Glenn Close Questions Gwyneth Paltrow's 'Shakespeare In Love' Oscar Win: "It Doesn't Make Sense"

Glenn Close knows a thing or two about being nominated for Oscars. She has seven nominations under her belt, with the most recent one being in 2019 for her performance in “The Wife.” But Close has yet to land the actual trophy. This year, many expect her to get another nomination for “Hillbilly Elegy,” with some positing that she might win this time as a sort of career acknowledgment. Regardless, her history with the Oscars is very well documented. And though she might not understand why she has yet to win the Oscar herself, Close does have questions about why Gwyneth Paltrow won years ago.

While speaking to ABCNews, the actress talked about the Oscars because of her apparent nomination lock for this season. And though she doesn’t know the odds of winning this time, Close is still wondering how Paltrow won the Best Actress trophy in 1999 for her performance in “Shakespeare in Love.”

“I remember the year that Gwyneth Paltrow won over that incredible actress who was in ‘Central Station,’ and I thought, ‘What?’” said Close. “It’s like… you know… it doesn’t make sense.”

The actress in “Central Station” is actually Fernanda Montenegro, who was acclaimed for her performance in the film that actually went on to win Best Foreign Language Feature. She was joined in the category by Meryl Streep (“One True Thing”), Cate Blanchett (“Elizabeth”), Emily Watson (“Hilary and Jackie”), and the eventual winner, Paltrow. Though Paltrow was obviously beloved in the film, there were people who questioned why “Shakespeare in Love” was actually the night’s big winner, bringing home seven trophies, including Best Picture. Many saw it as one of the weaker Oscar-winning features of all time.

And apparently, you can add Close to those people who were shocked to see the film do so well, and Paltrow, in particular. It’s not all that common that you see actors question the award wins of other performers. So, it’s interesting that Close would pick on Paltrow, specifically. But hey, she’s Glenn freakin’ Close. She’s acting royalty and who are we to judge?

“Hillbilly Elegy” is on Netflix now.