WASHINGTON, DC -- Multiple award-winning actress Glenn Close will receive the 2012 Service to America Leadership Award from the NAB Education Foundation (NABEF) for her important role as an advocate working to eliminate the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness. Close, whose career includes critically acclaimed performances in film, television and on Broadway, will receive the award at NABEF's annual awards gala on June 11.
The Service to America Leadership Award recognizes individuals and organizations responsible for improving the lives of others through extraordinary public service. Considered NABEF's highest individual honor, the award will be presented during the Celebration of Service to America gala held Monday, June 11, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
"Ms. Close is an exceptionally talented actress whose work has entertained millions over the years and she is also a dedicated humanitarian. I applaud her creation of Bring Change 2 Mind and its grassroots efforts to better the lives of everyone affected by mental illness," said NABEF President Marcellus Alexander. "In addition to her work with Bring Change 2 Mind, her charitable efforts stretch from wildlife conservation to support for returning troops. We are proud and honored to present Ms. Close with this prestigious award."
Close made her film debut alongside Robin Williams in "The World According to Garp," earning her first Academy Award nomination. She was subsequently Oscar-nominated for her roles in "The Big Chill," "The Natural," "Fatal Attraction" and "Dangerous Liaisons." She was nominated for an Academy Award again this year, as Best Actress, for her title role in "Albert Nobbs," for which she also co-wrote the screenplay and composed the lyrics to the Golden Globe-nominated theme song. Close's other film credits include "The Paper," "Mars Attacks!," "101 Dalmatians" and its sequel "102 Dalmatians," "Air Force One," "Reversal of Fortune" and "Jagged Edge."
Close currently stars as litigation lawyer Patty Hewes on the critically lauded television series "Damages." She has won a Golden Globe Award and two Emmy Awards for her performance. Prior to "Damages," she starred for one season on the FX series, "The Shield," and has voiced Homer Simpson's mother twice on the animated series "The Simpsons." She executive produced and starred thrice opposite Christopher Walken in the "Sarah, Plain and Tall" trilogy. Close's 12 Golden Globe Award nominations include a win as Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture for Television for her performance in Andrei Konchalovsky's adaptation of "The Lion in Winter" (which also earned her a SAG Award). Her 12 Emmy Award nominations include a win for her portrayal of real-life hero Margarethe Cammermeyer in "Serving in Silence: the Margarethe Cammermeyer Story," which Close executive produced.
For her performance on Broadway, Close has won three Tony Awards for "The Real Thing," "Death and the Maiden" and "Sunset Boulevard." Off-Broadway, she won an Obie Award for the title performance in "The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs." Her other stage credits include "Barnum," "The Crucifer of Blood" and, for London's Royal National Theatre, "A Streetcar Named Desire."
In 2009, Close participated in the launch of Bring Change 2 Mind (BC2M), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to confronting the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness. The idea that led to the establishment of BC2M evolved from her first-hand observation of battles with mental illness within her family.
The organization was created by Close together with her sister Jessie, her nephew Calen, The Balanced Mind Foundation, Fountain House and Garen and Shari Staglin of IMHRO (International Mental Health Research Organization). BC2M's mission is to emerge as the world's most effective organization working to eradicate the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness through widely distributed Public Education Materials based on the latest scientific insights and measured for effectiveness. BC2M also acts as a portal to a broad coalition of organizations that provide service, screening, information, support and treatment of mental illness. For more information about Bring Change 2 Mind, please visit bc2m.org.
Close also actively supports Puppies Behind Bars and its "Dog Tags: Service Dogs for Those Who've Served Us" program. The initiative teaches prison inmates to train service dogs for veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injury. She co-directed, narrated and co-produced "Pax," a documentary that looks at the program and the effect it has had on one soldier returning home from Iraq with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. The film played in film festivals around the country and won an Honorable Mention at the NYC Downtown Short Film Festival. Close is also a Founding Member of the Panthera Conservation Advisory Committee. Panthera is an international nonprofit whose sole mission is conservation of the world's 36 species of wild cats.
About The Celebration of Service to America Awards
The Celebration of Service to America Awards are sponsored and produced by NABEF with major support from Bonneville International Corporation and the National Association of Broadcasters. In recent years, Starkey Hearing Foundation founders Bill and Tani Austin, ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," entertainment industry icon Quincy Jones, legendary rock star Sir Elton John, former President Bill Clinton, First Lady Laura Bush, Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, boxing legend Muhammad Ali, former President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalyn Carter, and former First Lady Nancy Reagan have been presented with the Celebration of Service to America Leadership Award at the event. Details about the Celebration of Service to America Awards are available here.
About NABEF
The National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation (NABEF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving broadcasters and the public interest by supporting and advocating community service, diversity, education and broadcasting issues and trends. Learn more at www.nabef.org.
