The Lion in Winter | Hungary | Henry II | Glenn Close

"I was a huge horse lover when I was little, and I've always ridden. Hungarians are known as amazing horsemen. I remember reading this book about this little boy and a horse on the Hungarian plains and always wanting to go to Hungary. Then, when I did The Lion in Winter, I actually rode a white Hungarian horse, and it was magnificent. I was in full medieval armor on a white horse beneath this medieval castle, and I thought, Wow, what other profession in the world can a woman my age be on horseback in armor? Oh, it was great. I had a helmet with horsehair coming out of it and my white horse. You'll see it in the beginning of The Lion in Winter, where there's a battle between Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, who I played. I loved it."

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on the road with glenn close

what do you never leave home without?
"first, my bucky, which is a wonderful thing that props your neck up, one of those crescent-shaped things that you put behind your head. and i take a big cashmere shawl/blanket that i always put over myself on airplanes and take into cold restaurants."


any travel strategies?
"what i find useful is to get a little plastic sleeve on a cord that you can put around your neck and put your driver's license in, or whatever identification you have. because i always get paranoid that in having to show id, that somehow it will fall out of a pocket or i'll forget where it is. that's probably my biggest paranoia. so this little plastic sleeve around your neck is very useful."

what's always in your carry-on bag?
"if not toothpaste, some breath freshener. and some hand lotion, because you can get so dry. also clip-on little things that go over my reading glasses, just in case it's really bright. of course, nowadays, you're made to pull down the shades so everybody can watch a movie, which i find kind of annoying. i'd rather read a good book."