No, Glenn Close didn’t win what would have been her first-ever Oscar at this year’s Academy Awards. Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Hillbilly Elegy, she was widely seen as someone with an outside chance to win. And she didn’t: She lost to Young Yuh-jung for Minari. It was her eighth-ever loss, which ties her with Peter O’Toole for the most nominations without a win. But that’s cool, because later on she stole the entire show anyway.
Over 2 ½ hours into the show, with only three awards left, the pandemic Oscars finally did a fun comedy bit. Lil Rel Howery came out to play a game, where the night’s DJ Questlove would play an old song, and attendees had to guess if it was nominated for an Oscar, if it won an Oscar, of if it did neither. He eventually got to Close, and Questlove played “Da Butt” — the go-go hit from the band E.U., originally heard in Spike Lee’s second feature School Daze from 1988, and which wasn’t even nominated.
But Close knew all this and more. She whipped out some razor-sharp “Da Butt” knowledge, naming the band, naming the movie, and naming its Oscar status. She even did the dance from the song, which involves shaking one’s tuchus.
Glenn Close stole the show at the #Oscars pic.twitter.com/dYeKMfqUW0
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) April 26, 2021
So while Glenn Close lost the battle, she won the war. And people knew it.
glenn close better win an emmy for this at the very least
— hunter harris (@hunteryharris) April 26, 2021
Glenn deserves an Oscar just for this. pic.twitter.com/Aurfyb6Kv2
— Carrie Courogen (@carriecourogen) April 26, 2021
https://twitter.com/SeanFennessey/status/1386511872543715329
Ok Glenn Close just booked her ticket to the cookout … #dabutt #Oscars
— Mkay (@JoyAnnReid) April 26, 2021
Glenn Close dropping some Spike Lee knowledge for SCHOOL DAZE and then dancing!!!! INCREDIBLE!!!!! #Oscars pic.twitter.com/HyjH38HkZ2
— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) April 26, 2021
https://twitter.com/tyburr/status/1386511954739666944
Glenn Close just straight dropped the EU knowledge at the #Oscars? What?!! DC, rep it! Now, bring the statehood.
— Jeffrey Wright 🥜 (@jfreewright) April 26, 2021
BREAKING NEWS: Glenn Close wins Best Picture pic.twitter.com/sgFzR8DBUH
— Ella Kemp (@ella_kemp) April 26, 2021
And here’s her dance.
Glenn Close is a national treasure. She needs an Oscar already. https://t.co/gPXLD9Iu3R
— Sunny Hostin (@sunny) April 26, 2021
People agreed that this was the highlight of an unusual evening.
Oh my god, Glenn Close answering questions about Da Butt is literally my *dream swerve* for this event.
— Emily Nussbaum (@emilynussbaum) April 26, 2021