SCOTT GLENN
Date of Birth: January 26, 1942
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Glenn grew up in Appalaches. His health was poor as a child
and he was bed-ridden for a year while doctors predicted he would be limp for the rest of his
life. During his long periods of illness, he read and dreamed of being Lord Byron. He
challenged his illness by intense training programs and eventually got rid of his limp. After
school Glenn entered William and Mary College where he majored in English.
He spent three years in the Marines and then tried to combine his passion for storytelling
with his passion for adventures by working for five months as criminal reporter with the
"Kenosha Daily Tribune." Glenn planned to become an author but found he had "problems with
dialogues," so he decided to overcome it by studying acting.
After learning the rudiments of his craft at the Actors Studio and appearing off-Broadway,
Glenn made his film debut in 1970's The Baby Maker. He was rescued from low-budget cycle flicks
by director Robert Altman, who cast Glenn as Private First Class Glenn Kelly in
Nashville (1975).
In 1978 Glenn got tired of Hollywood and moved his family to Ketchum, Idaho, where he worked
as a barman, huntsman and mountain ranger for two years (occasionally acting in Seattle
stage productions). James Bridges once more changed the course of Glenn's life in 1980 when
he offered him the role of Travolta's rival in Urban Cowboy and made him a star.
As rangy and rugged off-camera as on, Glenn continued to flourish in western roles. Among
his more impressive credits within this genre are Cattle Annie and Little Britches (1981),
Silverado (1985), and My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys (1993).
The 1990s were a rewarding decade for Glenn, in which his performances helped power Silence
of the Lambs, The Hunt for Red October, Backdraft, and Absolute Power
to international box office records. He also starred in the Ken Loach festival-honored Carla's
Song.
Glenn's off-screen life as an adventurer and self-described adrenaline addict in sports such
as free-fall sky diving and skiing were perfect preparation for Vertical Limit (2000), where
he played the eccentric yet revered mountain climber Montgomery Wick.
Along with his motion picture success, Glenn has lent his voice to numerous US Navy
commercials as well as narrated Navy SEALS: Untold Stories.
Glenn lives in the Tribeca section of New York City, Ketchum, and in Mexico with
his wife, artist Carol Glenn, and their two daughters.