Glenn Close Says She Isn’t The ‘Classic, Perfect Hollywood Beauty’

Glenn Close is an absolute legend. The 71-year-old has been working in Hollywood since 1975, racking up six Oscar nominations, including one for Fatal Attraction where she said the memorable line, “I’m not going to be ignored, Dan!” And for Hollywood Reporter‘s annual Women in Entertainment event, the actress spoke about her time in Hollywood and about how she believes she’s never had the typical Hollywood look.

“I’m not the classic, perfect Hollywood beauty,” Glenn says. “I came into my movie-acting profession older than most people. I played Jenny Fields in The World According to Garp when I was thirty-something, so I missed playing the ingenue. Also, I don’t think I have the kind of looks for those kinds of parts,” Glenn continues, adding, “Then I went right into The Big Chill playing another mother, then right into The Natural another nurturing mother figure. I didn’t make the decision to stop playing those characters. You hope you’ll be offered a part that can show something different.”

Glenn also reveals that she didn’t know it at that time, but producers originally didn’t believe she was sexy enough for her role in Fatal Attraction. “…Some of the producers were absolutely adamant I was wrong for the part because they didn’t know if I could be sexy,” Glenn says. “I loved it when I learned that. Thank god I didn’t know it then. They didn’t even want to meet me when I came out to Los Angeles to audition because they were so mortified that they’d just have to turn me down.” It is now arguably one of Glenn’s best performances.

Glenn continues to speak about her looks, saying, “I’ve analyzed what I think is a beautiful face. Big eyes, little nose, beautiful mouth. And it helps if you have lighter eyes. But the little nose is very important. I do not have a little nose. If they trust what I tell them about how to light my face, then I look beautiful.”

And if you look at Hollywood you know that they have a certain way they want people to look. Glenn knows all about that and had this to say: “‘Character actor'” is probably a silly phrase, because everybody who plays anybody is playing a character, but I’ve never been the glam person,” the Damages actress says. “When it comes to ‘pretty people,’ I don’t know what the demographics are, but most people aren’t pretty. Hollywood was built on mystery and glamour, and what people wanted to look like. That’s what women wanted, to be that person on the screen. Who has time for it? There’s nothing more boring to me than personal maintenance.”

And that is why Glenn continues to be one of best. Glenn also continues to reel in the film credits too, most recently appearing in Father Figures. Hey, they can’t all be Oscar bait.