Oscars 2023: Glenn Close Has COVID, Pulled From Ceremony

Glenn Close tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday just hours before she was scheduled to present at the 2023 Academy Awards. Sources close to the 75-year-old actress told reporters from CBS News that would no longer be attending the award ceremony. It's unclear what her condition is so far.

"Yes, she has COVID, and she is of course required to bow out," a representative for Close told reporters. "She was very much looking forward to taking part." Close would have presented the award for best picture with Harrison Ford in a reunion that would have been significant to fans. Their reunion on stage at the Oscars would have pleased fans and given the duo something to riff about while presenting a trophy to someone else on Sunday night. Without Close, it's not clear if Ford will go forward with the presentation on his own.

The duo co-starred in Air Force One back in 1997, and the movie was nominated for two Oscars but did not earn either of them a win. Close and Ford have both had illustrious careers, but so far neither one has won an Oscar. Close has earned eight Oscar nominations in her career while Ford has one.

Air Force One starred Ford as the fictional U.S. President James Marshall and Close as his Vice President Kathryn Bennett. The movie was about a flight on the president's plane Air Force One that was hijacked by neo-Soviet terrorists – a political action thriller very specific to the time. The movie was successful and was relatively well-received by critics, and while it was nominated for two Oscars, neither was for the actors.

This year's Oscar ceremony will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, and other presenters will include Nicole Kidman, Antonio Banderas, Ariana DeBose, Jessica Chastain, Samuel L. Jackson, Janelle Monáe and John Cho, among others. There will be a musical performance by Lenny Kravitz during the "in memoriam" segment, as well as performances of the five Best Original Song nominees. It's not clear what kind of COVID-19 prevention protocols will be in effect at the ceremony this year. This award season has been divisive on social media with commenters either mocking the precautions organizers have taken or condemning them for not taking enough. According to the CDC, COVID-19 remains an active pandemic, and serious cases can occur even among those who are vaccinated.

The 2023 Oscar awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. The live broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, with pre-show coverage stretching through the evening and afternoon beforehand. The Academy has not commented publicly on Close's diagnosis so far.