Oscars 2021: Yes, Glenn Close doing ‘Da Butt’ was scripted – Los Angeles Times

It seems only fitting that the star of “Hillbilly Elegy” — the butt of the 2021 awards cycle — would perform “Da Butt” dance during the Oscars telecast.

While playing a game of “name that song” during an unexpected break in Sunday night’s proceedings, actor Lil Rel Howery turned the spotlight on screen icon Glenn Close, who floored the crowd — and the internet — with her bootylicious dance moves.

The Los Angeles Times has confirmed that Close’s twerk-tastic performance was part of a scripted bit designed for laughs. It worked, as evidenced by Twitter users who promptly lost their minds.

“I did not have Glenn close doing da butt on my Oscar bingo card but here we are,” tweeted author Roxane Gay.

“Glenn Close just won her first Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film,” joked Entertainment Weekly reporter Joey Nolfi.

The lighthearted segment played out as follows: Howery gave a handful of nominees a chance to identify a random tune from a film soundtrack — selected by Oscars DJ Questlove — and guess whether it scored an Oscar nomination or win the year it was released.

During her turn in the hot seat, Close stunned the room by correctly identifying Experience Unlimited’s “Da Butt” from director Spike Lee’s 1988 film “School Daze,” which did not receive a nomination. But that was nothing compared to what came next: When asked by Howery if she knew “Da Butt” dance, Close didn’t miss a beat before rising from her seat and shaking her booty on live television.

Before Close, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” actress Andra Day correctly determined that Prince’s song “Purple Rain” did not receive an Oscar nomination when the film of the same name debuted in 1984. (The Prince question also sparked Twitter controversy, as “Purple Rain” the movie won the now-defunct Oscar category of “original song score,” which required a film have five original songs. Some contended that meant “Purple Rain” the song did indeed win.)

After some witty banter about their Oscar-winning 2017 film, “Get Out,” Howery also challenged “Judas and the Black Messiah” actor Daniel Kaluuya, who mistakenly guessed that Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” from the 1978 film “Thank God It’s Friday” was not nominated. (It won.)

Ahead of this year’s ceremony, Close landed a surprise supporting actress nomination for her turn as Mamaw in Netflix’s critically panned drama “Hillbilly Elegy.” (She also scored a Razzie nomination for the same performance.) Close left empty-handed Sunday night, tying a record for most nominated actor without a win.

See more reactions to her booty-popping display below.

Times staff writer Amy Kaufman contributed to this story.