Glenn Close is set to receive one of the film industry’s most prestigious honors, with the recognition leaving the veteran actress feeling “overwhelmed.”
The 79-year-old star will accept the honorary Academy Award at the 17th annual Governors Awards on Nov. 15, a significant moment in a career that has seen her nominated for eight Oscars without securing a win.
“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?”
Her first nomination came in 1983 for “The World According to Garp,” beginning a decades-long association with Hollywood’s biggest awards ceremony.
Further nominations followed for acclaimed performances in “The Big Chill,” “The Natural,” “Fatal Attraction,” and “Dangerous Liaisons.”
She later received recognition for “Albert Nobbs,” “The Wife,” and “Hillbilly Elegy,” bringing her total to eight nominations.
“I’m still processing it and … it means a lot, you know, at this point in my life,” Close told The AP. “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.”
Her record places her alongside the late Peter O’Toole, who also received eight acting nominations without receiving a victory.
“The Academy’s Board of Governors is thrilled to present this year’s Governors Awards to five remarkable individuals whose groundbreaking work has forever shaped the art of filmmaking,” said Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor in a statement at the time of the announcement.
“Throughout her extraordinary body of work, Glenn Close’s unparalleled emotional range has brought to life some of the most complex characters in cinema.”
Her achievements extend well beyond the Oscars. Close has collected three Primetime Emmy Awards, three Tony Awards, and three Golden Globes.
With over 100 film credits throughout her career, Close is widely recognized for her performance as Alex Forrest in the 1987 psychological thriller “Fatal Attraction.”
Other credits include “Jagged Edge,” “Reversal of Fortune,” “Hamlet,” “101 Dalmatians,” “102 Dalmatians,” “Mars Attacks!,” “Air Force One,” “The Stepford Wives,” “The Girl with All the Gifts,” and “Four Good Days.”
“It’s incredibly special and it’s a huge honor,” Close said of the upcoming award. “I don’t know how I’m going to get through it because it’s very emotional for me. But I will somehow.”
Since 1929, the Academy Awards have continued to bestow lifetime achievements and honors to those contributing to global cinema.
The event will also recognize other influential figures within the entertainment industry, including filmmaker Ridley Scott and pioneering animator Floyd Norman, who will also receive honorary Oscars.
Producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler are set to receive the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for their contribution to high-quality motion picture productions.
Last year, actor Tom Cruise was named as an honorary Academy Award recipient, accepting his first-ever Oscar during the event at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles.
During that same event, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian accolade was awarded to Dolly Parton, honoring her efforts “promoting human welfare and contributing to rectifying inequities.” Parton died at the age of 80 in August.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
