserting story caused the tears and admiration of the viewers over the heroism of women who overcame fear and death. The lead role was played by Glenn Close: exhausted, with a shaved head, she got the feel of her part so that it seemed as if she had gone through these tragic events. In the film that earned worldwide recognition, there was a powerful female ensemble: besides Glenn, Cate Blanchett, Frances McDormand and Julianna Margulies also played there.

Paradise Road ‒ Trailer

In 1999, the third part of the saga about Sarah Sarah, Plain and Tall: Winter’s End was released. A worthy end of the story of the difficult relationship between Jacob, played by Christopher Walken, and his wife Sarah delighted viewers and critics.

From 2000 to 2009, the actress embodied a variety of characters on the screen, permanently amazing the audience with her unique dramatic gift. Among the pictures of this period the dramas Nine Lives, The Safety of Object, and Height, as well as the sequel of the story about the adventures of puppies, 102 Dalmatians were especially noted.

Trailer of the movie 102 Dalmatians

In 2003, the actress played at the director Andrei Konchalovsky in the drama The Lion in Winter. Glenn brilliantly performed the part of Eleanor and received the Golden Globe.

Glenn Close in the picture The Lion in Winter

In the comedy film of 2004 The Stepford Wives Glenn was radiant in the company with Nicole Kidman, Bette Midler, Christopher Walken, and Matthew Broderick.

In addition, from 2000 to 2008, Glenn starred in the detective series The Shield, in which she played the role of police captain Monica Rawling.

In another television series project called Damages, the actress played the role of Patty Hewes, a merciless businesswoman, the head of a legal corporation. The other roles in the series were played by Rose Byrne, Ted Denson, and Noah Bean.

Glenn Close

At the time when it would seem, there was nothing to surprise the fans of the actress with, in 2011 Glenn appeared in the film Albert Nobbs and immediately create a furor. In a modest reticent servant, it was difficult to recognize a woman who, by the will of fate, lived her whole life dressing as a man. For the role of Albert Nobbs, the actress received another Oscar nomination. The sad story also starred Mia Wasikowska and Brendan Gleeson.

In 2014, Glenn played a small but striking role in a fantastic action movie Guardians of the Galaxy, and in 2016, the part of the grandmother in the family picture The Great Gilly Hopkins.

Shot from the movie The Great Gilly Hopkins

In 2017, several works of the actress were released. Glenn Close played as Lady Edith in a drama filmed according to Agatha Christie’s detective novel Crooked House. The film also starred Julian Sands, Max Irons, and Gillian Anderson.

Feature film Crooked House with Glenn Close

The lead role in the comedy film Father Figures became a gift for fans of the actress, whom she rarely favors with comedy roles. The roles of the sons of Glenn’s character, who wanted to find out who their real father was, were performed by Owen Wilson and Ed Helms.

Father Figures ‒ Trailer

Another film starring Glen Close, The Wife, also released in 2017. This story, based on Meg Volittser’s novel, is about the wife of the writer Joseph Castleman, instead of whom Close’s character wrote the novels. Now, when her husband received the Nobel Prize and arrogated to himself all the merits the heroine is going to restore justice.

Glenn Close’s personal life

The first husband of the actress was a musician Cabot Wade. Glenn thinks that marriage with him that broke up after 2 years was a mistake.

Glenn Close and Cabot Wade

The second time the actress married the entrepreneur James Marlos in 1984, but this marriage was unsuccessful too.

In the early 2000s, the actress began dating John Starke but refused to marry the famous producer remembering the first two failures. She lived with Starke for about 6 years and gave birth to a daughter, Annie.

Glenn Close and John Starke

Only in 2006, Glenn found female happiness connecting her fate with a person far from the film industry. Her choice was the lawyer David Evans Show (born in 1951). Unfortunately, the couple broke up in 2015, the actress returned to New York (the couple lived in Maine) but kept a warm relationship with David.

Glenn Close and David Evans Shaw

Fans of the actress often argue with Meryl Streep admirers about which of these two actresses is better and do not suspect that the women are close friends in life. The fact that they are sometimes confused makes both women laugh.

Glenn Close now

From 2018 to 2019, Glen Close took part in the computer-animated series "3Below: Tales of Arcadia", created by Guillermo del Toro for Netflix. In it, Glen played Mama. In 2020, the American drama film "Hillbilly Elegy" is set to premiere, in which Close will reappear as a mother. The plot repeats the autobiographical story of James Vance about three generations of the life of one family. Amy Adams and Hayley Bennett will join Glen on the set.

Despite her age, Glen is an active user of social networks - she leads Instagram. In it, the actress often publishes photos and videos in which she pleases fans with her natural appearance.

Angel Matthew Morris

And what kind of actress is Glenn Close? The first time I`ve heard. Where was she filmed at all?

2021-03-27 10:15:18
Richard Evan Patterson

It`s strange. This is the first time I hear that Close is confused with Meryl Streep. In my opinion, they don`t look alike at all

2021-03-11 20:36:58
Lorraine McGee

The gorgeous Gilly Hopkins is basically such a family movie, but only now I remember. There, Glenn Close, something is not very memorable

2021-02-25 15:28:15
Jeff Anderson

Close has a very intelligent appearance. I just want a lady like that. In the «Jagged Edge» it looks exactly like that

2021-01-22 23:09:54

Photos: Glenn Close