Glenn Close believes her 1987 thriller movie ‘Fatal Attraction’ should be retold from her character’s perspective.
The Hollywood legend was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of publishing company editor Alex Forrest who stalks Michael Douglas’ alter ego, happily-married Manhattan lawyer Dan Gallagher.
The pair have a very brief affair but when Dan calls it off Alex becomes increasingly obsessed with him and his family and her behaviour escalates from nuisance calls to vandalising his car, harassing him at work and ultimately murdering his daughter Ellen’s pet rabbit which spawned the phrase "bunny boiler" which is still used in Western society to describe a deranged woman now.
In the movie, Alex – who attempts suicide and fakes a pregnancy – shows signs of mental illnesses such as psychosis, bipolar disorder, personality disorder and schizophrenia, and although she has become an infamous big screen villain, Glenn empathises with her character and thinks it would be interesting to explore her interpretation of events and what led her to that point in her life.
Speaking to Radio Times magazine, the 71-year-old actress – whose sister has bipolar disorder – said: "They made her into a psychopath. That did nothing but feed into the stigma.
"But people who suffer abuse can end up abusers. More interesting now would be the story from her point of view. I had a reservation about the bunny".
‘Fatal Attraction’ was the biggest grossing movie of 1987 worldwide and was based on James Dearden’s 1980 short film ‘Diversion’, going on to earn a total of six Academy Award nominations.
Glenn has previously spoken about being uncomfortable about the bunny boiling scene but decided to go for it after being assured by professional psychiatrists that it was a plausible action.
Speaking on talk show ‘Harry’, she said: "I read the script, I read it all in one sitting and when I was finished, I was cold. I think it changed my chemistry. The only question I had was, ‘I don’t know if I believe the boiling bunny part.’ That’s when I went to two psychiatrists and said, ‘I want to know if this is possible and if possible why?’ And they both said, ‘Yes it is possible, there are people who would do that.’
"That journey for me made me really love he. She was a woman. She wasn’t an evil person, though she’s been labeled as one of the great evil people on film."
Glenn Close: Fatal Attraction should be retold with empathy
