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Glenn Close's 'Da Butt' moment at 2021 Oscars was scripted — but the dance was all her

Taryn Ryder
·Writer, Yahoo Entertainment
·4 min read

The 93rd Annual Academy Awards were interesting, to say the least, but there was one bit the internet collectively agreed was the best: Glenn Close's knowledge of "Da Butt." But if you thought the moment seemed too good to be true, you're correct.

After two-and-a-half hours of a mostly snooze-worthy telecast, Lil Rel Howery did a segment where he went around and asked stars in the audience whether they could name Oscar-nominated songs from the past. While Daniel Kaluuya and Andra Day were great participants, it was Close who stole the show as she twerked in front of her delighted peers.

The 74-year-old actress had a heads up before, though. The Los Angeles Times confirms the segment was scripted and designed for laughs — but hey, it worked. According to ABC's Rob Mills, executive VP of unscripted and alternative entertainment at Walt Disney Television, Close knew she'd be grilled about "Da Butt," but it was her decision to get up and do the move.

"It was certainly something nobody expected," Mills told Variety. "I mean, that was not in any rehearsal of it or anything. I think that, again, shows that she's sort of game for anything."

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Close quickly became a trending topic for the viral moment.

When Questlove, the Oscars DJ, played Experience Unlimited's "Da Butt," Close knew the song right away. (The tune appeared on the original soundtrack to Spike Lee's School Daze.)

"Wait a second... I know, that's 'Da Butt!'" Close said. "'Da Butt' was a classic song by the great Washington, D.C., go-go band E.U. So, shout-outs to Sugar Bear and the whole backyard band... I remember this, so Spike Lee had it written for his brilliant movie, School Daze. And my friends at the Oscars, um, missed it, and it wasn't nominated so it couldn't have won which I think is just an eff'in tragedy."

Close then got up and did the "Da Butt" move — and it was the GIF seen around the world.

Lee appreciated the moment, scripted and all.

"I've gotta give a shout out to my sister, Glenn Close," he said in a video on Monday. "Glenn Close was doing 'Da Butt!'"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Spike Lee (@officialspikelee)

While Close won over social media with her dance skills, she made some unfortunate history, too. The Hillbilly Elegy actress was nominated for her eighth acting Oscar on Sunday but tied Peter O'Toole's record for the most acting nominations without a win. But who cares! Winning over social media is a bigger feat these days. (Even if the moment was scripted.)

Editor's note: This story was originally published on Sunday, April 26 at 12:26 AM ET and was updated to includeLee's reaction and the scripted reports.

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