Glenn Close ’74, D.A. ’89
Emmy, Tony, SAG and Golden Globe Awards Winner & Eight-time Oscar Nominee
Majors:
{{https://www.wm.edu/as/theatre/,Theatre}} & {{https://www.wm.edu/as/anthropology/,Anthropology}}
Glenn Close, the extraordinarily versatile actress and winner of countless awards, credits William & Mary as the beginning of her story. She came to Williamsburg at age 22, an aspiring actress with big dreams and an even bigger thirst for knowledge. "What I learned at W&M becomes more and more important and evident to me the older I get because it was such a basis for so many things that I have gone on to achieve in life," she says.
Since graduating from William & Mary as a member of Phi Beta Kappa with degrees in theatre and anthropology, Glenn has dazzled audiences with her character portrayals in films such as The Big Chill, Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, Albert Nobbs and 101 Dalmatians. She has also starred in critically acclaimed TV series, including The Shield and Damages, and performed on and off Broadway in shows such as Sunset Boulevard and Mother of the Maid.
Outside of acting, Glenn is an impassioned mental health advocate. In 2010, she co-founded Bring Change to Mind, an organization confronting the stigma around mental illness by establishing peer-led, stigma-free Bring Change to Mind High School Clubs around the country.
Learn more about Glenn
- Watch Her Story: Behind-the-scenes with Glenn Close.
- Watch her 2019 Commencement address.
- Read about her return to campus for Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 2023.
- Watch the 2023 Presidential Conversation and learn how her liberal arts education helped her better understand the characters she portrayed.
Photo ©Brigitte Lacombe
