Glenn Close Refused To Cry As Vice President In Air Force One - Screen Rant

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Glenn Close refused to cry as Vice President in Air Force One. The 1997 action film was directed by Wolfgang Petersen and followed Harrison Ford as President of the United States after Air Force One is hijacked by terrorists. Ford, as President James Marshall, must fight off the terrorists with his wife and daughter aboard the plane. The cast is rounded out by Glenn Close, Gary Oldman, and William H. Macy.

Close plays Vice President Kathryn Bennett in the film. While the president is fighting off hijackers, Bennett is on the ground in Washington DC, dealing with the crisis from there. Close's storied acting career has included countless roles, but her role in Air Force One in particular is remembered for its groundbreaking nature. The United States had yet to see a female Vice President.

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With the renewed resonance surrounding her role as Kathryn Bennett, Close gave new details about her process in an interview with VF. Close's character remained stoic as she navigated the crisis from the White House. However, according to Close, that's not what the filmmakers initially had in mind. Bennett was much more emotional initially, but Close was having none of it.

One thing I remember was they had a scene around that table where she broke down crying. And I said, 'I will not do that. I don’t think that would happen. Not my vice president. My vice president would not break down into tears, she would step up to the challenge.' So they changed it.

Close's acting career has been heavily praised - she is one of the most nominated actresses without an Academy Award - but her role as VP Kathryn Bennett has taken on new resonance. With Kamala Harris as the Vice President-elect, there's a renewed interest in figures like Close's Bennett and the way they are portrayed in popular culture. Close has continued to take on roles that challenge gender norms, like The Wife and Albert Nobbs. Her laying the groundwork for that in Air Force One was just the beginning.

Close wanting to retain a hardened image for her character isn't surprising, considering the countless times roles like this one have fallen into misogynistic tropes of women being too emotional to be leaders. By breaking that mold, Close was laying the groundwork for all the women who came after her. Speaking up behind the scenes is not an easy thing to do, but luckily someone like Close can do so. Air Force One wouldn't be the same movie without her take on the Vice President and the film is all the better for it.

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Source: Vanity Fair