Glenn Close Says Robert Redford's 'Time' 100 Essay 'Meant Everything to Me' (Exclusive)

The celebrated star opened up to ET at the Time 100 Gala in New York on Tuesday night.

In a career filled with highlights, Glenn Close has had one of her best and biggest years ever, and the whole streak culminated with being honored on Time magazines' list of the 100 Most Influential People.

In the coveted issue, Close's friend and colleague Robert Redford penned a celebratory essay about the seven-time Oscar nominee, --  in which he called her "a major talent" and "an actor who is deeply committed to her craft" -- and the actress couldn't have been more appreciative of his kind words.

Speaking with ET's Brooke Anderson on Tuesday, at the Time 100 Gala at Lincoln Center in New York, Close reflected on Redford's editorial and admitted that it "meant everything to me."

"We've been friends ever since we did The Natural, and then I was on the board of the Sundance Institute for 16 years," Close recalled. "He's the real thing, he's a totally authentic man and to have him write that about me meant the world to me."

As for being a part of the coveted list, Close said she "couldn't believe it" when she found out.

This year alone, Close earned a Golden Globe, a SAG Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for her acclaimed role in The Wife, but even with all those recent accolades, she said the Time 100 honor isn't "something that you expect."

"I mean, I've had an amazing year so it's an incredible cherry on top of this very big, rich, fabulous cake," Close shared.

The actress also shared her appreciation for her fellow celebs who also found themselves honored by Time magazine this year, including Chrissy Teigen, Dwayne Johnson, Brie Larson, Regina King, Emilia Clarke, Ariana Grande, Mahershala Ali, Rami Malek, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Michelle Obama, Gayle King, Spike Lee, Christine Blasey Ford, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga, to name just a few.

"I'm proud and very honored, and I think the people who I share this with, we all care about what's going to happen, we have a social conscience and we want to do things positively for our culture and our country," Close said. "So I'm very proud to be a part of that."

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