Six-time Academy Award Nominee Glenn Close has been a steadfast presence in Hollywood since the early 1980s, but she will always be best known for her role as a vengeful jilted lover in Fatal Attraction.

Glenn Close spent her childhood in Connecticut, Switzerland, and Zaire (then known as the Belgian Congo, where her father ran a medical clinic). She majored in drama and anthropology at the College of William and Mary, beginning to find work as an actor shortly after graduating. She appeared primarily on the stage until her feature film debut in The World According to Garp (1982), which earned Close her first Academy Award nomination. Five years later, her role as the bunny-boiling Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction nabbed her another nomination and struck fear in the hearts of philanderers everywhere. She lost the Academy Award to Cher (for her performance in Moonstruck).

Close has won two Golden Globes, two Emmys, and three Tonys. Her most recent Tony was awarded for her portrayal of Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber's production of Sunset Boulevard (she replaced Patti LuPone in the role). Other notable roles include Cruella de Vil in Disney's live-action 101 Dalmations films, Homer Simpson's mother in The Simpsons, and amoral lawyer Patty Hewes of TV's Damages. Close co-wrote and produced 2011's Albert Nobbs, which earned her another Oscar nomination for her titular role as a butler desperate to maintain her disguise as a man in 19th century Dublin.

In 2012, Close revealed in an interview that she and her family were a part of the Moral Re-Armament cult through most of her formative years. She partially credits her success as an actor to her involvement with the cult. At some point in the aughts, Close created the anti-stigma non-profit "Bring Change 2 Mind" to raise awareness for mental illness (her sister suffers from bipolar disorder). [Image from AP]