If you were surprised to hear that the legendary American film star Glenn Close ("Fateful Courtship", "Dangerous Relationships", "101 Dalmatians", "The Woman") chose to join the cast of the TV hit "Tehran", as an institutional agent working side by side with Tamar Rabinian (Niv Sultan), you are not the only ones.
Close herself did not really expect anything like this to happen either.
"It was a complete surprise," says the 75-year-old actress, who has been nominated for an Oscar no less than eight times, at the beginning of a relaxed zoom conversation that takes place on the occasion of the second season of the acclaimed and Emmy-winning series.
"The offer to join the series came out of nowhere. I really liked the idea of being the only American in this whole group - which consists mainly of Israelis, Iranians and Greeks (filming of the series takes place in Athens;
It was the first time I had found myself in such a situation, and I thought it was a very interesting and exciting starting point.
An entirely new experience.
For the series itself, I must admit, I have never heard of it before. "
So you just decided to get out of your comfort zone?
"You could say yes. I relied on director Danny Sirkin and producer Dana Eden, and also met some of the actors briefly. But I did not really know anyone, I had not worked with any of the actors or crew before, and I had no idea what it would be like to go on an adventure with This bunch.
"To my great joy, they accepted me and made me feel like I was one of them. I went to Shabbat dinner with everyone. I saw a lot of episodes of 'Stisl.' And very noisy! ", She laughs out loud.
"Another reason that made me want to be a part of 'Tehran,'" she continues, "is the fact that she does not come from the United States.
One of the positive things that is happening in the streaming age is that more and more international non-English speaking series are gaining immense exposure.
This is very important to me.
These series provide a look at different places in the world and expose people to things they otherwise would not have been exposed to.
For cultures, for characters, for stories.
"When 'Tehran' won my international mother, producer Dana Eden said she hoped one day Israelis and Iranians could march together in Jerusalem and Tehran as friends, not as enemies, and I'm very connected to that."
Do you really think a series like "Tehran" can make any difference in reality?
Close smiles.
"It could have been nice, could it not? But it seems to me that it takes a lot more than a series. When it comes to truth, we live in a gray area. Therefore, the more points of view, the better. The fact that there are more and more serious and interesting works from around the world Who manage to create a connection with viewers of all kinds, creates in me a hope that maybe we can put an end to the terrible polarization that prevails in the world today.
"One of the nice things about 'Tehran,' in my opinion, is the way the characters' relationships are portrayed. Suppose, the relationship of the Revolutionary Guardsman, Faraz Kamali, and his wife, Nahid. "The 'bad guys', a very human and very real side, and it adds depth and complexity and shows that nothing is black and white. Series like this can help people understand and see it."
"The character is motivated by mourning"
The first season of "Tehran", which was produced for the Israeli broadcasting corporation "Here", was a success story from the legends.
In addition to the popularity and rave reviews, in June 2020 the series was sold for broadcast on Apple TV Plus for an estimated $ 30 million, and in November 2021 came the dream win of the International Emmy Award.
The new season, which will air here at 11 this coming Thursday (and will be available simultaneously on Apple's streaming service), continues right from where the previous season ended.
Mossad agent Tamar Rabinian is still stuck in Tehran with her Iranian hacker / boyfriend, Milad Kahani (Sharbin Allenby), and is under constant threat.
The man of the Revolutionary Guards, Faraz Kamali (Sean Taub), is still obsessively looking for her, and the commanders at the institution also refuse to leave her alone.
Into the rush Glenn Close enters as Marjan Montzari, an elegant and mysterious British psychiatrist who has lived in Tehran for many years and works for the institution.
She soon becomes Tamar's local operator: she provides her with guidance, sophisticated manipulations and becomes a key partner in the large and dangerous operation, which is supposed to inflict a hard and painful blow on the Iranian army's operational capabilities.
Close says that she contributed quite a bit herself to shaping her character in the series.
She said she helped build a background story for Marjan that would explain how she came to do what she does, and although she did not meet real spies during her extensive research, she did spend many months reading history books, watching documentaries and learning Persian.
"I had a great Persian teacher. I worked with her for two and a half months to try to reach a reasonable level of credibility. The history books I read were fascinating. I was very surprised to learn about Iranian Jewry. Do you know 'Reading Lolita in Tehran'? A beautiful book. The woman who wrote it, Azar Nafisi, very similar to Marjan, in my opinion.
"Marjan's engine - her motive for action - is mourning. She mourns the death of her husband, with whom she set up a post-trauma clinic in Tehran. She mourns the loss of her freedom, in Iran. Hubble pushed her to activism. I was grateful when the screenwriters wrote for me "A scene in which Tamar asks me why I actually work for the Israeli side. And Marjan answers her: 'Because you are the only ones I can trust to go to the end.' That's her motivation. That's why she went to work for the Mossad."
You share quite a few scenes with Niv Sultan. What was it like working with her? Do you think she has what it takes to be successful in Big Time?
"Absolutely. Anyone who can put on a show like the one she puts on in the series - despite the tight schedule she had to deal with - has what it takes. The schedule of TV series is particularly cruel, and look what she's been able to do with it. Her role is also physical, Also psychological - just a great role for her.
"It takes endurance to succeed in this crazy profession. It has to have mental resilience. It has both of those qualities, no doubt. It also has a beautiful quality. Its face invites observation and inquiry."
With Niv Sultan in the set.
"Her face invites observation and inquiry," Photo: PR Here 11
Decided whether to play a lesbian
Glenn Close - Undoubtedly one of the greatest film, theater and television actresses of the last 50 years, was born in 1947 in Greenwich, Connecticut.
After a difficult and continuous childhood, which she spent with her family in the spiritual cult MRA (she left her at the age of 22), Close found refuge, community and freedom on the theater stage.
She rolled into cinema at a relatively late age, 35, having already begun to make a name for herself on Broadway, and her dizzying success on the big screen came at record speed.
Although she did not fit the classic lead cast of "Leading Lady", meaning an actress who could hold a film as the main character, the first three roles she did - in "The World According to Garp" (1982), "Alex's Friends" (1983) and "Best of All" (1984) ) - They all earned her Oscar nominations in the supporting actress category.
Close in "Alex's Friends",
Two more nominations - for "Fateful Courtship" (1987), in which she played the mistress from hell and became the hated woman in America for a time, and "Dangerous Relationships" (1988), in which she starred alongside John Malkovich and Michelle Piper - were not long in coming and completed the doubt Amazing five Oscar nominations in seven years, and more for roles so different from each other.
In the 1990s, Clues established herself as a regular on the Hollywood A-list with hits such as "Air Force 1" (alongside Harrison Ford) and "Invaders from Mars" (alongside Jack Nicholson).
She also entered the character of Crowella de Ville, one of her most iconic and wild roles, in two "101 Dalmatians" films released in 1996 and 2000.
On top of all that, Close also played Norma Desmond in two different productions of the award-winning musical "Sunset Boulevard" by Andrew Lloyd Webber (a role that won her the Tony Award), and starred for five seasons as the ruthless lawyer Patti Hughes in the excellent series "Damages". Which aired between 2007 and 2012 on FX (a role that brought her two Emmy Awards).
Even these two characters, needless to say, deserve a place in the Hall of Fame of the wonderful and extraordinary actress.
"I always thought I should be subjective about the projects I do," Close says when I ask her where she mobilized the courage and mental strength needed to carve for herself such a unique way in Hollywood.
"If anything, a script or a play, that I read touches my heart and speaks to me - that's what matters. The writing. The story. In the mid-1990s, for example, I was debating whether to make the TV movie 'Serving in Silence.' From the service because she admitted she was a lesbian.
"So I asked myself what the consequences might be if I took the job. Will it threaten my career? Will they continue to employ me? Such questions certainly arise. But then I say: what's the alternative? Not to do something because it scares me? I just do not. Can accept that thought.It seems to me fundamentally wrong.
"Another example: right after the first movie I made, I went to play a TV movie. It was in the early '80s, and at the time, unlike today, these things were really unacceptable. My agent promised me it would ruin my film career, and I told him: "The English do it all the time. So why should we not?"
"After all, all the great English actresses - Judy Dench, Helen Mirren - did everything. Radio. Sitcoms. Theater. Movies. So the material is the important thing. The story. That's what should lead me as an actress."
Close at the 2019 Oscars.
"I have a secret", Photo: API
"Loves people and challenges"
For the past decade, Close has continued to work hard and challenge herself non-stop.
Apart from three other Oscar nominations - for "Albert Noves" (2011), "The Woman" (2018) and "The Appalachian Diaries" (2021) - among others, she could be found starring in a zombie movie ("The Girl with All the Gifts") And stars in a Marvel superhero movie ("Guardians of the Galaxy").
Colleague Meryl Streep may have more Oscars on the bedside table, but Clues' career is much, much more interesting, diverse and impressive.
Even in the eighth decade of her life she continues to take risks, look for new thrills and look for juicy female roles, in which the teeth can be stuck.
Close has been married three times, and has one daughter, actress Annie Stark, 34, who was born during a time she was in a relationship with producer John Stark.
For many years Close was located in New York, but today she lives in an old brick house in a small town in Montana, next door to the home of her younger sister, Jesse.
I read your old interview where you compared the Hollywood industry to a cruel machine that eats people. But not only have you personally survived this machine, you are still galloping forward with all your might. How, actually?
"I'm a very introverted type. I never felt like I could live in California, close to Hollywood. The very idea was too scary for me, so I always kept a distance between myself and the industry. I did it for my mental health. I kind of feel like an outsider. I had It is an honor to work with great and amazing people throughout my career, but when the work is over, I go home.
"I think it's important that you can go home. I walk around my town here, in Montana, and I never think about being a world-renowned actress. It's all very far from me when I'm home."
I know you've been asked this a million times, but do you have favorite roles?
"The answer I need to be able to answer is: the last role I did. So the answer is: the role I did in 'Tehran.' According to Garp. I really liked the Marquise de Martay from 'Dangerous Relationships', Alex Forrest from 'Fateful Courtship'.
Close in "Dangerous Relationships",
"Ultimately, the characters I like the most are the ones who have an inner life that the audience is unaware of. For me it's gold. Director Mike Nichols once told me that it's very important for an actor to have secrets. My behavior may be different than you expect it to be. I might say "Something different from what you think I'm going to say. Because I have a secret. It's fascinating to me."
At one point in "The Woman" your character says "Don't look at me as a victim. I'm much more interesting than that." Not only is this sentence valid for many of the characters you played, it also connects me naturally to your reaction after last year's Oscar ceremony. The Los Angeles Times tried to label you a poor loser after you did not win again. You were very angry, and I think you even wished them to go to bed ...
Close laughs.
"Really? Did I say that? Well, it pissed me off. 'She's a loser,' 'She lost eight times.' "Once you are in a group of the top five. How can someone in this room, this evening, even be a loser? That's the fucking mentality of 'winners' and 'losers'. Life is about dealing, not winning.
Although there are quite a few projects waiting for her - a horror film with Octavia Spencer, a wild comedy with Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage, and possibly a cinematic version of "Sunset Avenue" - Close sounds a bit thoughtful when I ask her if she feels ready to return to routine, Now that the corona period seems to be coming to an end.
"I'm still trying to figure out what the last two and a half years have been like for me," she admits, "there was something difficult about it at first. For a long time I did not know what to do with myself. I had more time at home than I ever had in all my career years. On Instagram. I went for walks. I read books. Then, like a lot of other people, I felt exhausted and disabled for a while.
"I can not say that it was a particularly creative period. I feel like a field that is currently being plowed, and it is still impossible to know what will grow."
shishabat@israelhayom.co.il
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