Glenn Closeis often celebrated for her magnetic screen presence inFatal Attraction,101 Dalmatians, andDangerous Liaisons, but her television work is just as commanding. From complex antiheroes to principled power players, Close has brought the same nuance to the small screen that defines her cinematic legacy. What’s more, one of her most unforgettable roles wasn’t in a movie - it was on TV.
She’s no stranger to television greatness.Glenn Close’s best performanceson the small screen earned her multiple awards across her career, including an Emmy for her role as Patty Hewes inDamages. However, before that, she gave a performance so sharp, so perfectly restrained and powerful, that it stood out in a show already stacked with talent. That role remains one of the greatest in the television crime genre.
She didn’t just step into a gritty crime show - she elevated it. Glenn Close was nominated for both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her work, helping redefine what prestige television could look like in the 2000s. The series, created byS.W.A.T.andThe Night Agentmastermind Shawn Ryan, wasThe Shield.
The Shield Was A Critically Acclaimed FX Show That Ran For 7 Seasons
The Legendary Crime Drama Pushed Boundaries With Its Raw Storytelling, Powerful Performances, And Complex Characters
Running on FX from 2002-2008,The Shieldwas a gritty police dramathat broke the mold. Set in the fictional Farmington district of Los Angeles,The Shieldfollowed a corrupt but effective anti-gang unit known as the Strike Team. At the center was Detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis), a morally compromised cop who would do anything to maintain order and control.
Created by Shawn Ryan,The Shieldwas unapologetically raw.It blurred the lines between right and wrong in a way few shows had done before. The show wasn’t interested in clean resolutions or easy heroes - it gave viewers morally grey protagonists and forced them to sit in the discomfort. The paid off, asThe Shieldhelped FX establish itself as a home for boundary-pushing prestige TV.
The show’s success wasn’t just critical; it was award-worthy.Michael Chiklis wonboth a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globefor his performance in the first season. Walton Goggins, CCH Pounder, and other cast members were also nominated for Emmys and other major awards throughout the series’ run. In 2004, the series won the Satellite Award for Best Drama Television Series, and it has remained highly rated across the board.
Even over two decades later,The Shieldboasts a 90% score onRotten Tomatoesand an 8.7/10 onIMDb- a testament to how well the storytelling has held up. Gritty, intelligent, and always provocative, it delivered crime drama at its highest level.
Glenn Close Gave A Career-Defining Performance As Monica Rawling
The Movie Star Brought Layered Authority And Vulnerability To One Of TV’s Toughest Precincts
InThe Shieldseason 4, Glenn Close joined the cast as Monica Rawling, the newly appointed Captain of the Farmington precinct. Coming in after the controversial departure of her predecessor, Rawling was determined to clean up the streets while restoring legitimacy to a deeply fractured police force. It was a role that demanded quiet strength, steel, and empathy - and Glenn Close delivered all of that and more.
This was the moral gray areaThe Shieldthrived in, and Close’s performance anchored it beautifully.
Monica Rawling wasn’t a one-note authority figure. She was intelligent, reform-minded, and unwavering in her belief in justice - but not naïve. She quicklyrecognized the complexity of leading a precinct corrupted from the inside. Her decisions sparked intense debate both within the show and among viewers. This was the moral gray areaThe Shieldthrived in, and Close’s performance anchored it beautifully.
Glenn Close played Rawling withthe kind of emotional restraint that added incredible depth.In scenes oppositeMichael Chiklis’s Vic Mackey, there was always a crackling tension, sometimes cooperative, sometimes adversarial. You could see the weight of leadership etched into every line of dialogue and flicker of emotion. Her chemistry with the rest of the cast, especially CCH Pounder’s Claudette Wyms, elevated the entire season.
Glenn Close didn’t just joinThe Shield- she became part of its legacy.
Her work was immediately recognized. Glenn Closereceived nominations for both an Emmy and a Golden Globe, and critics hailed her as one of the best additions to the series. In many ways, her turn as Monica Rawling helped legitimize the show for viewers who hadn’t yet embraced cable crime dramas as serious storytelling vehicles.
It was a rare moment where an actor known for dominating the big screen stepped into an ensemble and led without overshadowing. Glenn Close didn’tjust joinThe Shield- she became part of its legacy.
Over 2 Decades On, Crime Drama Fans Should Still Watch The Shield
The Shield Set The Tone For Modern Crime Dramas With Its Moral Ambiguity And High-Stakes Intensity
ThoughThe Shieldpremiered in 2002, it still feels shockingly relevant in 2025. The show’s take on policing, corruption, and street-level justice remains searing and uncomfortable, which is exactly what makes it so essential. In an era filled with glossy procedurals,The Shieldcut deep with its gritty realismand complex characters.
The series was a forerunner to the wave of morally grey prestige dramas that followed. WithoutThe Shield, it’s hard to imagine shows likeBreaking Bad,Sons of Anarchy, orRay Donovanbeing greenlit with the same creative freedom. Shawn Ryan’s vision, grounded in unflinching moral complexity,paved the way for TV to be taken seriously as an artistic medium.
The Shieldproved crime stories didn’t need to follow a black-and-white formula - they could live in the uncomfortable middle.
The Shieldproved crime storiesdidn’t need to follow a black-and-white formula - they could live in the uncomfortable middle. Glenn Close’s presence in season 4 was a major part of this evolution. Her casting signaled that the show had reached a new level of legitimacy. And her performance still resonates - not just as one of her finest, but asone of the genre’s best examples of nuanced leadership.
The Shield’s lasting legacy can be seen everywherein the crime drama genre. Its handheld camerawork, ethical ambiguity, and ensemble-driven storytelling have become staples. However, none of that would work without strong performances anchoring the chaos, and Glenn Close was one of the best to do it.
If you missedThe Shieldthe first time around, it’s more than worth revisiting now. And if you’re aGlenn Closefan, her turn asMonica Rawling is essential viewing. It’s not just one of her best TV performances - it’s one of the best performances in TV history, period.
