Glenn Close

Glenn Close is an American actress whose career spans theatre, film, television, and voice work, and whose performances often combine technical control with emotional force. Born in Greenwich, Connecticut, on 19 March 1947, she studied at the College of William & Mary before beginning her professional life on stage. Her early theatre work led to Broadway, where she established herself before becoming a major screen actor.

Close made her film debut in The World According to Garp, earning an Academy Award nomination immediately. During the 1980s she became one of American cinema's most prominent dramatic actresses through The Big Chill, The Natural, Fatal Attraction, and Dangerous Liaisons. Her Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction became one of the decade's defining screen roles, while her Marquise de Merteuil in Dangerous Liaisons demonstrated her command of period drama, wit, and psychological precision.

Her stage achievements are equally important. Close won Tony Awards for The Real Thing, Death and the Maiden, and Sunset Boulevard. Her performance as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard became one of her signature theatre roles, linking her screen image with a demanding musical-theatre part. This stage foundation helps explain the clarity and size of her film acting: even in close-up, her performances often carry the architecture of classical theatre.

Close also built a notable television career. She won major attention for the legal thriller Damages, playing attorney Patty Hewes, a role that brought her Emmy and Golden Globe recognition. Other television work, including earlier films and miniseries, showed her ability to move between prestige drama, genre material, and character studies without losing authority.