Biography of Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer is an American actress and producer. She has been nominated for an Oscar three times and for a Golden Globe about ten times. Although she has yet to win an Oscar, she received the latter award for Best Actress in a Drama for "The Fabulous Baker Boys." Among Michelle's accolades is a BAFTA Award for her portrayal of Madame de Tourvel in "Dangerous Liaisons." One of Pfeiffer's most recent standout roles is Betty Ford in the biographical drama "The First Lady."
Childhood, Youth, Family
Michelle was born on April 29, 1958, in the California city of Santa Ana, to Richard Pfeiffer and Donna Tavern. Her father worked as a contractor supplying heating appliances and air conditioners, while her mother was a homemaker caring for the house and four children: besides Michelle, the parents raised her older brother Rick and younger sisters Dedee and Lori, who later also became actresses.The actress's ancestry on her father's side includes Germans, English, French, and Irish, and on her mother's side, Swiss and Swedish. This multinational mix shaped both the girl's character and appearance.
Active and free-spirited, Michelle couldn't tolerate injustice and would readily get into a fight "for a righteous cause." At school, she found it unbearable to wait for classes to end, as surfing was much more interesting. Often, she simply skipped school.
Another passion of Michelle's was the theater club, where she could imagine herself in the most magical roles. However, Michelle was realistic and did not consider becoming an actress.
At fourteen, she got a job as a sales clerk in a clothing store in Fountain Valley, where her family had moved from Santa Ana. After earning some money, Pfeiffer decided to continue her studies at Golden West College. She studied law and envisioned herself as a courtroom reporter in the future. She financed her subsequent semesters by working at a supermarket.
One day, her friends persuaded her to participate in a beauty contest. To her surprise, she won the title of "Miss Orange County." She narrowly missed becoming "Miss Los Angeles."
Acting Career
After winning, when the girl was offered commercials and small roles in films, she changed her mind about becoming a reporter. Instead, Michelle began taking acting classes and attending auditions. She appeared in commercials and TV series, dreaming of waking up rich and famous one day.From this point on, Pfeiffer was increasingly offered leading roles in blockbuster projects, such as in "The Witches of Eastwick," "Married to the Mob," and "Tequila Sunrise."
Less than a year later, the actress was nominated for an Oscar again for her role in "The Fabulous Baker Boys." She brilliantly played the lively escort girl Susie Diamond, who suddenly turns into a singer. Pfeiffer performed the songs herself, accompanied by the two Hollywood Bridges—Beau and Jeff, who played the brothers in the film. Pfeiffer did not win the coveted Oscar for this role, but she did receive a Golden Globe award.
Not only audiences but also critics and colleagues realized that the actress was not only beautiful but also deeply emotional, capable of creating any character on screen. This was demonstrated by her role as reporter Sally (Tally) Atwater in the film "Up Close & Personal" (1996), where her co-star was the charming Robert Redford.
The actress was drawn away from dramatic roles by her portrayal of Catwoman in "Batman Returns" and architect Melanie Parker in the comedy "One Fine Day," where she and George Clooney created an incomparable duo.
Standing apart is the mystical thriller by Robert Zemeckis "What Lies Beneath," in which the actress starred alongside Harrison Ford. Together, they portrayed a married couple with an outwardly prosperous and measured life. Everything changed when the wife began hearing ghostly voices and soon discovers that her seemingly respectable husband is actually a murderer.
Pfeiffer herself considers her work in the gothic horror film by Tim Burton "Dark Shadows" (2012) a great fortune. As she mentioned in interviews, the film is specific, but the director is brilliant, and the acting team did not disappoint. Besides Michelle, the cast included Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Jonny Lee Miller, and other well-known actors.
The actress played the wife of a mobster hiding from the mafia with his family in the crime comedy "The Family," with Robert De Niro taking the role of her on-screen husband this time.
In 2017, the actress was once again nominated for Emmy and Golden Globe awards for her role as Ruth Madoff in "The Wizard of Lies."
Another Golden Globe nomination awaited Michelle in 2020 for her role as Frances Price in "French Exit."
The gallery of characters created by the actress soon expanded with another one—she played the lead role in "The First Lady." The behind-the-scenes lives of the wives of U.S. presidents unfold: Eleanor Roosevelt was portrayed by Gillian Anderson, Michelle Obama by Viola Davis, and Pfeiffer took on the role of Betty Ford.
Michelle Pfeiffer's Personal Life
In 1981, the actress married actor Peter Horton. They met while attending Milton Katselas's acting classes in Beverly Hills.As Michelle's popularity grew, so did the quarrels in their family. Peter accused Michelle of being a careerist, while she reproached her husband for being envious of her success. After seven years together, the couple filed for divorce. They did not have any children.
Despite past disagreements, the former spouses managed not to become enemies. Michelle later reproached herself for breaking her main taboo:
However, she broke this taboo more than once. She was in a relationship with actor and director Fisher Stevens for three years. They met at the Shakespeare Festival in New York. This was followed by a brief romance with John Malkovich, whom Pfeiffer worked with on the set of Dangerous Liaisons. She also had a short-lived relationship with actor Michael Keaton....I broke one of my own ten commandments — never date an actor. And I even married him!
Deciding that she might not be able to start a family or have a child, Michelle applied for adoption in 1992.
While her application to become an adoptive mother was being considered, she went on a blind date and met screenwriter David Edward Kelley. Less than a year later, they became husband and wife, and their family welcomed Pfeiffer's adopted daughter, Claudia Rose. In 1994, Michelle gave birth to their son, John Henry.
Colleagues called the actress a "crazy mom," as she would readily turn down even very good roles for the sake of her husband and children, which eventually affected her career.
However, Pfeiffer had set her life priorities long ago. She and her husband have already celebrated their silver wedding anniversary. Michelle claims that for a woman, family is more important than anything else if she wants to feel complete....I never lost my love for acting. I feel at home on set. Honestly, I'm a more balanced person when I'm working. But I was very picky about anything related to filming, whether it aligned with my children's schedule. Because of this, I was impossible to hire. And then... I don't know, time just passed... and I disappeared, yes.
The time when the actress was called the most beautiful woman in Hollywood has long passed, but she still looks very attractive in her mature years. Michelle states that it's not necessary to go under the plastic surgeon's knife to achieve this, one just needs to take good care of themselves—maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly but without fanaticism, and find inner harmony with oneself. The actress has not smoked for many years and has stopped eating meat.
Michelle Pfeiffer is also known for her charity work, regularly supporting the association fighting cancer. The topic is close to her heart, as her niece was diagnosed with leukemia at one time.
Michelle Pfeiffer Now
Fans were convinced that Michelle still looks stunning at the 33rd Annual Environmental Media Association Awards in Los Angeles. With nude makeup, loose hair, and a white suit, Pfeiffer looked simply chic.After she masterfully portrayed Betty Ford in the biographical drama "The First Lady" and played Janet van Dyne in the film "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," the actress's fans eagerly awaited her new roles. And they got them.
In 2024, Francis Ford Coppola released a small excerpt from his new project "Megalopolis," where Michelle plays one of the key roles. In this sci-fi film about the destruction of a metropolis, alongside Pfeiffer, Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman, and Cate Blanchett also star. The main characters—idealistic architect Cezar and city mayor Frank Cicero—are portrayed by Adam Driver and Giancarlo Esposito.
Interesting Facts
- Michelle Pfeiffer recalls with a shudder how, at the dawn of her career, she fell under the influence of breatharian sectarians. The aspiring actress spent almost all her savings to "nourish herself with wisdom and wait for brilliant ideas" using only air and sunlight, without food or water. It was like madness, and all she achieved was losing too much weight and developing an eating disorder. Her future husband, Peter Horton, helped her overcome this unhealthy dependency.
- To accurately portray the character of Catwoman Selina Kyle in the film "Batman Returns," the actress took martial arts courses and worked with specialists studying the feline family to perfectly convey the fluidity of feline movements.
- Pfeiffer loves musicals and enjoys performing in them. Although directors did not dispute her musical talents, interesting leading roles were not always given to her. For instance, she could have played Eva Perón in the musical "Evita," but the role went to Madonna. Donna Sheridan in the musical comedy "Mamma Mia!" was played by Meryl Streep instead of Pfeiffer.
- To be fair, Michelle herself often refused to work with famous directors. The actress was dissatisfied with the scripts of films like "Pretty Woman," "The Silence of the Lambs," and "Basic Instinct." However, Julia Roberts, Jodie Foster, and Sharon Stone gained worldwide fame and numerous awards by starring in these films.
