American actress Glenn Close has established herself as one of Hollywood's most fascinating, long-standing and versatile stars.

Close was born in Connecticut in 1947, and was raised in Africa and Switzerland while her father worked as a doctor in the Belgian Congo. She first developed an interest in the arts while in high school, where she organized a theatre group and started performing as a folk singer. She went on to study acting and anthropology at the College of William and Mary, and made her acting start in regional theater.

By 1974 she had landed her first role on the New York stage in Love for Love. Her work in the theater would eventually earn her three Tony Awards, and it also led to her break into film when the director of The World According to Garp saw her in Barnum. Close hit the big screen with a bang, earning an Academy Award nomination for her role as the unconventional mother of Robin Williams.

The following year saw her score another nomina