When Glenn Close learned she had been selected for an honorary Oscar, the 79-year-old actor said two unexpected thoughts immediately came to mind.
“My first reaction was, I don’t need a consolation prize,” Close told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “And my second reaction was, I don’t know … do I want to end my loss record?”
Close has built a remarkable Oscars record. She has received eight acting nominations throughout her career without winning, a distinction she has met with both grace and humor. She is also in notable company: Peter O’Toole likewise earned eight nominations without taking home a competitive Oscar.
How an honorary Oscar differs from a competitive award
The honorary Oscar, formally called the Academy Honorary Award, is separate from the competitive prizes presented for individual films. While the statuettes look identical, the honor recognizes a performer’s body of work and broader contributions to the film industry rather than one specific performance. The selection process is different, too: The Academy’s Board of Governors chooses the recipients instead of the full Academy membership. There are no nominees or losers. Since 2009, the awards have been handed out at the Governors Awards, a separate Los Angeles ceremony rather than during the televised Oscars.
Perhaps the greatest difference is the time available. Without broadcast cameras running on a strict schedule, the Governors Awards can make room for emotional montages, extended tributes and thoughtful speeches from friends, collaborators and the honorees themselves. The ceremony allows everyone to reflect without a countdown clock or an orchestra ready to play someone offstage.
“I’m still processing it, and it means a lot, you know, at this point in my life,” Close said. “I’ve been a working actor for over 50 years. I got my first Oscar nomination 43 years ago. So it’s been a life, you know? And it’s overwhelming.”
Glenn Close looks back on memorable Oscars moments
The honorary award has prompted Close to revisit her long relationship with the Oscars and the ways the ceremony has evolved. Her first nomination came for her film debut in George Roy Hill’s “The World According to Garp.” She learned about it while filming “The Big Chill,” in which her role as Sarah Cooper, the woman hosting a gathering after the death of a friend, earned her a second nomination.
“It was the furthest thing from my mind,” Close said. “I never even thought about the possibility of being nominated for an Oscar. I still can remember my absolute astonishment.”
Her clearest memory of that first ceremony, held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in 1983, is what she wore: “The most beautiful little velvet dress,” designed by her friend, costume designer Ann Roth.
Other memories center on the fashion choices of those around her. On one occasion, she sat behind Madonna and admired her “fabulous” white fur. Another year, when Close was nominated for “Fatal Attraction,” a large section of the audience had styled their hair in tight curls inspired by her character, Alex Forrest.
“That was fabulous,” she said.
One moment left her briefly puzzled. When she appeared with her co-star Michael Douglas to present an award, the audience began laughing. Close was eight months pregnant and had traveled to Los Angeles on a private plane, accompanied by her OB-GYN, because she was not permitted to fly commercially.
“At first, I thought, why are they laughing?” Close said. “And we realized it was because in the movie, I say I’m pregnant with this child and he doesn’t want to have anything to do with it, denies it, and there was always a question whether she really was telling the truth or not. And there I was, hugely pregnant, walking out with Michael. So it was very funny.”
Douglas recently said on “The Graham Norton Show” that Close should have won that year. Asked whether she was surprised he had made the comment, Close paused before answering: “Publicly, yeah.”
Close has never pursued roles for awards
The expression “it’s an honor to be nominated” may be familiar, but for Close it reflects a genuine outlook. She has never chosen a role with the expectation that it would lead to awards recognition.
“I have the DNA of an outsider,” Close said. “So because of that, I’ve always felt the greatest honor was to actually be in the room … the winner-loser thing — especially in the temperature of our country now — for me, does not apply. The fact that you are in the room with some of the most creative people on the planet is what counts.”
Close has not yet decided where the statuette will go in her home, but she is already considering how to share it with the people of Bozeman, Montana. She remains grateful to be working so consistently. This year alone, she has appeared in the Spanish-language epic and presumed Oscar nominee “La Bola Negra,” the latest season of “All’s Fair” and a new “Hunger Games” film. Still, the ability to leave Hollywood and return to a place where she can recharge between performances is essential to her.
“In some ways, I want to share it with the community here,” she said. Close hopes to find a location where “for a day, people can go and see what a real Oscar looks like.” She has one possible venue in mind: “a fantastic bakery called the Wild Crumb.” She acknowledged, however, that she has not yet spoken with the bakery about the idea.
At Sunday’s Governors Awards, Close will be joined by her daughter and son-in-law. She will also wear a custom Armani gown, an outfit she is especially excited about.
The honorary Oscar will not erase Close’s competitive Oscars record. After all, O’Toole received an honorary award in 2003 as well. For now, Close is focused on gratitude and putting the final touches on her speech.
“It’s incredibly special and it’s a huge honor,” Close said. “I don’t know how I’m going to get through it because it’s very emotional for me. But I will somehow.”
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