And the award for best impromptu dance moves surprising and delighting viewers three-hours into a solemn and interminable Oscars telecast goes to…
Glenn Close!
The 74-year-old Hillbilly Elegy actress busted into some posterior pumping at the Academy Awards on Sunday night.
It looked just like this:
Glenn Close, everyone! #Oscars pic.twitter.com/akwOxvRS6s
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) April 26, 2021
For some context: during a game of “guess that song,” Questlove played music and guest-host Lil Rel Howery asked if attendees could guess if the song was nominated for an Oscar, won an Oscar, or none of the above. Andra Day guessed “Purple Rain” wasn’t even nominated “like some bulls***,” while Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya joked with Howery about being “saved” in Get Out.
Then Close correctly “guessed” the 1988 song “Da Butt” by E.U. from the School Daze soundtrack (and also got bleeped for her answer) and then got up and show off her dancing skills.
The moment, it turned out, was scripted, which takes a fair percentage of the fun out of it, but it still had the desired effect. (Her rep later clarified that the quiz was “requested of the participants” and partially scripted, but that Close’s dance performance was not. And Close herself said the dance was “completely spontaneous” in a post to her Instagram.)
The actress is an eight-time Oscar nominee, but has never previously won – and didn’t take home a statue tonight, either.
Even so, there is little doubt Glenn Close won the night.
April 27, 5:25 a.m. Updated to include Close and her rep’s statements.