Glenn Close

Close in 2012, photo by PrPhotos

Place of Birth: Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.

Date of Birth: March 19, 1947

Ethnicity: English, as well as distant Scottish, German, Dutch, French, Welsh, and remote Swiss-German

Glenn Close is an American actress, singer, and producer. Her roles include The World According to Garp, The Big Chill, Reversal of Fortune, 101 Dalmatians, Albert Nobbs, and Fatal Attraction.

She is the daughter of Elizabeth Mary Hester “Bettine” Moore Close, a socialite and philanthropist, and William Close (William Taliaferro Close), a prominent surgeon. Her parents were from upper-class families, and both had substantial New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts) ancestry going back to the 1600s, as well as her paternal grandmother’s deep Virginia roots. She was raised in a stone cottage on her maternal grandfather’s estate in Greenwich. Her parents were part of the moral and spiritual movement Moral Re-Armament for much of her childhood, and she also spent time at private boarding schools in Switzerland and Connecticut, and living in African countries. She was part of the singing group Up With People.

Glenn has a daughter, actress Annie Starke, with her former partner, producer John Starke. Annie played the younger version of Glenn’s character in The Wife (2017).

Glenn is of mostly English ancestry, along with small amounts (to varying degrees) of Scottish, German, Dutch, French, and Welsh, and remote Swiss-German. Glenn is also a descendant of Bartolomeo/Bartholomew Taliaferro, an Italian, who was born, c. 1562, in Venice, Italy, and who moved to England and married an Englishwoman, Joane Lane.

A DNA test whose results were displayed on the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2021) stated that Glenn’s genetic ancestry is:

*55.6% British and Irish
*25% French and German
*11.7% Broadly Northwestern European
*6.8% Scandinavian
*0.4% Italian
*0.2% Broadly European
*0.2% Unmatched
*0.1% Broadly Southern European

Glenn’s patrilineal line can be traced to Goodman Close, who was born, c. 1600, likely in Yorkshire, England, and to his wife Elizabeth.

Glenn’s paternal grandfather was Edward Bennett Close (the son of Edward Harvey Close and Emma Bennett). Glenn’s grandfather Edward was born in New York, New York, and was a stock broker. Glenn’s great-grandfather Edward was the son of Aaron Close and Harriet Udell. Emma was the daughter of Joseph Bennett and Emma A. Morse. Glenn’s grandfather Edward was first married to Marjorie Merriweather Post, who owned General Foods, Inc., and who built the estate Mar-a-Lago in Florida in 1924; after their divorce. Their daughter, Glenn’s aunt, was heiress and socialite Eleanor Post Hutton.

Glenn’s paternal grandmother was Elizabeth/Betsey Taliaferro (the daughter of Edwin Munford Taliaferro and Catherine/Kate Mitchell). Elizabeth was born in Galveston, Galveston Co., Texas. Edwin was the son of Thomas Booth Taliaferro, who was a slaveowner, and of Mary Munford Sinclair. Catherine was the daughter of William Murray Mitchell and Elizabeth/Lizzie Irvin Joyner.

Glenn’s maternal grandfather was Charles Arthur Moore, Jr. (the son of Charles Arthur Moore and Mary L. Campbell). Glenn’s grandfather Charles was born in Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts. Glenn’s great-grandfather Charles was born in West Sparta, Livingston, New York, the son of William Ropes Moore and Caroline Matilda Van Ness. Glenn’s great-grandmother Mary was born in Ohio, the daughter of John Keyes Campbell and Betsey/Betsy Sheffield.

Glenn’s maternal grandmother was Elizabeth “Betty” Hyde (the daughter of Seymour Jairus/Jarius/Jarvis/Jerius Hyde and Elizabeth Sill Worrall). Glenn’s grandmother Elizabeth was born in Manhattan, New York, New York. Seymour was born in New York, the son of Albert Gallatin Hyde and Maria/Mary Louise Shaw. Glenn’s great-grandmother Elizabeth was born in Philadelphia, Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania, the daughter of Petera/Peter Brown Worrall, a self-made millionaire, and of Mary Catherine Young.

Glenn is a second cousin, once removed, of actress Brooke Shields. Glenn’s maternal great-grandparents, Charles Arthur Moore and Mary L. Campbell, were also Brooke’s paternal great-great-grandparents.

Sources: Genealogies of Glenn Close – http://famouskin.com
https://www.geni.com
https://www.wikitree.com