Glenn Close, now 78, recently reflected on what she considers the most unforgettable kiss of her career—and it happened decades ago with Robert Redford on the set of “The Natural. ”
During an appearance on “Watch What Happens Live,” host Andy Cohen asked Close who her best on-screen kiss was. She answered without hesitation: Robert Redford in “The Natural. ” Then she added a detail that surprised many viewers: “I only got to kiss him once.
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Close later suggested it may have been two takes, but the point stood. A scene that became iconic in 1984 was captured in a remarkably brief moment on set. The 1984 film starred Redford as Roy Hobbs, an aging baseball prodigy, with Close playing Iris Gaines, his old flame. The kiss scene has endured in Hollywood memory, and Close earned one of her Oscar nominations for the role—her third at the time.
For Close, the brevity of the moment carries a deeper meaning. Decades later, she still recalls it vividly, describing how she threw the character out of her apartment in the film but ultimately ended up with him. The reflection is bittersweet: a tiny piece of screen time became a career-defining memory, yet the industry still didn’t give her the ultimate prize. Close’s career includes eight Oscar nominations without a win.
She remains one of the most respected actresses of her generation, still actively working and speaking publicly about her experiences. The anecdote also highlights the power imbalance in Hollywood. Redford was already an established legend when they worked together, while Close was still making her mark. The short shoot time for such a memorable scene, she implies, says something about how fleeting certain moments can be for actresses on screen and how quickly the industry moves on.
What goes unsaid, observers note, is just as revealing. Close wasn’t bragging—she was reminiscing. And at 78, that reflection offers perspective rather than nostalgia, a window into how actors find meaning in brief, perfect moments.
The kiss may have lasted seconds, but for Close, it has lasted a lifetime.