Diksia.com - Michelle Pfeiffer is a name that evokes admiration, respect, and awe. She is one of the most talented and beautiful actresses of all time, who has starred in a variety of roles across different genres. From playing the sultry Elvira in Scarface to the fierce Catwoman in Batman Returns, from the elegant Countess in The Age of Innocence to the quirky Frances in French Exit, she has proven her versatility and charisma on screen. She has also earned three Academy Award nominations, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and numerous other accolades for her performances.
But who is Michelle Pfeiffer behind the camera? How did she become one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood? What are her secrets to staying youthful and relevant? And what are her upcoming projects that we can look forward to? In this article, we will explore the life and career of Michelle Pfeiffer, the ageless star who keeps shining.
Early Life and Career
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer was born on April 29, 1958, in Santa Ana, California, the second of four children of Donna Jean, a housewife, and Richard Pfeiffer, an air-conditioning contractor. She grew up in a middle-class family and attended Fountain Valley High School, where she was involved in cheerleading and theater. She also won the Miss Orange County beauty pageant in 1978 and participated in the Miss California contest.
Pfeiffer initially studied to become a court reporter at Golden West College, but soon realized that her true passion was acting. She quit her job as a supermarket checker and started taking acting classes and auditioning for roles. She made her film debut in 1980 with The Hollywood Knights, a comedy about a group of teenagers in the 1960s. She followed it with another teen musical, Grease 2, in 1982, where she played the lead role of Stephanie Zinone, a rebellious Pink Lady who falls in love with a nerdy T-Bird. Although the film was a critical and commercial flop, it helped Pfeiffer gain some exposure and recognition in the industry.
Breakthrough and Stardom
Pfeiffer’s breakthrough came in 1983, when she landed the role of Elvira Hancock, the glamorous wife of a drug lord, in Brian De Palma’s Scarface1. She impressed the director and the star, Al Pacino, with her audition, where she accidentally cut Pacino with broken glass. She also lost weight and dyed her hair blonde to fit the character, who was addicted to cocaine. Her performance was praised by critics and audiences alike, and she became a sex symbol and a sought-after actress.
Pfeiffer continued to showcase her range and talent in the following years, appearing in diverse films such as Into the Night, a comedy thriller with Jeff Goldblum; Ladyhawke, a fantasy adventure with Rutger Hauer; Sweet Liberty, a satire with Alan Alda; and The Witches of Eastwick, a dark comedy with Jack Nicholson, Cher, and Susan Sarandon. She also made a cameo appearance in Amazon Women on the Moon, a spoof anthology film directed by John Landis.
In 1988, Pfeiffer had one of her most productive and acclaimed years, starring in three films that earned her critical and commercial success. She played Angela de Marco, a widow of a mobster who tries to start a new life, in Married to the Mob, a comedy directed by Jonathan Demme. She received her first Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her performance. She also starred opposite Mel Gibson and Kurt Russell in Tequila Sunrise, a crime drama about a former drug dealer, a cop, and a restaurateur who are involved in a love triangle.
She received her second Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Drama for her role. Finally, she played Madame de Tourvel, a virtuous married woman who is seduced by a ruthless aristocrat, in Dangerous Liaisons, a period drama based on the novel by Choderlos de Laclos. She received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, as well as a BAFTA Award and a third Golden Globe nomination for her performance.
Pfeiffer’s success continued in 1989, when she starred as Susie Diamond, a lounge singer who joins two brothers in their piano act, in The Fabulous Baker Boys, a romantic drama with Jeff and Beau Bridges. She received rave reviews for her performance, especially for her rendition of “Makin’ Whoopee” on top of a piano. She won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama, and received her second Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She also appeared on the cover of People magazine as one of the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World”.
1990s: Peak and Transition
Pfeiffer entered the 1990s as one of the highest-paid and most respected actresses in Hollywood. She starred in The Russia House, a spy thriller based on the novel by John le Carré, opposite Sean Connery. She also reunited with Al Pacino in Frankie and Johnny, a romantic comedy based on the play by Terrence McNally, where she played a waitress who falls in love with a cook. She received her fourth consecutive Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Drama for her role.
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.
In 1995, Pfeiffer starred in Up Close & Personal, a romantic drama loosely based on the life of journalist Jessica Savitch, opposite Robert Redford. She also produced and starred in A Thousand Acres, a drama based on the novel by Jane Smiley, which was a modern retelling of King Lear, where she played the eldest of three sisters who inherit their father’s farm. She received a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Best Actress for her role.
In 1996, Pfeiffer lent her voice to the animated film The Prince of Egypt, where she played Tzipporah, the wife of Moses. She also starred in The Deep End of the Ocean, a drama based on the novel by Jacquelyn Mitchard, where she played a mother whose son is kidnapped and returns nine years later. She received a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress in a Drama for her role.
In 1997, Pfeiffer starred in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a comedy based on the play by William Shakespeare, where she played Titania, the queen of the fairies. She also starred in The Story of Us, a romantic comedy with Bruce Willis, where they played a married couple who decide to separate after 15 years. She received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her role. She also produced and starred in The Deep End of the Ocean, a drama based on the novel by Jacquelyn Mitchard, where she played a mother whose son is kidnapped and returns nine years later. She received a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress in a Drama for her role.
2000s: Selective Roles and Hiatus
Pfeiffer began the new millennium with a starring role in What Lies Beneath, a supernatural thriller directed by Robert Zemeckis, opposite Harrison Ford. She played Claire Spencer, a woman who suspects that her husband is having an affair and that their house is haunted by a ghost. The film was a box office hit and received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Pfeiffer’s performance but criticized the plot and the direction. She also received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Actress for her role.
In 2002, Pfeiffer starred in White Oleander, a drama based on the novel by Janet Fitch, where she played Ingrid Magnussen, a manipulative and abusive mother who is imprisoned for murder and tries to control her daughter’s life from behind bars. She received positive reviews for her performance, as well as a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. She also lent her voice to Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, an animated adventure film, where she played Eris, the goddess of chaos.
In 2003, Pfeiffer took a break from acting to focus on her family and personal life. She later explained that she felt burnt out and uninspired by the roles she was offered, and that she wanted to spend more time with her husband and children. She also admitted that she struggled with aging in Hollywood and the pressure to maintain her appearance. She said, “I think I was pretty careful about where I shot, how I shot, not doing close-ups. I think I became more insecure and self-conscious. I think that’s a natural thing, but I do think it’s a choice.”
Pfeiffer returned to the screen in 2007, after a four-year hiatus, with three films. She starred in Hairspray, a musical comedy based on the Broadway show, where she played Velma Von Tussle, a racist and ambitious television producer. She received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her role. She also starred in Stardust, a fantasy adventure based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, where she played Lamia, a witch who seeks to capture a fallen star, played by Claire Danes. She received a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role. She also starred in I Could Never Be Your Woman, a romantic comedy with Paul Rudd, where she played a divorced mother who falls in love with a younger man. The film was released straight to DVD due to distribution problems.
2010s: Comeback and Critical Acclaim
Pfeiffer continued to act sporadically in the 2010s, appearing in a few films and television projects. She starred in Chéri, a period drama based on the novel by Colette, where she reunited with director Stephen Frears and played Léa de Lonval, an aging courtesan who has a relationship with a younger man, played by Rupert Friend. She received positive reviews for her performance, as well as a Satellite Award nomination for Best Actress in a Drama. She also starred in Personal Effects, a drama with Ashton Kutcher, where she played a widow who falls in love with a young man who lost his sister. The film was released straight to DVD.
In 2011, Pfeiffer starred in New Year’s Eve, a romantic comedy ensemble film, where she played Ingrid, a frustrated secretary who quits her job and tries to fulfill her resolutions with the help of a bike messenger, played by Zac Efron. The film was a box office success but received negative reviews from critics. She also starred in Dark Shadows, a horror comedy based on the television series, directed by Tim Burton, where she played Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, the matriarch of a dysfunctional family who lives with a vampire, played by Johnny Depp. The film received mixed reviews from critics and performed moderately at the box office.
In 2013, Pfeiffer starred in The Family, a crime comedy directed by Luc Besson, opposite Robert De Niro. She played Maggie Blake, the wife of a former mobster who is in witness protection and moves to France with her family. The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a modest box office success. She also starred in People Like Us, a drama with Chris Pine, where she played Lillian Harper, the mother of a man who discovers that he has a half-sister, played by Elizabeth Banks. The film received positive reviews from critics but was a box office flop.
In 2017, Pfeiffer made a comeback with several acclaimed performances in various genres. She starred in Where Is Kyra?, a drama directed by Andrew Dosunmu, where she played Kyra Johnson, a middle-aged woman who struggles to survive after losing her job and her mother. She received rave reviews for her performance, which was described as “one of the finest and most fearless of her career” by The Guardian. She also starred in Mother!, a psychological horror film directed by Darren Aronofsky, where she played Woman, a mysterious and intrusive guest who invades the home of a couple, played by Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem.
She received positive reviews for her performance, as well as a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She also starred in Murder on the Orient Express, a mystery film based on the novel by Agatha Christie, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh. She played Caroline Hubbard, a glamorous and flirtatious widow who is a suspect in a murder case. She received positive reviews for her performance, as well as a Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
In 2018, Pfeiffer joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing Janet van Dyne, the original Wasp, in Ant-Man and the Wasp. She reprised her role in Avengers: Endgame in 2019. She also starred in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, a fantasy sequel to Maleficent, where she played Queen Ingrith, the mother of Prince Phillip and the antagonist of the film. She received mixed reviews for her performance, as well as a People’s Choice Award nomination for Favorite Movie Villain.
In 2020, Pfeiffer starred in French Exit, a comedy-drama based on the novel by Patrick deWitt, where she played Frances Price, a widowed socialite who moves to Paris with her son and her cat. She received critical acclaim for her performance, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy. She also starred in The Wizard of Lies, a television film based on the book by Diana B. Henriques, where she played Ruth Madoff, the wife of Bernie Madoff, the infamous Ponzi scheme fraudster. She received positive reviews for her performance, as well as a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.
Conclusion
Michelle Pfeiffer is one of the most versatile and successful actresses in Hollywood, who has shown her range and talent in various roles and genres. She has also been praised for her beauty and style, as well as her dedication to her family and personal life. She has received numerous awards and nominations for her performances, and has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
She is also involved in various charitable and environmental causes, such as the Humane Society, the American Cancer Society, and the Environmental Working Group. She is a vegan and a supporter of animal rights. She is currently working on several projects, including The First Lady, a television series where she will play Betty Ford, the former First Lady of the United States. Michelle Pfeiffer is a star who keeps shining, and we can’t wait to see what she does next.
