Scott Glenn

Scott Glenn

Active - 1970 - 2023  |   Born - Jan 26, 1941 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States  |   Genres - Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Share on

Biography by AllMovie

Ex-marine and ex-newspaper reporter Scott Glenn was ideally suited to the action-oriented films that would become his lot in the 1980s and 1990s. After learning the rudiments of his craft at the Actors Studio and appearing off-Broadway, Glenn made his film bow in 1970's The Baby Maker. He was rescued from low-budget cycle flicks by director Robert Altman, who cast Glenn as Pfc. Glenn Kelly in Nashville (1975). As rangy and rugged off-camera as on, Glenn was one of the few film actors of recent years to flourish in western roles: among his more impressive credits within this genre are Cattle Annie and Little Britches (1981), Silverado (1985), My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys (1993), and, stretching a point a bit, Urban Cowboy (1980). Glenn has been equally laudable in such suit-and-tie roles as Jodie Foster's FBI chief in The Silence of the Lambs (1991), in "military" assignments like astronaut Alan Shepard in The Right Stuff (1981) and the U.S. sub commander in Hunt for Red October (1990). As a tribute to Robert Altman, the director who elevated him to "A" pictures back in 1975, Scott Glenn accepted a drastic cut in salary to portray "Himself" in Altman's The Player (1992). Over the next several years, Glenn remained active on screen, appearing in films like Training Day, The Virgin Suicides, The Bourne Ultimatum, W., and The Paperboy.

Movie Highlights

See Full Filmography

Factsheet

  • As a youngster, nearly died of scarlet fever, which kept him bedridden for a year; walked with a limp after recovery.
  • After college and a stint in the Marines, worked as a newspaper reporter in Kenosha, WI, and was almost fired for turning a biography about a prominent local businessman into an obituary.
  • Took a friend's advice to study acting in New York City in order to sharpen his ear for dialogue, which he had difficulty writing; his teacher was Oscar nominee William Hickey (1985's Prizzi's Honor), and he's been acting ever since.
  • Did enough of his own stunts for Backdraft (1991) to earn a credit as part of the stunt crew.
  • Since the late 1970s, has called Ketchum, ID, home.