By Judy Shields
Video by Lucas Camacho
Photos by Judy Shields
TCL Chinese Theatre, Hollywood CA (The Hollywood Times) 05/01/2026
It was such an honor to be able to cover this year’s Hand & Footprint Ceremony honoring legendary actress Glenn Close. I have been lucky enough to cover them since 2013 which was with Jane Fonda. I was there as a fan for Kim Novak and Peter O’Toole. Here is the list of those since 2011.
Previous Hand & Footprint Ceremony Recipients at the TCM Classic Film Festival include:
2025: Michelle Pfeiffer (68)
2024: Jodie Foster 63)
2022: Lily Tomlin (86)
2019: Billy Crystal (78)
2018: Cicely Tyson
2017: Carl and Rob Reiner
2016: Francis Ford Coppola (87)
2015: Christopher Plummer
2014: Jerry Lewis
2013: Jane Fonda (88)
2012: Kim Novak (93)
2011: Peter O’Toole
There are been hilarious ones like that of Jerry Lewis and Billy Crystal to those we have lost like Cicely Tyson, Carl and Rob Reiner, Christopher Plummer, Jerry Lewis and Peter O’Toole.
The videographers and photographers were all getting set up and the cement guys were pouring the wet cement from those famous Home Depot buckets in preparation of the hand & footprint ceremony to come:
The newly turned 79 year old movie legend was all smiles at the TCM Classic Film Festival Hand & Footprint Ceremony in her honor at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard on Friday, May 1st. There were family, friends, fans, photographers and a four legged friend all in attendance. She looked stunning in a brown suit and a wearing a pair of killer dark shades. Glenn Close has joined the elite group of cinema stars whose imprints will be forever preserved at the iconic venue.
The time came when most of the invited guest were seated and John Landgraf, Chairman of FX Networks took his seat as well as Zelda Williams.
The ceremony starts with TCM Classic Film Host Ben Mankiewicz taking the stage to talk about the star of the show, Glenn Close.
“Welcome, everybody. I am Ben Mankiewicz, host of Turner Classic Movies. Thanks for joining us. As we celebrate the superlative career of one of the defining actors of her generation going through. She’s been nominated for eight Academy Awards. Now, I know that awards are not in any way the best barometer of an artist. That said, there are only nine actors in history with more Oscar nominations than Glenn Close, Spencer Tracey and Katharine Hepburn, Denzel Washington and Al Pacino, Bette Davis and Laurence Olivier, Jack Nicholson and Paul Newman. Meryl Streep, when you talk about the best actors of a generation, Glenn Close will not be ignored.”
“Glenn began her career in the 1970s, working her way to three Tonys over the next few decades, most notably for playing one of the greatest characters ever written in any medium, Norma Desmond. Glenn was Norman Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical adaptation of Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard. Her mantle also holds three Emmys, two of those for playing Patty Hewes, the most complicated and engrossing lawyer. I believe in the history of the screen, big or small, that came in the TV series dangerous. And she did it just by standing up in the bleachers of a ballpark to inspire Robert Redford in The National.”
Ben finished up with: “We’re so excited to host this Hand and Footprint ceremony today. Two of Glenn’s great friends are here to join us to help celebrate this moment with her. Up first, an actor and director who happens to be the daughter of that billion actor who played guard, Robin Williams. Please help me to welcome to the stage, Zelda.”
TCM Classic Film Festival Hand & Footprint Ceremony with TCM Host Ben Mankiewicz speaking about Glenn Close at TCL Chinese Theatre Hollywood May 1 2026 (Photo THT Judy Shields)”Ben then introduces actress Zelda Williams. She delivered a warm, personal speech, expressing her delight at being asked to honor Close.
“I am both elated and terrified to be here today to honor the incomparable Glenn Close and her incredible career. I believe my first response to her asking me to speak today was, oh my God, why out loud before texting her back that I would happily do so, and I promise. It’s probably just as confusing for me to be up here as it is for any of you watching, but I cannot stress enough how much it’s nearly impossible to say no. If Glenn asks you to do something and no, it’s not out of fear of her taking your puppies. It’s from the knowledge that you’re about to embark on the sort of singular adventure only a mostly benevolent trickster god can bestow. You’ve all seen it in her eyes every time you’ve been lucky enough to catch her on screen or stage, that glint of mischief shining out from a seemingly endless well of feeling and knowing that’s practically celestial.”
She went on to say, “Perhaps that’s why, in the theatrical debut in The World According to Garp, she wound up playing my dad’s mother despite only being four years older than him. Mind you, it wasn’t hard to come off as more mature than my father, but it was nearly impossible to match his impish and intensity nearly impossible for mere mortals, that is Glenn Blue right past it in her first movie, out of the gate, and got nominated for an Academy Award for doing so, and many since. And speaking of mothers, did you know she did Dangerous Liaison six weeks after giving birth to the force of nature? That is Annie sitting right over there.”
Williams shared her own admiration for her mother’s career, recalling how Close’s first film, The World According to Garp (1982), cast her in a role as Robin Williams’ mother despite being only four years older. She also highlighted Close’s remarkable achievements, such as winning an Oscar nomination for Out of the Gate and delivering a powerful performance in Dangerous Liaisons just six weeks after giving birth. She also acknowledged Close’s influence on her own career and her family’s legacy in entertainment.
Zelda ended with: “So while I would never go so far as to call you my cinema grandmother Glenn, I count myself lucky to consider you a dear friend. And I am truly honored to be one of the many here today. Excited to celebrate you as an icon.”
Ben came back up to the stage to thank Zelda and introduce John Landgraft saying: “Please join me in welcoming and to introduce our next honoree, Glenn’s longtime friend, the chairman of FX Networks, John Landgraf.”
“I’ve got a story to tell you today. The story most people don’t know. And like so many wonderful stories, it has a great leading character played by Glenn Close. So in 2004, The Shield was the first basic cable series of involving Global Emmy in any major category. The Shield had worked out of the gate on the back of Michael Chiklis epic performance as Vic Mackey, and he was also the first win an Indian Golden Globe as Best Actor in any basic cable series.”
John went on to talk about how Glenn Close was recruited for The Shield and you can here all about that in the video below. John went on to say this: “She’s fierce and funny and brave. She made an indelible impression on me that day, just as she will today for the legion of fans in the concrete in front of Grumans. After we talked, Glenn agreed to think about it, and then she watched the first three seasons of The Shield with her family, I think, and let us know that she thought it was excellent and she would join the show for all 13 episodes of season four, and she was magnificent. Captain Monica Rolling her character, added a blistering dose of weight and integrity as the station’s new commander. She was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe, and just as we’d hoped, she brought a new audience to the show. The ratings grew, and that gave us the momentum we needed to make for more seasons.”
John concluded his speech with this: “I’m so grateful that you chose FX as one of your creative homes. You’ve done so much for us and so much for this art form. My dear friend, you truly belong in this great pantheon of legendary stars who have captivated audiences and brought the human condition to life. So come up here and take your well-earned place.” John was more than pleased to introduce Glenn Close.
Glenn Close said: “So here we’re surrounded by the hands and feet of icons. It’s a word that’s easy to throw about until it loses its meaning, all glittery and beyond the reach of mere mortals. But who were and are the people who planted their hands and feet here before today? One of them is sitting right there. Melissa McCarthy.”
“To me, they were and are human beings who had stories. They all had stories of overcoming, of persistence, frequently against the odds, who had to balance their public personas against who they really were. People with a dream, of course, but people with a crazy, unquenchable belief, the crazy engine of belief that they had something unique to give to the world, to help us understand what it means to be a human, a human being on this little old the earth.”
During her speech, the Oscar nominee shared memories of working with the late Robin Williams and Mary Beth Hurt, whom she referred to as her “beloved best friend of 52 years.” Close worked with both stars in 1982’s The World According to Garp, which marked her film debut. She met Hurt in 1974, when she understudied for Hurt in the play Love for Love.
She went on to say: “We are members of the alien nation, because I think we have more antennae than maybe some other humans,” she said of actors. “And there are aliens and civilians, and we definitely speak different languages. I fear a world where the civilians completely disenfranchise us aliens. We aliens thrive and live on creative collaboration. It is our sustenance.”
“Then there is what I call creative friction, the act of removing your ego in the fight for the best results. Then there’s the world according to Rory, my grandson, which is, ‘Uh-oh.’ Or ‘Oh, wow!'”
She ended with these few words: “I don’t want to say any more. I’m thrilled to be here. I’m thrilled that you’re all here sharing this moment with me. Thank you so much. Thank you.”
The coolest thing for me was when Glenn Close’s dog Sir Pippin of Beanfield came up the stairs and stopped by the podium and looked right up at her.
Here is the entire ceremony videotaped by our video guy, Lucas Camacho. Enjoy the ceremony:
Enjoy the many photos we were able to take of the whole process of Glenn Close signing her name, putting her hands and then feet into the wet cement and dating it, with a little surprise after that, her dog Sir Pippin:
One of the coolest things that happened after the ceremony was having the chance to speak with Melissa McCarthy about how her show “Mike & Molly” brought such joy to my father who watched it every night and that he had passed away 4 years and what it meant to me to be able to tell her that. She was so genuine in her response that she was sorry for my loss and that she and the gang had done their job as far as bringing laughter and joy to my father. Of course I started to cry and she asked if she could give me a hug and I said “Yes,” not doubt with me tearful eyes wide open with that response and did we hug, as well as her husband actor Ben Falcone. He was so nice and considerate over the loss of my father. WOW. I told her my father was looking down at me and I said “this one hug is for you too dad.” Thank you Melissa and Ben for being so kind.
Glenn Close will present a special screening of her 1988 hit Dangerous Liaisons, for which she received one of her eight Academy Award nominations.
Here are some photos courtesy of TCM taken by the professional photographers who get to sit up front and walk straight up to the action:
Another great TCM Classic Film Festival Hand & Footprint Ceremony to upload in the archives. Way to go everyone involved that made this happen. We could not have asked for better weather without the sun present. Thank you God for that this year. Until next year, who would you like to see get the honor of having their hands and feet put into wet cement. I would love to see Dick Van Dyke for sure!
