Glenn Close is opening up about where she plans to spend her final days — and the choice couldn’t be more personal.
The 78-year-old acting legend got candid on a recent episode of Wiser Than Me, hosted by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, where she revealed she’s in the middle of building a deeply sentimental stone cottage behind her Bozeman, Montana home.
And this isn’t just any project — it’s a recreation of her grandparents’ original cottage, a place that holds some of her most cherished childhood memories.
“They had this wonderful stone cottage on their farm, on their property that I think originally had been a slaughterhouse,” Close shared. “But it was made into this really cozy cottage. And that was my first memory, in that little cottage.”
A childhood memory brought to life in Montana
Close described the original stone cottage’s bucolic setting — ivy-covered walls, a white picket fence, nestled in the middle of a hayfield and woods.
It was there, in that peaceful landscape, that she felt the happiest.
“So I decided when I was building this house, because I’m living my life backward, that behind the house I was gonna build a cottage, a stone cottage,” she explained.
“Because the happiest and most inspiring years of my life were in that place. I have decided that I am going to end my days in that cottage.”
The Fatal Attraction icon confirmed the new cottage will have two bedrooms — one for herself and one for a future caretaker. “And that’s where I’m gonna die,” she said. “Happily.”
Glenn Close has revealed her plans for the rest of her life. Credit: Leon Bennett/Getty Images.
Renovation updates and embracing life in reverse
Louis-Dreyfus called Close’s plan “extraordinary”, and the Oscar-nominated actress didn’t hesitate to provide an update on construction.
“I think this week they’re starting the porch,” Close said. “There’s a little porch that goes down onto a terrace that’s between the cottage and the bigger house. It makes me so happy to think that.”
Louis-Dreyfus praised her guest’s approach to aging, calling it “incredible” that Close feels like she’s living her life in reverse.
“You’re really sort of in control of things in a way that most people don’t get the opportunity to do,” she said. “And I think that’s extraordinary that you’ve been able to pull that off. And I’m just now thinking, I got to build a cottage around here for myself.”
Close also revealed that although she’s 78, she doesn’t feel anywhere close to that age.
“I feel probably around in my twenties. Maybe early thirties,” she said. “When I think of how old I actually am, it just amazes me. So I don’t think about it much. Because I don’t think I fit into whatever people expect you to be like when you’re 78 years old.”
Close says that she feels younger than she is. Credit: Taylor Hill / Getty
Challenging Hollywood’s beauty obsession
This isn’t the first time Close has pushed back against expectations around aging.
In a 2022 interview with Glamour, she addressed the pressure in Hollywood — particularly on women — to maintain youthful skin through fillers and cosmetic procedures.
“We are so brainwashed about skin. Certainly about women’s skin. The texture of your skin, and the warm, the hard, smooth bodies against the ones that are fighting to get a waist again,” she said.
“It’s actually fascinating to me, because as our house ages, we should get more and more interesting and interested. And yet you have this facade that people see.”