Glenn Close revealed on 26 August 2026 that her transformation into Drusilla Sickle for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping required her eyes and nose to be taped back, alongside custom teeth and a prosthetic nose. The 79-year-old Fatal Attraction star helped develop the severe look months before filming so she could embody the ruthless Capitol escort responsible for District 12's tributes.
Close began the process at home by examining her face in a mirror and pulling the corners of her mouth in different directions. She rejected lifting them upwards because the expression reminded her too much of the Joker, eventually settling on stretching them horizontally. After sending a photograph to director Francis Lawrence and receiving his approval, the experiment became part of her daily transformation on set, with Close admitting: 'I think it aged me, like, 50 years.'
Face Tape Created Drusilla's Distorted Features
The make-up team used tape to pull back Close's eyes and nose, while a specially made set of teeth pushed her lip forward. A prosthetic lifted the end of her nose into an exaggerated shape, further separating Drusilla from Close's natural appearance. The finished design, shown in Lionsgate's official trailer, also features thin arched eyebrows, heavy eyelashes, red lipstick and a sharp orange bob.
Close compared the process with becoming Cruella de Vil in Disney's 1996 film 101 Dalmatians, one of her most recognisable performances. 'She's kind of like Cruella,' the eight-time Oscar nominee said of Drusilla, explaining that the character did not fully emerge until she was wearing the complete make-up and costume. Both characters use carefully constructed clothes and beauty details to establish their power before they speak.
Creating Drusilla required a prosthetic make-up artist, a traditional make-up artist, a wig maker and a costumer working as Close's core creative team. The group developed the character's different looks together, while Close contributed ideas about her movements, voice and physical presence. Her military-influenced wardrobe was drawn from Suzanne Collins's 2025 novel, which describes Drusilla using thumbtacks to pull her skin taut and carrying a riding crop on her boot.
Her Co-Stars Barely Recognised Her
Elle Fanning, who portrays a younger Effie Trinket, said she struggled to recognise Close when they reunited on set. The actors had previously worked together in the 2014 drama Low Down, but Close's taped features and prosthetics made her appear like a different person. Fanning described the result as 'frightening and amazing', adding that the transformation matched Drusilla's larger-than-life personality.
Mckenna Grace, who plays District 12 tribute Maysilee Donner, similarly called Close 'incredible and terrifying'. Whitney Peak, who stars as Haymitch Abernathy's girlfriend Lenore Dove Baird, said she was stunned while watching Close perform the reaping scene. Their reactions show how the physical transformation affected Close's presence on set, rather than functioning only as a dramatic reveal for the camera.
Drusilla Brings Capitol Cruelty to District 12
Drusilla oversees the selection of District 12's children for the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. The official trailer shows her announcing 'Twice the tributes. Twice the glory', confirming that 48 children will be forced into the arena. Close said the Capitol official is openly disgusted by District 12 and eager to leave the impoverished community behind.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping follows a young Haymitch Abernathy, played by Joseph Zada, 24 years before the events of the first Hunger Games film. Close appears alongside Fanning, Grace, Peak, Ralph Fiennes, Jesse Plemons and Kieran Culkin. The prequel is scheduled to arrive in cinemas and IMAX on 20 November 2026.
