In 1992, Pfeiffer took on one of her most iconic and challenging roles, that of Selina Kyle / Catwoman, in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns. She underwent rigorous training and endured a tight-fitting costume that was vacuum-sealed for each scene. She also performed most of her own stunts, including the whip-cracking and the backflips. Her performance was widely praised and became a fan favorite, as she brought a mix of vulnerability, sensuality, and fierceness to the character.
She also received a Saturn Award for Best Actress for her role. She also starred in Love Field, a drama set during the assassination of John F. Kennedy, where she played a housewife who becomes obsessed with the First Lady. She received her third Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, as well as a fifth Golden Globe nomination for her performance.
In 1993, Pfeiffer starred in The Age of Innocence, a period drama based on the novel by Edith Wharton, directed by Martin Scorsese3. She played Countess Ellen Olenska, a woman who returns to New York society after a failed marriage and becomes the object of desire of a lawyer, played by Daniel Day-Lewis. She received a BAFTA nomination and a sixth Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Drama for her role. She also produced and starred in Dangerous Minds, a drama based on the memoir of a former Marine who becomes a teacher in an inner-city school. The film was a box office hit and spawned a popular soundtrack, featuring the song “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio.
In 1994, Pfeiffer starred opposite Jack Nicholson in Wolf, a horror film about a man who becomes a werewolf after being bitten by one. She also produced and starred in One Fine Day, a romantic comedy with George Clooney, where they played two single parents who have to juggle their careers and children in one day. She received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her role. She also produced and starred in To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday, a drama about a widower who struggles to move on after the death of his wife.
