Can you believe Glenn Close, 71, doesn’t have an Oscar yet? I didn’t realize that until the news got traction again this year. This is her seventh nomination and she’s the favorite for Best Actress, for her work on The Wife. (Olivia Colman is close on her heels and I wouldn’t be mad if she won, she’s delightful.) I think it will be Glenn’s year finally. Glenn did a long form interview with The Guardian and it was a pleasure to read. I love reading and seeing interviews with older women because they tell it like it is. There’s often none of that self editing that younger actresses do. Glenn told The Guardian that her sex life is great basically, that’s getting a lot of headlines, and also that she’s ok with it if she doesn’t win an Oscar. (This interview was conducted before she was nominated.) Here’s some of what she said:
On whether she cares if she wins the Oscar
I’ve survived all this time just being at the party, and I’ve loved it. Most people sweat over whether they’ll actually win, but I’ve never felt that. I think I’ll be incredibly nervous when they open the envelope, but only because so many people will be disappointed if I don’t win. A lot of them already think I’ve got an Oscar. If I do lose, I want to look at the camera and reassure everyone: ‘I’m OK.’On women’s stories being more widely heard
When women have more of a chance, all these great stories are going to come out. And it won’t just be about them. I long for the day when people say: ‘This is a fantastic movie,’ rather than: ‘This is a fantastic women’s movie.’ We have to keep the issue of the empowerment of women at the forefront because it’s something that won’t become part of our culture unless a lot of people fight for it.On her character being the villain in Fatal Attraction
If you did Fatal Attraction from Alex’s point of view, she would be a tragic person, not a dangerous, evil one. We’ve actually approached Paramount about it. They have other plans at the moment, but I agree it would be fascinating.On the hot sex scenes in The Wife
It’s one of the great myths that you lose your sexuality as you get older… I feel as free and as creative, as sexual and as eager, as I ever have. And it’s ironic because I’m thinking: ‘How much time do I have left now?’ There are so many things I’m interested in doing. It’s one of those ironies, I suppose, that we sometimes start feeling comfortable in our own skin only late in our lives, but hopefully with enough time to benefit from it.
She sounds so wise and thoughtful about feeling comfortable with herself, knowing who she is, and realizing that she’s getting toward the end of her life. I mean. She could have 20 or more years left but she’s around my mom’s age and her friends are dying and having health problems. Your mortality becomes more pressing.
As for Glenn’s thoughts on sexuality, I don’t know how things change when you’re around retirement age and I’m not asking my mom about it, but I’ll take her word for it. I would assume it depends on if you still feel connected to your partner. (Or your hitachi.) That’s what always makes a difference to me but not everyone is like that.
photos credit: WENN and Getty
I hope she will win the Oscar this year. She was amazing in The Wife
Yes. It was a very powerful performance.
I rarely watch Oscar movies these days but this one has been on my list ever since I saw a trailer at the cinema. It looks really, really good and (from what I gather) touches upon the important issue of women taking a back seat in relationships and making themselves smaller to protect the man’s ego. I see it so, so often in real life. If he’s putting himself first and you’re putting him first too, where does that lead you after 5, 10, 20 years?
You can watch it on google play now.
A beautiful woman, inside and out!
She’s been nominated so many times but has lost to Jessica Lange, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster, Linda Hunt, and Peggy Ashcroft. It’s her turn. And she is fantastic in The Wife.
Huh – Fatal Attraction from Alex’s point of view would be really interesting. I don’t know if I would describe her as “evil” as much as “deranged.”
An interesting angle for sure. Now I’m thinking about other characters from classic films who’d be worth revisiting from their perspective.
I would agree that Alex was deranged. And that Michael Douglas’s character is the true villain of the movie.
Yes! Thank you. Michael Douglas’s character was the absolute worst.
I don’t know if you knew this Jenns, but there was another ending for Fatal Attraction that would have had Dan arrested. But apparently the studio and test audiences felt that was a bridge to far.
Of course they did.
I actually wrote a paper in University on Michael Douglas and the female villain/ backlash movies of Fatal Attraction and Disclosure. I thought it would be so easy because I detest MD’s character, but fark it was hard because I kept having to watch those movies over and over.
Absolutely Michael Douglas’s character trope IS the real villain.
Trump is basically a low rent Gordon Gekko. I bet he watches Wall Street over and over.
I don’t think I ever thought of Alex as evil … mental illness isn’t a moral state but tragic figures can still be dangerous, Glenn! “Deranged” is an excellent word for her character.
I don’t know, boiling a rabbit seems pretty evil to me.
I love that she didn’t mess around with her face. She’s absolutely beautiful, as PhillyGal said it’s not just a veneer. I wonder how the young actresses who start on botox in their late teens/early twenties will fare. I read that if you don’t use the muscles in your face they just waste away. Anybody know if that’s true?
I believe that to be accurate for all the muscles in one’s body. Use it or lose it, as they say…
She looks so good! Smiling and accepting her age – I am 30 years younger but I wish I had her attitude!
I hope she wins too and loved her in Damages..
I haven’t seen The Wife, but Glenn Close is a tremendous actress. I hope she finally wins this year.
She’s absolutely sensational in The Wife and I hope she wins the Oscar this year. And I love her outlook on life.
I love her so much and think she should already have an Oscar. Her performance in Dangerous Liaisons years ago was breathtaking and brilliant!
I also love hearing what she has to say about her sexuality at 71. I was trapped in a terrible marriage for 12 years with an abusive alcoholic. Only after my divorce at 37 did I really begin to explore and enjoy my sexuality. I’m happily remarried now but sometimes I think about how much time I wasted and feel such regret. It’s good to know I still have a lot of years ahead of me to enjoy it all!!!