Hollywood legend Glenn Close has publicly defended her co-star Kim Kardashian following a brutal critical reception for their new television series, All's Fair, which some reviewers have labelled the worst drama ever made.
A Show Mired in Controversy
The legal drama, created by Ryan Murphy, stars the 78-year-old Glenn Close and the 45-year-old SKIMS founder, Kim Kardashian. The plot centres on a team of high-powered female lawyers who depart their established firm to launch their own company. Kardashian's character, the fierce divorce attorney Allura, vows to destroy her younger husband who she believes married her for money.
Shortly after its release earlier this month, the show earned a devastating 0% 'rotten' rating on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. At the time of writing, it has marginally improved to a still-dismal 3%.
Close's Candid Defence
In a new interview with The Telegraph, Glenn Close revealed the strong working relationship she developed with Kardashian on set. The pair even attended an alcohol-fuelled viewing of Close's classic film Fatal Attraction, an event organised by Kim's mother, Kris Jenner.
Addressing the criticism aimed at her co-star, Close said, 'What surprised me was Kim's seriousness of intent.' She elaborated, 'She had no pretensions that she was a great actress, but she was smart enough to have people around her who she could learn from.' Close added that if Kardashian had been a 'big ego' she would have been unhappy, but found her not to be that way at all.
The acclaimed actress also suggested that Kim's public reputation may have influenced the negative backlash, acknowledging that not everybody likes the Kardashians and that they 'have an image'.
A Torrent of Critical Fury
Critics were overwhelmingly scathing in their assessments of the show and Kardashian's performance in particular.
Ben Dowell of The Times gave the show zero stars, declaring, 'This may be the worst TV drama ever'. He was particularly critical of Kardashian's abilities, writing, 'Does Kardashian make a convincing lawyer? No, she does not. She is to acting what Genghis Khan is to a peaceful liberal democracy.'
Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that 'Kardashian's performance, stiff and affectless without a single authentic note, is exactly what the writing, also stiff and affectless without a single authentic note, merits.'
Lucy Mangan for The Guardian opened her review by stating, 'I did not know it was still possible to make television this bad... But I was wrong. All's Fair is terrible. Fascinatingly, incomprehensibly, existentially terrible.'
The takedown was global, with Anisha Rao of India Today offering a half-star review and the verdict: 'This isn't law and order – it's just luxury, loud and lost in translation. All's Fair is a style statement disguised as storytelling, a glossy courtroom where contour wins over content.'
Viewer reaction on social media platform X mirrored the professional critiques, with many labelling Kardashian's performance as 'stiff' and 'monotone'. One fan wrote, 'Kim Kardashian cannot act and she need to stop touching her face,' while another added, 'Trying to watch All's Fair but I cant with Kim Kardashian.'
While in London promoting the show with co-star Sarah Paulson, 50, Kardashian expressed her dedication to the project on The Graham Norton Show. She said, 'Working with a cast like this I wanted to make sure I was completely prepared,' adding that she focused on knowing her lines, being on time, and being professional. She described the experience as an 'honour' and compared working with the acclaimed cast to 'summer camp'.
All's Fair, which also features big-name guest stars including Brooke Shields and Jennifer Jason Leigh, is now streaming on Disney and Hulu.
