Glenn Close has been forced to bow out of her appearance at the 95th Academy Awards after testing positive for Covid.
The 75-year-old acting legend was due to present an award at the show on Monday, but is remaining at home where she is “isolating and resting”, according to reports by the Associated Press.
Close’s publicist, Catherine Olim, confirmed that the actor contracted the virus and would no longer be able to attend the Oscars ceremony.
“She was very much looking forward to taking part in the show,” Olim said in a statement, while she did not share details about the extent of Close’s symptoms.
Producers are scrambling to find a replacement to present for actress, who has been nominated several times but never won, as she was reportedly meant to announce the winner of this year’s Oscar for best picture award.
Sadly, Close’s appearance at the Oscars in the Los Angeles Dolby Theatre was meant to be a fun reunion between her and Harrison Ford, co-stars of the 1997 action picture Air Force One.
Glenn Close was among an impressive group of A-listers to present awards, including Riz Ahmed, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Michael B. Jordan, Troy Kotsur, Melissa McCarthy, Janelle Monáe and more.
This is not the first year that Covid has forced stars to pull out, as Lin Manuel-Miranda had to skip last year’s show after his wife tested positive for the virus just before the award ceremony.
The virus has taken its toll on other awards shows, with Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jamie Lee Curtis having to bow out of the Critics Choice awards in January following their participation in the Golden Globes the week before.
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