Glenn Close
Biography
Glenda Veronica Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. In a career spanning over five decades on screen and stage, she has received numerous accolades, including three Primetime Emmy Awards, three Tony Awards and three Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for eight Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Grammy Awards. She was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2019. Close received eight Academy Award nominations for playing a feminist mother in The World According to Garp (1982), a baby boomer in The Big Chill (1983), a love interest in The Natural (1984), a psychotic ex-lover in Fatal Attraction (1987), a cunning aristocrat in Dangerous Liaisons (1988), an English butler in Albert Nobbs (2011), a troubled wife in The Wife (2017), and an eccentric grandmother in Hillbilly Elegy (2020). Her other films include Reversal of Fortune (1990), The Paper (1994), and Mars Attacks! (1996), Air Force One (1997), and Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Close also portrayed Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmatians (1996) and its 2000 sequel and voiced Kala in Tarzan (1999). In television, Close received her first Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her role in the film Something About Amelia (1984) and later won three—Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for portraying Margarethe Cammermeyer in the NBC film Serving in Silence (1995) and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series twice consecutively for playing Patty Hewes in Damages (2007–2012). On stage, Close made her Broadway debut in the play Love for Love (1974). She later won three Tony Awards, two for Best Actress in a Play for her roles in the plays The Real Thing (1983) and Death and the Maiden (1992), and one for Best Actress in a Musical for the musical Sunset Boulevard (1995). She was Tony-nominated for Barnum (1980). She returned to the Broadway stage in a 2014 revival of A Delicate Balance. In 2016, she returned to Sunset Boulevard on the West End stage, earning a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical nomination. Close is the president of Trillium Productions and co-founder of the website FetchDog. She has made political donations in support of Democratic politicians. She is vocal on issues such as women's rights, same-sex marriage, and mental health. Married three times, she has one daughter, Annie Starke, from her relationship with producer John Starke.
Known For

The Simpsons

Family Guy

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Late Night with Seth Meyers

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Graham Norton Show

Saturday Night Live
All Movies (133)
- The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping2026 · as Drusilla Sickle
- La Bola Negra2026 · as Isabelle Durand
- Animal Farm2026 · as Frieda Pilkington (voice)
- Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery2025 · as Martha Delacroix
- Glenn Close: A Feminist Force2025 · as Self - (archive footage)
- Glenn Close, l'art de la transformation2025 · as Self
- The Summer Book2025 · as Grandmother
- Back in Action2025 · as Ginny
- Brothers2024 · as Cath Munger
- Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story2024 · as Self
- The Deliverance2024 · as Alberta Jackson
- A Look Through His Lens2024 · as Self
- Heart of Stone2023 · as King of Diamonds
- Tom Hanks: The Nomad2023 · as Self (archive footage)
- Swan Song2021 · as Dr. Eve Scott
- Boulevard! A Hollywood Story2021 · as Self (archive footage)
- Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age2021 · as Self
- Show of Titles2021 · as "Dance a Little Closer" Performer
- Four Good Days2021 · as Deb
- Baba Yaga2021 · as Chief (voice)
- Hillbilly Elegy2020 · as Bonnie "Mamaw" Vance
- In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover2020 · as Cruella de Vil
- 537 Votes2020 · as Self (archive footage)
- The Great Work Begins: Scenes from Angels in America2020 · as Roy Cohn
- The Lavender Scare2019 · as Narrator (voice)
- Let's Dance2018 · as Segment: "Night Shift"
- Andrew Lloyd Webber: Tribute to a Superstar2018 · as Self
- Father Figures2017 · as Helen Baxter
- The Wilde Wedding2017 · as Eve Wilde
- Crooked House2017 · as Lady Edith de Haviland
- What Happened to Monday2017 · as Nicolette Cayman
- The Wife2017 · as Joan Castleman
- The Fabulous Allan Carr2017 · as Self (archive)
- The Girl with All the Gifts2016 · as Dr. Caroline Caldwell
- Warcraft2016 · as Alodi (uncredited)
- Anesthesia2016 · as Marcia Zarrow
- The Great Gilly Hopkins2015 · as Nonnie Hopkins
- Guardians of the Galaxy2014 · as Nova Prime
- 5 to 72014 · as Arlene Bloom
- Low Down2014 · as Gram
- Six by Sondheim2013 · as Self (archive footage)
- Love, Marilyn2013 · as Self
- Casting By2012 · as Self
- Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen2012 · as (archive footage)
- Albert Nobbs2011 · as Albert Nobbs
- Discovering Hamlet2011 · as Gertrude (archive footage)
- Not My Life2011 · as Narrator (voice)
- Hoodwinked Too! Hood VS. Evil2011 · as Granny (voice)
- My Dog: An Unconditional Love Story2009 · as Self
- Peter Matthiessen: No Boundaries2009 · as Self - Hostess
- Gates of the Arctic2008 · as Narrator (voice)
- Evening2007 · as Mrs. Wittenborn
- Gabon The Last Eden2007 · as Narrator
- Hoodwinked!2005 · as Granny (voice)
- Hollywood's Greatest Villains2005 · as Self
- Nine Lives2005 · as Maggie
- Heights2005 · as Diana
- Tarzan II2005 · as Kala (voice)
- The Chumscrubber2005 · as Carrie Johnson
- Nos Bastidores de Hollywood2005 · as Self (archive footage)
- The Stepford Wives2004 · as Claire Wellington
- Strip Search2004 · as Karen Moore
- Tracking 'The Lion in Winter'2004 · as Self
- The Lion in Winter2003 · as Eleanor of Aquitaine
- What I Want My Words to Do to You2003 · as Self
- In Search of the Jaguar2003 · as Narrator
- Le Divorce2003 · as Olivia Pace
- Brush with Fate2003 · as Cornelia Engelbrecht
- The Safety of Objects2002 · as Esther Gold
- Sunset Boulevard: A Look Back2002 · as Self
- South Pacific2001 · as Nellie Forbush
- The Ballad of Lucy Whipple2001 · as Arvella Whipple
- Welcome to Hollywood2000 · as Glenn Close
- Baby2000 · as Adult Sophie (Voice)
- 102 Dalmatians2000 · as Cruella de Vil
- Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her2000 · as Dr. Elaine Keener (segments "This is Dr. Keener" and "Fantasies about Rebecca")
- Sarah, Plain and Tall: Winter's End1999 · as Sarah Witting
- SNL: The Best of Adam Sandler1999 · as Gina (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Tarzan in Concert with Phil Collins1999 · as Self
- Tarzan1999 · as Kala (voice)
- Cookie's Fortune1999 · as Camille Dixon
- The Big Chill: A Reunion1999 · as Self
- The Lady with the Torch1999 · as Self - Host
- Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Royal Albert Hall Celebration1998 · as Self - Performer
- In & Out1997 · as Glenn Close
- Air Force One1997 · as Kathryn Bennett
- In the Gloaming1997 · as Janet
- Paradise Road1997 · as Adrienne Pargiter
- Mars Attacks!1996 · as Marsha Dale
- 101 Dalmatians1996 · as Cruella de Vil
- The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful1996 · as Self
- Mary Reilly1996 · as Mrs. Farraday
- Anne Frank Remembered1995 · as Diary Readings (voice)
- Serving in Silence - The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story1995 · as Col. Margarethe Cammermeyer
- The Paper1994 · as Alicia Clark
- Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration1993 · as Self (segment "Monster in the Mirror")
- The House of the Spirits1993 · as Ferula Trueba
- Skylark1993 · as Sarah Witting
- Lincoln1992 · as Mary Todd Lincoln (voice)
- Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall1992 · as Self
- Meeting Venus1991 · as Karin Anderson
- Hook1991 · as Gutless
- Sarah, Plain and Tall1991 · as Sarah Wheaton
- Hamlet1990 · as Gertrude
- The Divine Garbo1990 · as Self - Host / Narrator
- Reversal of Fortune1990 · as Sunny von Bülow / Narrator
- Sing! Sesame Street Remembers Joe Raposo and His Music1990 · as Self
- An Amazin Era: Revised and Updated1989 · as Self
- Immediate Family1989 · as Linda Spector
- Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary1989 · as Self
- Dangerous Liaisons1988 · as Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow1988 · as Narrator (voice)
- Stones for Ibarra1988 · as Sara Everton
- Electric Blue 291988 · as (archive footage)
- Fatal Attraction1987 · as Alexandra "Alex" Forrest
- Do You Mean There Are Still Real Cowboys?1987 · as Self - Narrator
- Rabbit Ears - The Emperor and the Nightingale1987 · as Narrator (voice)
- An Amazin' Era1986 · as Self
- Jagged Edge1985 · as Teddy Barnes
- Maxie1985 · as Jan / Maxie
- The Natural1984 · as Iris Gaines
- The Stone Boy1984 · as Ruth Hillerman
- Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes1984 · as Miss Jane Porter (voice) (uncredited)
- Something About Amelia1984 · as Gail Bennett
- The Big Chill1983 · as Sarah Cooper
- The World According to Garp1982 · as Jenny Fields
- The Elephant Man1982 · as Princess Alexandra
- Orphan Train1979 · as Jessica
- Too Far to Go1979 · as Rebecca Kuehn
- The Rules of the Game1975 · as Neighbor
- Encore— · as Marie
- The Plague Monkeys— · as Narrator
- Sunset Boulevard— · as Norma Desmond
All TV Shows (62)
- All's Fair2025 · as Dina Standish
- Hollywood Squares2025 · as Self
- The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window2022 · as The Woman in Seat 2A (uncredited)
- Tehran2020 · as Marjan Montazeri
- Celebrity IOU2020 · as Self
- Desus & Mero2019 · as Self
- 3Below: Tales of Arcadia2018 · as Mother (voice)
- Marcians2017 · as Self - Interviewee
- Sea Oak2017 · as Aunt Bernie
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert2015 · as Self - Guest
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter2015 · as Self
- Variety Studio: Actors on Actors2014 · as Self
- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver2014 · as Self
- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver2014 · as Bonnie Vance (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Late Night with Seth Meyers2014 · as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self
- Finding Your Roots2012 · as Self
- C à vous2009 · as Self
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
- Late Night with Jimmy Fallon2009 · as Self - Guest
- Damages2007 · as Patty Hewes
- The Graham Norton Show2007 · as Self
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show2003 · as Self
- The Shield2002 · as Captain Monica Rawling
- The West Wing1999 · as Evelyn Baker Lang
- Family Guy1999 · as Glenn Close (voice)
- Will & Grace1998 · as Fannie Lieber
- The View1997 · as Self
- Leute heute1997 · as Self
- The Rosie O'Donnell Show1996 · as Self - Guest
- MADtv1995 · as Self
- Inside the Actors Studio1994 · as Self
- Ellen1994 · as Glenn Close
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien1993 · as Self - Guest
- Pebble Mill1991 · as Self
- The Simpsons1989 · as Mona Simpson (voice)
- American Experience1988 · as Self - Narrator (voice)
- This Morning1988 · as Self - Guest
- Goldene Kamera1984 · as Self
- Wetten, dass..?1981 · as Self
- Please Turn the Page1977 · as Self
- Saturday Night Live1975 · as Self - Host
- Great Performances1971 · as Neighbor
- Great Performances1971 · as Self - Host
- Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Host
- Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Audience Member
- Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Nominee
- Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Winner
- Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Presenter
- Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Host / Performer / Winner
- Tony Awards1956 · as Self (archive footage)
- Tony Awards1956 · as Hillary Clinton
- The Oscars1953 · as Self
- Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as Sara Everton
- Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as Sarah Wheaton
- Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as Sarah
- Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as Cornelia Englebrecht
- Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Nominee
- Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Presenter/Nominee
- Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Presenter
- Standing By—
- Maud— · as Maud Oldcastle