Glenn Close is hands down one of the greatest actors we have! She has proven that time and time again in films like The World According to Garp, The Safety of Objects and Dangerous Liaisons. Her latest film, Heights, is a Merchant Ivory production that comes on the heels of her great season in FXs The Shield.
Heights follows five characters over 24 hours on a fall day in New York City. Isabel [Elizabeth Banks], a photographer, is having second thoughts about her upcoming marriage to Jonathan [James Marsden], a lawyer. On the same day, Isabel's mother Diana [Glenn Close] learns that her husband has a new lover, and begins to re-think her life choices and her open marriage. Diana and Isabel's paths cross with Alec [Jesse Bradford], a young actor, and with Peter [John Light], a journalist. As the interrelated stories proceed, the connections between the lives of the five characters begin to reveal themselves and their stories unravel so that Isabel, Jonathan, Diana, Alec, and Peter must choose what kind of lives they will lead before the sun comes up on the next day.
Check out the official site for Heights
Daniel Robert Epstein: Is it weird being playing the role of an Oscar winning actress playing Shakespeare?
Glenn Close: Yeah I was very self conscious about the Shakespeare bit because I wanted to make sure that the scene was a tech rehearsal and not some performance level thing. So we improvised a lot in that a lot and I kept stopping just to make sure it wasnt too precious.
DRE: Have you gotten many questions about who you based your character on?
GC: No because I didnt base my character on anybody. I think there are certain actors that have that kind of energy about them. Zoe Caldwell comes to mind, but shes not like Diana, but she does have that taking over a room energy that is just wonderful.
DRE: Did you enjoy the opportunity to try to play it a little over the top?
GC: No, not really, because I think the diva is kind of a clich. You could say Audrey McDonald is a diva, but she isnt. My definition of a diva is somebody whose talent does not match what theyre trying to play, so all this temperament comes out. Temperament becomes a substitute for talent, so for me, with the hugely talented women that Ive worked with or observed its not a question about temperament or ego its a question about getting it right. If theyve got a reputation for being difficult its usually because they just dont suffer fools. When I hear that somebodys difficult, I think, Oh, I cant wait to work with them.
DRE: I was lucky enough to interview Meryl Streep last year and we asked her if other actors are nervous around her and she said Yeah, but then I tell a joke and they get over it. So Im asking the same of you at this point.
GC: Yeah, Im really very aware of that, because it puts you in a kind of a strange situation where everybody is looking at every little thing you do. Its not good to be in a situation where people dont want to direct you or dont want to question something and I think its just a subtle way of just putting everybody at their ease.
DRE: Do you have fart machine like Leslie Nielsen?
GC: I have one of those but I didnt bring it out on this one.
DRE: How is working on a Merchant Ivory film different from other experiences?
GC: The genius I think about this film is that he recognized [writer/director] Chris Terrios talent. I first met Chris Terrio on the set of Le Divorce because he was putting together the EPK for that. It was Ishmael [Merchant] who picked up on his talent and he let Chris make his own movie. Im sure they had big fights, but its not like a Merchant Ivory film, its Chris Terrios vision.
DRE: With The Shield, whats it like for an actor of your caliber to create a character over 12 hours instead of in just a two hour movie?
GC: I had a great time on The Shield. From working on it I have a totally different view of law enforcement. My total inspiration for that part was Teresa Shirtel down at the sixth precinct of Manhattan. When I started The Shield Teresa was the only female commanding officer at that precinct and shes phenomenal. She let me look into her closet and I saw Jones New York so I wore Jones New York in The Shield.
DRE: Would you agree with the policy to forfeiture on things bought with drug money your character started in The Shield?
GC: Its very controversial. I think as far as shes concerned, shes a good guy and shes not going to get corrupt.
DRE: I asked [Shield creator] Shawn Ryan if he would want cops like Vic Mackey out there. He said I would, but I wouldnt want to know that they exist. Im asking the same question to you.
GC: He gets the job done and everybody Ive talked to who has done law enforcement says it happens. Its a very gray area. Vic is a brilliant cop but hes very complicated.
DRE: Brilliant cop, bad man.
GC: I dont think I would call him a bad man compared to some of the other guys. Its all gray.
DRE Are you coming back next season?
GC: No Im not. My daughter is a senior in high school and we live in New York City and theres no way I can be away like that. As wonderful as The Shield was, it made me really realize that Ive been sacrificing my life for my work for 30 years and now I want it the other way around. I want to find work that fits into my life and that would be based here.
DRE: Did you think youd be doing this as long as you have?
GC: I never got into this business thinking Id be like a movie star. I grew up running around the Connecticut countryside pretending I was Hopalong Cassidys sidekick. So it was always something I wanted to do. To me, its about the incredible adventure of examining the landscape of the human heart and human soul and thats basically what we do now.
DRE: I was in a bar a couple weeks ago and on one screen they were playing Fatal Attraction and on another screen they were playing Last Tango in Paris.
Fatal Attraction is still such an iconic film. Did you guys have that feeling when you were making that film?
GC: I think there came a point where we got real excited because it was pretty special and everyone was right on their game. The cast and crew got that kind of buzz.
DRE: What do you think about the ending they put on right before the release?
GC: It broke my heart to reshoot that ending. She was not a psychopath. She was a self-destructive, wounded creature. All the research I did on that character is textbook behavior for someone who had been incested at a very early age. When they tested the movie the audiences were so upset by her behavior so they literally demanded her blood and they gave it to them.
DRE: The movie has become part of our culture ,
GC: Bunny boiler is now part of our language and Im proud of that. People still come up to me saying You scared the shit out of me and kept my husband on the straight and narrow.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
Heights follows five characters over 24 hours on a fall day in New York City. Isabel [Elizabeth Banks], a photographer, is having second thoughts about her upcoming marriage to Jonathan [James Marsden], a lawyer. On the same day, Isabel's mother Diana [Glenn Close] learns that her husband has a new lover, and begins to re-think her life choices and her open marriage. Diana and Isabel's paths cross with Alec [Jesse Bradford], a young actor, and with Peter [John Light], a journalist. As the interrelated stories proceed, the connections between the lives of the five characters begin to reveal themselves and their stories unravel so that Isabel, Jonathan, Diana, Alec, and Peter must choose what kind of lives they will lead before the sun comes up on the next day.
Check out the official site for Heights
Daniel Robert Epstein: Is it weird being playing the role of an Oscar winning actress playing Shakespeare?
Glenn Close: Yeah I was very self conscious about the Shakespeare bit because I wanted to make sure that the scene was a tech rehearsal and not some performance level thing. So we improvised a lot in that a lot and I kept stopping just to make sure it wasnt too precious.
DRE: Have you gotten many questions about who you based your character on?
GC: No because I didnt base my character on anybody. I think there are certain actors that have that kind of energy about them. Zoe Caldwell comes to mind, but shes not like Diana, but she does have that taking over a room energy that is just wonderful.
DRE: Did you enjoy the opportunity to try to play it a little over the top?
GC: No, not really, because I think the diva is kind of a clich. You could say Audrey McDonald is a diva, but she isnt. My definition of a diva is somebody whose talent does not match what theyre trying to play, so all this temperament comes out. Temperament becomes a substitute for talent, so for me, with the hugely talented women that Ive worked with or observed its not a question about temperament or ego its a question about getting it right. If theyve got a reputation for being difficult its usually because they just dont suffer fools. When I hear that somebodys difficult, I think, Oh, I cant wait to work with them.
DRE: I was lucky enough to interview Meryl Streep last year and we asked her if other actors are nervous around her and she said Yeah, but then I tell a joke and they get over it. So Im asking the same of you at this point.
GC: Yeah, Im really very aware of that, because it puts you in a kind of a strange situation where everybody is looking at every little thing you do. Its not good to be in a situation where people dont want to direct you or dont want to question something and I think its just a subtle way of just putting everybody at their ease.
DRE: Do you have fart machine like Leslie Nielsen?
GC: I have one of those but I didnt bring it out on this one.
DRE: How is working on a Merchant Ivory film different from other experiences?
GC: The genius I think about this film is that he recognized [writer/director] Chris Terrios talent. I first met Chris Terrio on the set of Le Divorce because he was putting together the EPK for that. It was Ishmael [Merchant] who picked up on his talent and he let Chris make his own movie. Im sure they had big fights, but its not like a Merchant Ivory film, its Chris Terrios vision.
DRE: With The Shield, whats it like for an actor of your caliber to create a character over 12 hours instead of in just a two hour movie?
GC: I had a great time on The Shield. From working on it I have a totally different view of law enforcement. My total inspiration for that part was Teresa Shirtel down at the sixth precinct of Manhattan. When I started The Shield Teresa was the only female commanding officer at that precinct and shes phenomenal. She let me look into her closet and I saw Jones New York so I wore Jones New York in The Shield.
DRE: Would you agree with the policy to forfeiture on things bought with drug money your character started in The Shield?
GC: Its very controversial. I think as far as shes concerned, shes a good guy and shes not going to get corrupt.
DRE: I asked [Shield creator] Shawn Ryan if he would want cops like Vic Mackey out there. He said I would, but I wouldnt want to know that they exist. Im asking the same question to you.
GC: He gets the job done and everybody Ive talked to who has done law enforcement says it happens. Its a very gray area. Vic is a brilliant cop but hes very complicated.
DRE: Brilliant cop, bad man.
GC: I dont think I would call him a bad man compared to some of the other guys. Its all gray.
DRE Are you coming back next season?
GC: No Im not. My daughter is a senior in high school and we live in New York City and theres no way I can be away like that. As wonderful as The Shield was, it made me really realize that Ive been sacrificing my life for my work for 30 years and now I want it the other way around. I want to find work that fits into my life and that would be based here.
DRE: Did you think youd be doing this as long as you have?
GC: I never got into this business thinking Id be like a movie star. I grew up running around the Connecticut countryside pretending I was Hopalong Cassidys sidekick. So it was always something I wanted to do. To me, its about the incredible adventure of examining the landscape of the human heart and human soul and thats basically what we do now.
DRE: I was in a bar a couple weeks ago and on one screen they were playing Fatal Attraction and on another screen they were playing Last Tango in Paris.
Fatal Attraction is still such an iconic film. Did you guys have that feeling when you were making that film?
GC: I think there came a point where we got real excited because it was pretty special and everyone was right on their game. The cast and crew got that kind of buzz.
DRE: What do you think about the ending they put on right before the release?
GC: It broke my heart to reshoot that ending. She was not a psychopath. She was a self-destructive, wounded creature. All the research I did on that character is textbook behavior for someone who had been incested at a very early age. When they tested the movie the audiences were so upset by her behavior so they literally demanded her blood and they gave it to them.
DRE: The movie has become part of our culture ,
GC: Bunny boiler is now part of our language and Im proud of that. People still come up to me saying You scared the shit out of me and kept my husband on the straight and narrow.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
VIEW 11 of 11 COMMENTS
sistermedusa:
Oh my goddess, Glenn Close is one of my heroes! Great interview - thanks!! 
drnecessitor:
"Do you have fart machine like Leslie Nielsen" is now my all-time favorite interview question.