Glenn Close: 30 years of remarkable transitions

Glenn Close laughs off, literally, the notion of a career achievement award."I'm grateful I have a career," she says. "It's kind of amazing to me. I'm very honored that my work is something that people deem worth celebrating. That song, 'I'm still here' -- it will be relevant.'Close recalled how after extensive stage work she came to make her film debut in George Roy Hill's "The World According to Garp" in 1982."I didn't know what I didn't know. I didn't know movies," she says. "I went up to George and said, 'I hope you'll take care of me, because I hear a lot of actors can't make the transition from stage to film,' and he said, 'You're right. They can't.'"As an artist you never know where your next job is going to come from," she continues, "and so you make all these choices and suddenly it's your body of work."It's not like 30 years ago you said, 'I want to be in this place 30 years from now.' That's impossible in our profession."A five-time Oscar bridesmaid (with noms for supporting actress) but not yet the bride, Close may be in the running for another nomination for "Albert Nobbs," as a woman who disguises herself as a man to get work in late 19th century Ireland.Close first played the role onstage and has spent two decades trying to get it on film. "It was something that was a constant in my life. It just happened to take 15 years." HOLLYWOOD AWARD Grit & glam in movie mecca | Glenn Close: 30 years of remarkable transitions | Hollywood Awards honorees Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com