A deeply caring friend and sister, Close has also poured her heart into helping improve the world—among her notable charitable work is raising money and awareness for The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, a 1982 charity started by her late friends to raise money for treatment and cures for spinal cord injuries. And more recently for mental health awareness on behalf of her sister Jessie Close, who reached out to her for help more than a dozen years ago, and led Close and her family members to start the nonprofit Bring Change 2 Mind. Close’s outreach comes at the perfect time with May being Mental Health Awareness Month. Each year, millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental illness. In May, The National Alliance on Mental Illness joins the national movement to raise awareness about mental health. Each year, this group fights stigma, provides support, educates the public, and advocates for policies that support people with mental illness and their families. The aim is to change the way that we talk about mental health and the stigma that surrounds it for all of our families. Today, best known for her roles in Fatal Attraction, The World According to Garp, The Big Chill and 101 Dalmatians, she is currently starring in Season 2 of the riveting spy drama Tehran, streaming on Apple TV. Season 2 of Tehran follows Tamar (Niv Sultan), a Mossad hacker-agent who infiltrates Tehran under a false identity to help destroy Iran’s nuclear reactor. But when her mission fails, Tamar must plan an operation that will place everyone dear to her in jeopardy. Sultan is an Israeli actress who is making her mark in Tehran. Close joins the top-notch cast for Season 2. Throughout all of this, Close, a multi-award-winning actress (three Emmy Awards and three Tony Awards) strongly believes in rising to a personal and professional challenge. “To me, it was the mental discipline of it and for the character to never panic, because that’s probably the most dangerous place to be,” Close exclusively tells Parade of her role as a spy in Tehran. “I think what stands out to me is all the secrets that one has to have and also the mental discipline that one has to have.” Keep reading for more on Close and Sultan’s strong bond on the set, Close’s hard-won life lessons about bravery, and ending the stigma around mental illness for all of us.
Can you think of a highlight of making this season of Tehran that was a big challenge or something just kind of amazed you?
Close: I found the whole thing wonderful, totally new to anything I had done before. The highlight? I think near the end everything was intricate. The highlight was being able to pull off Farsi reasonably well. Sultan: I would say my highlight was my first or second scene with Glenn; I didn’t know how it would be or what to do. I was really stressed and nervous. But then I got her energy, I got her strong eyes, I got this amazing powerful strength that she brings with her. I remember feeling okay, this is something I’ve never done before.
Glenn and Niv, what was your work dynamic like? What did you teach each other?
Close: I felt that our interchange as characters was very beautifully handled by the writers. Because it was kind of a power play in a way. She has rank over me, but I’ve been in the country since university. I’m an Iranian citizen. I have a deep love for the country and love for the culture. So, it was like a mother-daughter, like somebody who has been in the field before she was born. I think that it all informed how we related to each other. It wasn’t always an easy relationship. Sultan: I felt that Tamar is a very strong and brave and an opinion agent. I felt like Glenn is a very sweet, humble, and happy person. When the camera is on her, suddenly she’s very… you’re scary. [Glenn laughed]. It brought out something much more vulnerable and unsure and insecure. I felt like a child in front of you. I think it’s a very important and interesting side of Tamar and you made it happen. Before we started shooting I figured that Glenn would just come in, shoot her scenes, and disappear, after all, she is Glenn Close; she’s a big star. But she was present on the set all of the time and involved with all of us. Most of the time I just watched her, how she prepared, how she performed on camera, and how she interacted with everyone. I don’t think she knew it, but I was spying on her the entire time!
The series has been described as a kind of edge-of-your-seat type of drama. How do you prepare for something so dramatic?
Close: For me, it was every day, seeing what Farsi I had to speak. And then going over it and over it the night before, and then going over it with a coach in my camper before. Then having two people on set listening with the microphone and with their headsets and correcting me. On top of that, acting [laughs]. It was a great place. You put yourself in an insecure place.
What did you find attractive about playing a spy for the first time?
Close: I think that a really good spy knows how to almost control their amygdala, which is the fight, flight, or freeze reaction that one gets. You can’t let that take over or else you’ll do something that will expose you. The scripts were terrific. The character is someone originally from the U.K. I got to speak Farsi. It is a beautiful language and to really prepare I should have been studying for a year, but I only had two months. And I had never shot a project in Greece before this.
Glenn, switching gears, what was the catalyst for realizing that your sister, Jessie Close, needed help from you and your family?
Close: More than a dozen years ago, my beloved sister somehow got the courage to say to me, ‘I need help. I can’t stop thinking about killing myself.’ Her bravery actually saying that out loud changed both of our lives. With the right help, my sister was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 51, and I am speaking out [at the Pennsylvania Conference for Women] because mental illness is a global family affair. One in four of us is affected by mental health issues in one way or another. Anything that affects one in four of us has to be given serious thought at every level of our society. [Close’s nephew, Jessie’s son, Calen Pick, has also been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, (bipolar with symptoms of schizophrenia). He and his mom have been an integral part of the nonprofit’s work.]
Tell us more about your nonprofit Bring Change 2 Mind.
Close: The aim is to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness. Every individual who speaks out inspires another person.
What changes has your family undergone to help one another during difficult times?
Close: As a family, we have learned to ask, “Are you okay?” And to acknowledge our common humanity and find strength in our diversity together in which we can create interwoven support systems and great un-shreddable [safety] nets through which no one will fall.
What can we do for our families to help with mental health issues?
Close: Start a conversation with your families, friends, and in your workplace. With one in four of us struggling with a mental health issue, that doesn’t make us different, it makes us human. Learn each other’s stories. Ask each other multiple times, “Are you okay?’” Check-in with one another. Walk in each other’s shoes. Vigilance and kindness matter! The first two episodes of Tehran premiere on Friday, May 6, on Apple TV +, and new episodes will air weekly every Friday. Season 1 of Tehran is streaming on Apple TV +. For more TV drama, check out Sophia Bush on How Her New CBS Medical Drama Good Sam ‘Brings a Lot of Joy and Heart’
