White Palace (film) White Palace (film) White Palace is a 1990 American romantic drama film directed by Luis Mandoki and starring Susan Sarandon, James Spader, Jason Alexander, Kathy Bates, Steven Hill, Jeremy Piven, and Renee Taylor. It was written by Ted Tally and Alvin Sargent, based on the novel of the same name by Glenn Savan (who appears in the film as an extra with a small speaking part). It centers on the unlikely relationship between a young upper middle class widower (Spader) who falls in love with a middle-aged working class waitress (Sarandon) in St. Louis, Missouri. The original music score was
Glenn Close Actors Studio to discuss her film career. James Lipton described her as an actor who "can find an outstanding number of layers in a role or a single moment; she is a supple actor who performs subtle feats." Close is also professionally trained by acting coach Harold Guskin, who also taught Kevin Kline, Bridget Fonda and James Gandolfini. Working with Guskin, Close learned several important lessons, which she said she's applied to her career as well as her life. One such lesson, she claims, was to "read the lines off the page" and remembering to breathe. Close states, "You have