The 1980s proved to be Close's most successful decade in Hollywood. She made her debut film performance in "The World According to Garp" which earned Close her first Oscar nomination. She played Robin Williams's mother, despite being just four years older. The following year she played Sarah Cooper in "The Big Chill", a character that director Lawrence Kasdan said he specifically wrote for her. The movie received positive reviews and was a financial success. Close became the third actor to receive a Tony, Emmy, and Oscar (Academy Award) nomination all in the same calendar year after the release of "The Big Chill".