Glenn Close Reveals Her Biggest Regret About On-Screen Kiss with Robert Redford: A Shocking Confession
In an exclusive interview that has stunned Hollywood insiders and fans alike, Glenn Close has opened up about her most significant regret in her storied career—her infamous on-screen kiss with Robert Redford in the 1985 romantic drama The Natural. Close, who has long been regarded as one of the greatest actresses of her generation, revealed that the moment, which was pivotal in her career, has haunted her for decades.
Close, now 77, candidly discussed the experience in an emotional conversation with Variety, stating that the on-screen kiss with Redford—one of the most iconic cinematic moments of the ’80s—was far from the magical experience many fans believed it to be.
“I’ve been asked about that kiss a thousand times, but I’ve never really said how I feel about it until now. I wish I had known then what I know now,” Close confessed, her voice tinged with regret. “Looking back, it wasn’t just the kiss itself, but everything surrounding it—the pressure, the expectations, and, quite frankly, how I let myself be pushed into it in ways I wasn’t prepared for.”
The kiss in The Natural, which has been widely regarded as a quintessential moment of movie romance, came as a critical plot point in the film. Close played Iris Gaines, the love interest of Redford’s Roy Hobbs, a mysterious baseball prodigy. The film, based on Bernard Malamud’s 1952 novel, was a major success, earning close to $50 million at the box office and multiple Academy Award nominations. However, Close’s feelings about the scene have remained far from the adulation she’s received from fans and critics.
A Kiss That Changed Everything
Close reflected on the complexities of her relationship with Redford during filming. “Robert is one of the greatest actors of all time, and I respect him deeply. But what people didn’t see behind the scenes was how much I was struggling with the pressure of being in such a high-profile scene. At the time, I was young and incredibly naïve about the demands of fame and how the public would react,” Close admitted.
Her regret wasn’t rooted in the chemistry with Redford or even the performance itself; instead, it was about how the industry forced her to conform to a certain image, one that didn’t align with her true self. “I wasn’t allowed the space to truly reflect on who I was at that time. It was like everything was about that kiss and what it meant for my career, but I wasn’t emotionally ready for that kind of attention, and I let that moment define me in ways I hadn’t anticipated.”
At the time of filming, Close was already an established actress, but The Natural catapulted her to an even higher level of fame. However, she revealed how the overwhelming focus on the romantic storyline and that kiss led to years of feeling misunderstood by the public and, at times, the industry. “People always wanted to talk about the kiss, but no one ever asked how I felt about the roles that I was choosing, the characters I was playing, or the pressure I was under,” she shared, her voice breaking with the weight of the revelation.
The Pressures of Stardom
In the interview, Close further explained how she struggled with the expectations placed on her as a woman in Hollywood. She reflected on the era in which The Natural was made—a time when actresses were often reduced to their beauty, their romantic entanglements, and their ability to captivate the screen with physical attraction. “I felt like I was being boxed in,” Close admitted. “That kiss with Robert Redford became the image everyone saw of me, but it wasn’t the truth of who I was as an artist or a person.”
Despite her reservations, Close noted that she was under immense pressure to conform to Hollywood’s standards. “I was always trying to prove that I was more than just a pretty face, that I was a serious actress. But the industry didn’t care about that. All they saw was the chemistry between Redford and me, and that kiss became a defining moment of my career. And honestly, I just wanted to be taken seriously.”
The actress went on to describe how the aftermath of that film shaped her subsequent career choices. “I started to make different decisions after The Natural. I took roles that would challenge the perception of me as just a ‘love interest’ or a woman who could be reduced to a kiss. It wasn’t until much later that I started to embrace my complexity as an artist, and to stop letting one scene define me.”
A New Perspective
Now, decades later, Glenn Close has come to terms with the fact that she may never be able to escape the lasting cultural legacy of that kiss. But she also wants to ensure that younger generations of actresses don’t fall into the same traps she did. “Hollywood has changed a lot since then, but there’s still a lot of work to do. Young women today need to know that they don’t have to be defined by any one moment. We’re all multidimensional, and we deserve to be recognized for everything we bring to the table, not just for one scene in a movie.”
When asked about whether she would ever work with Robert Redford again, Close’s response was gracious, yet reflective. “I would love to work with him again, but it would have to be for a project that allows us both to explore new facets of ourselves as actors. We both have evolved a lot since The Natural. And I think if we worked together now, it would be a completely different experience.”
The shocking confession from Close has sparked widespread discussions about the treatment of women in Hollywood, particularly the way their careers are often overshadowed by their on-screen roles and how those moments are used to define their entire public image. Close, who has since been lauded for her wide-ranging performances in films such as Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, and Albert Nobbs, has now placed the spotlight on an uncomfortable, yet necessary conversation about the expectations placed on actresses in the industry.
A Legacy of Resilience
Despite the lasting impact of The Natural’s kiss on her career, Close’s legacy is far from defined by that single moment. She remains a towering figure in cinema, with a career spanning over five decades, numerous accolades, and performances that have shaped the course of modern film. Yet, this recent revelation adds a new layer to her complex narrative—one that challenges the simplistic portrayals of actresses and highlights the ongoing evolution of women in Hollywood.
In the end, Close’s candid reflection about her biggest regret sheds light on a darker, often overlooked side of stardom—one that many actors, especially women, must grapple with in an industry that’s quick to pigeonhole talent based on a single image or performance. Through her honesty, Glenn Close has given us a glimpse into the struggles of maintaining one’s identity amidst the bright lights of fame—and how even the most iconic moments in cinema can come with their own set of personal costs.
