Glenn Close is officially making a comeback to the small screen. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news earlier today that the well known actress has been cast in Amazon’s upcoming half-hour comedy pilot Sea Oak.
The pilot, which was picked up by the streaming service in March, is described by The Hollywood Reporter as “a mix of zombie drama and family revenge comedy.” Close will appear as Aunt Bernie, a single and submissive woman living and working in a Rust Belt City. The character tragically dies after a home invasion. After the deceased character begins experiencing intense dissatisfaction, she comes back from the dead with the intent of living the life she never had. Following her resurrection, she “proceeds to inflict a range of demands on what’s left of her nuclear family, including a quasi-stripper nephew and two feckless nieces, who live in a low-end subsidized hellhole of a housing complex called Sea Oak.”
The pilot was written by George Saunders, who is known for his short stories, essays, and his debut novel Lincoln in the Bardo. Jonathan Krauss is set as the executive producer of Sea Oak, while Lael Smith and Keir McFarlane will co-executive produce.
If Sea Oak is picked up to series, it will be Close’s first job as a series regular since she starred on the FX-turned-DirecTV drama Damages. The legal thriller aired for five seasons and ended in 2012. Close played protagonist Patty Hewes throughout the entire series. The role earned her two Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emmy awards in 2008 and 2009. She also won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie award for her performance as Col. Margarethe Cammermeyer in NBC’s Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story at the 1995 Primetime Emmy Awards.
Close’s other television appearances include the voice role of Mona Simpson on Fox’s The Simpsons, Monica Ralwing on FX’s The Shield, Gail Bennett on ABC’s television film Something About Amelia, and Sarah Wheaton in Hallmark Hall of Fame’s film Sarah, Plain and Tall.
Close is no stranger to the big screen and has appeared in many films including Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, Albert Nobbs, and Guardians of the Galaxy. The actress is currently starring in the most recent Broadway adaption of Sunset Boulevard, in which she is reprising the role of Norma Desmond. Close previously won the Best Lead Actress in a Musical Tony Award for the role in 1995.