Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress and producer. A prolific performer whose
screen work spans over four decades, she became one of Hollywood's most
bankable stars and popular
sex symbols during the 1980s and 1990s. She has received
numerous accolades, including a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
and a
British Academy Film Award, in addition to nominations for three
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
and a
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
. In 2007, she was awarded a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
.
Pfeiffer briefly studied
court stenography before deciding to pursue acting. Beginning her career with minor television and film appearances in 1978, she attained her first leading role in ''
Grease 2'' (1982), which underperformed critically and commercially. Disillusioned with being
typecast in nondescript roles as attractive women, she actively sought more challenging material, earning her
breakout role in 1983 as
gangster moll
A gun moll or gangster moll or gangster's moll is the female companion of a male professional criminal. "Gun" was British slang for thief, derived from Yiddish ''ganef'', from the Hebrew ''gannāb'' ( גנב). "Moll" is also used as a euphemism for ...
Elvira Hancock in ''
Scarface''. She achieved further success with roles in ''
The Witches of Eastwick'' (1987) and ''
Married to the Mob'' (1988), for which she was nominated for her first of six consecutive Golden Globe Awards. Her performances in ''
Dangerous Liaisons'' (1988) and ''
The Fabulous Baker Boys'' (1989) earned her two consecutive Academy Award nominations, for
Best Supporting Actress and
Best Actress respectively, winning a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
for the latter.
Pfeifer went on to establish herself as one of the highest-paid actresses of the 1990s. She portrayed
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she ...
in ''
Batman Returns'' (1992), received her third Academy Award nomination for ''
Love Field'' (1992), drew praise for her performances in ''
The Age of Innocence
''The Age of Innocence'' is a 1920 novel by American author Edith Wharton. It was her twelfth novel, and was initially serialized in 1920 in four parts, in the magazine '' Pictorial Review''. Later that year, it was released as a book by D. Ap ...
'' (1993) and ''
Wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...
'' (1994), and produced several of her own
star vehicles under her company, Via Rosa Productions, including ''
Dangerous Minds'' (1995). Opting to focus on her family, she acted sporadically throughout the 2000s and the first half of the 2010s. In 2007, she played villainous roles in the
blockbusters ''
Hairspray'' and ''
Stardust
Stardust may refer to:
* A type of cosmic dust, composed of particles in space
Entertainment Songs
* “Stardust” (1927 song), by Hoagy Carmichael
* “Stardust” (David Essex song), 1974
* “Stardust” (Lena Meyer-Landrut song), 2012
* ...
''. Pfeiffer returned to prominence in 2017 with performances in ''
Where Is Kyra?
''Where Is Kyra?'' (released in the United Kingdom as ''Deceit'') is a 2017 American drama film directed by Andrew Dosunmu with a screenplay by Darci Picoult and a story by Dosunmu and Picoult. The film stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Kiefer Suther ...
,'' ''
Mother!'', and ''
Murder on the Orient Express
''Murder on the Orient Express'' is a work of detective fiction by English writer Agatha Christie featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 1 January 1934. In the ...
'', and received her first Primetime Emmy Award nomination for portraying
Ruth Madoff in ''
The Wizard of Lies''. She debuted in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published ...
as
The Wasp in ''
Ant-Man and the Wasp'' (2018), before earning her eighth Golden Globe Award nomination for ''
French Exit'' (2020).
Early life
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer was born on April 29, 1958, in
Santa Ana, California, the second of four children of Donna Jean (née Taverna; 1932–2018), a housewife, and Richard Pfeiffer (1933–1998), an air-conditioning contractor. She has an older brother, Rick (born 1955), and two younger sisters,
Dedee Pfeiffer (born 1964), a television and film actress, and Lori Pfeiffer (born 1965).
Her parents were both originally from
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, S ...
. Her paternal grandfather was of German ancestry and her paternal grandmother was of English, Welsh, French, Irish, and Dutch descent, while her maternal grandfather was of Swiss-German-Italian descent and her maternal grandmother of Swedish ancestry.
The family moved to
Midway City
Midway City is a census-designated place in the United States that forms part of the county land controlled by Orange County, California. The only area in Orange County that incorporates its chamber of commerce and homeowners association to ac ...
, another Orange County community around seven miles (11 km) away, where Pfeiffer spent her early years.
Pfeiffer attended
Fountain Valley High School, graduating in 1976.
She worked as a check-out girl at
Vons supermarket, and attended
Golden West College
Golden West College (GWC) is a public community college in Huntington Beach, California.
Organization
Golden West College, Orange Coast College, and Coastline Community College comprise the Coast Community College District (CCCD). The distric ...
where she was a member of
Alpha Delta Pi sorority. After a short stint training to be a court
stenographer, she decided upon an acting career. She won the Miss Orange County beauty pageant in 1978, and participated in the
Miss California
The Miss California competition selects the representative for the state of California in the Miss America competition.
The pageant began in Santa Cruz in 1924 and was held there in 1925. During the years 1926 through 1946 in years when the Mi ...
contest the same year, finishing in sixth place. Following her participation in these pageants, she acquired an acting agent and began to audition for television and films.
Career
Early work and breakthrough (1978–1987)
Pfeiffer made her acting debut in 1978, in a one-episode appearance of ''
Fantasy Island
''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo ...
''.
Other roles on television series followed, including ''
Delta House'', ''
CHiPs'', ''
Enos'' and ''
B.A.D. Cats'', as well as in the made-for-CBS film ''The Solitary Man'' (1979). Pfeiffer transitioned to film with the comedy ''
The Hollywood Knights'' (1980), with
Tony Danza, appearing as high school sweethearts. She subsequently played supporting roles in ''
Falling in Love Again'' (1980) with
Susannah York and ''
Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen'' (1981), none of which met with much critical or box office success. She appeared in a television commercial for
Lux soap
LUX is a global brand developed by Unilever.
Lux is marketed primarily in Brazil, India, Thailand and South Africa.
History Origins and history
The brand was founded by the firm Lever Brothers, now known as Unilever
Unilever plc is a ...
, and took acting lessons at the
Beverly Hills Playhouse, before appearing in three 1981 television movies – ''Callie and Son'', with
Lindsay Wagner, ''
The Children Nobody Wanted'' and ''
Splendor in the Grass
''Splendor in the Grass'' is a 1961 American period drama film produced and directed by Elia Kazan, from a screenplay written by William Inge. It stars Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty (in his film debut) as two high school sweethearts, navi ...
''.
Pfeiffer obtained her first major film role as the female lead in ''
Grease 2'' (1982), the sequel to the smash-hit musical film ''
Grease'' (1978).
With only a few television roles and small film appearances, the 23-year-old Pfeiffer was an unknown actress when she attended the casting call audition for the role, but according to director
Patricia Birch, she won the part because she "has a quirky quality you don't expect". The film was a critical and commercial failure, but ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' remarked: "
though she is a relative screen newcomer, Miss Pfeiffer manages to look much more insouciant and comfortable than anyone else in the cast." Despite escaping the critical mauling, her agent later admitted that her association with the film meant that "she couldn't get any jobs. Nobody wanted to hire her."
On her early screen roles, she asserted: "I needed to learn how to act ... in the meantime, I was playing bimbos and cashing in on my looks."
Director
Brian De Palma
Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leadin ...
, having seen ''Grease 2'', refused to audition Pfeiffer for ''
Scarface'' (1983), but relented at the insistence of
Martin Bregman, the film's producer. She was cast as cocaine-addicted trophy wife
Elvira Hancock.
The film was considered excessively violent by most critics, but became a commercial hit and gained a large
cult following
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic ...
in subsequent years. Pfeiffer received positive reviews for her supporting turn;
Richard Corliss of ''
Time Magazine
''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on M ...
'' wrote, "most of the large cast is fine: Michelle Pfeiffer is better ..." while
Dominick Dunne, in an article for ''
Vanity Fair'' titled "Blonde Ambition", wrote, "
e is on the verge of stardom. In the parlance of the industry, she is hot."
Following ''Scarface'', she played Diana in
John Landis' comedy ''
Into the Night'' (1985), with
Jeff Goldblum; Isabeau d'Anjou in
Richard Donner
Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg; April 24, 1930 – July 5, 2021) was an American filmmaker whose notable works included some of the most financially-successful films during the New Hollywood era. According to film historian ...
's fantasy film ''
Ladyhawke'' (1985), with
Rutger Hauer and
Matthew Broderick; Faith Healy in
Alan Alda
Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war come ...
's ''
Sweet Liberty'' (1986), with
Michael Caine; and Brenda Landers in a segment of the 1950s sci-fi parody ''
Amazon Women on the Moon'' (1987), all of which, despite achieving only modest commercial success, helped to establish her as an actress. She finally scored a major box-office hit as Sukie Ridgemont in the 1987
adaptation of
John Updike
John Hoyer Updike (March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009) was an American novelist, poet, short-story writer, art critic, and literary critic. One of only four writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once (the others being Booth ...
's novel ''
The Witches of Eastwick'', with
Jack Nicholson,
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industr ...
, and
Susan Sarandon
Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actorMcCabe, Bruce"Susan Sarandon, the 'actor'" ''Boston Globe''. April 17, 1981. Retrieved January 21, 2021. and activist. She is the recipient of various accolades, ...
. The film received positive reviews and grossed over $63.7 million domestically, equivalent to $ million in dollars, becoming one of her earliest critical and commercial successes.
Praising their comedic timing,
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
wrote that Pfeiffer and her female co-stars each "have a delicious good time with their roles", while the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' film critic
Sheila Benson said Pfeiffer makes her character "a warm, irresistible character."
Established career (1988–1993)
Pfeiffer was cast against type, as a murdered gangster's widow, in
Jonathan Demme
Robert Jonathan Demme ( ; February 22, 1944 – April 26, 2017) was an American filmmaker. Beginning his career under B-movie producer Roger Corman, Demme made his directorial debut with the 1974 women-in-prison film '' Caged Heat'', befo ...
's
mafia comedy Mafia comedy films are a subgenre hybrid of comedy films and crime/gangster films.
Criteria
Mafia comedies revolve around organized crime, often specifically the Italian-American Mafia but also other mafias or mafia-like crime groups, and a comedic ...
''
Married to the Mob'' (1988), with
Matthew Modine,
Dean Stockwell and
Mercedes Ruehl
Mercedes J. Ruehl (; born February 28, 1948) is an American screen, stage, and television actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, two Obie Awards, an ...
. For the role of Angela de Marco, she donned a curly brunette wig and a
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...
accent,
and received her first
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
nomination as
Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, beginning a six-year streak of consecutive Best Actress nominations at the Golden Globes. Pfeiffer then appeared as chic restaurateuse Jo Ann Vallenari in ''
Tequila Sunrise'' (1988) with
Mel Gibson and
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He began acting on television at the age of 12 in the western series '' The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' (1963–1964). In the late 1960s, he signed a ten-year contract with Th ...
, but experienced creative and personal differences with director
Robert Towne
Robert Towne (born Robert Bertram Schwartz;'' Easy Riders, Raging Bulls'' by Peter Biskind page 30, 1999 Bloomsbury edition November 23, 1934) is an American screenwriter, producer, director and actor. He started with writing films for Roger C ...
, who later described her as the "most difficult" actress he has ever worked with.
At Demme's personal recommendation,
Pfeiffer joined the cast of
Stephen Frears
Stephen Arthur Frears (born 20 June 1941) is an English director and producer of film and television often depicting real life stories as well as projects that explore social class through sharply drawn characters. He's received numerous accola ...
's ''
Dangerous Liaisons'' (1988), with
Glenn Close and
John Malkovich, playing Madame Marie de Tourvel, the virtuous victim of seduction. Hal Hinson of ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
'' saw Pfeiffer's role as "the least obvious and the most difficult. Nothing is harder to play than virtue, and Pfeiffer is smart enough not to try. Instead, she embodies it. Her porcelain-skinned beauty, in this regard, is a great asset, and the way it's used makes it seem an aspect of her spirituality." She won the
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and received a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Pfeiffer then accepted the role of
Susie Diamond
Susie Diamond is a fictional character who appears in the Romance film, romantic Musical film, musical comedy-drama film ''The Fabulous Baker Boys'' (1989). Portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer, Susie is a former escort who becomes a professional loung ...
, a hard-edged former call girl turned lounge singer, in ''
The Fabulous Baker Boys'' (1989), which also starred
Jeff Bridges and
Beau Bridges as the eponymous Baker Boys. She underwent intense voice training for the role for four months, and performed all of her character's vocals. The film was a modest success, grossing $18.4 million in the US (equivalent to $ million in dollars ). Her portrayal of Susie, however, drew unanimous acclaim from critics. Critic
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
compared her to
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...
in ''
Gilda'' and to
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
in ''
Some Like It Hot'', adding that the film was "one of the movies they will use as a document, years from now, when they begin to trace the steps by which Pfeiffer became a great star". During the 1989–1990 awards season, Pfeiffer won as Best Actress at the
Golden Globes, the
National Board of Review, the
National Society of Film Critics, the
New York Film Critics Circle
The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) is an American film critic organization founded in 1935 by Wanda Hale from the New York ''Daily News''. Its membership includes over 30 film critics from New York-based daily and weekly newspapers, maga ...
, the
Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the
Chicago Film Critics Association
The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) is an association of professional film critics, who work in print, broadcast and online media, based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The organization was founded in 1990 by film critics Sharon LeM ...
. Pfeiffer's performance as Susie is considered to be the most critically acclaimed of her career. The scene in which her character seductively performs "
Makin' Whoopee" atop a grand piano is considered to be a memorable scene in modern cinema.
In 1990, Pfeiffer formed her own film production company, Via Rosa Productions, with business partner Kate Guinzburg, whom she had met on the set of ''Sweet Liberty'' (1986). The company was under a picture deal with
Touchstone Pictures, a film label of
The Walt Disney Studios. That year, Pfeiffer began earning $1 million per film,
and took on the part of the Soviet book editor Katya Orlova in the
film adaptation of
John le Carré
David John Moore Cornwell (19 October 193112 December 2020), better known by his pen name John le Carré ( ), was a British and Irish author, best known for his espionage novels, many of which were successfully adapted for film or television. ...
's ''
The Russia House'', with
Sean Connery, a role that required her to adopt a Russian accent. For her efforts, she was rewarded with a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. Pfeiffer then landed the role of damaged waitress Frankie in
Garry Marshall's ''
Frankie and Johnny'' (1991), a film adaptation of
Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally (November 3, 1938 – March 24, 2020) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter.
Described as "the bard of American theater" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced," ...
's Broadway play ''
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune'', which reunited her with her ''Scarface'' co-star,
Al Pacino
Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Al Pacino, numerous accolades: including an Aca ...
. The casting was seen as controversial by many, as Pfeiffer was considered far too beautiful to play an "ordinary" waitress;
Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actor and director. Known for her roles in comedic and dramatic films and television programs, she has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, includ ...
, the original Frankie on Broadway, also expressed disappointment over the producers' choice. Pfeiffer herself stated that she took the role because it "wasn't what people would expect of
er. Pfeiffer was once again nominated for a
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama for her performance.
Pfeiffer took on the role of
Selina Kyle–Catwoman in
Tim Burton
Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993), ...
's superhero film ''
Batman Returns'' (1992), opposite
Michael Keaton and
Danny DeVito, after
Annette Bening dropped out because of her pregnancy. For the role, she trained in martial arts and
kickboxing
Kickboxing is a combat sport focused on kicking and punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, gen ...
. Pfeiffer received unanimous critical acclaim for her portrayal, which is often referred to as the greatest performance of Catwoman of all time by critics and fans.
''
Premiere
A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition.
A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its f ...
'' retrospectively stated: "Arguably the outstanding villain of the Tim Burton era, Michelle Pfeiffer's deadly kitten with a whip brought sex to the normally neutered franchise. Her stitched-together, black patent leather costume, based on a sketch of Burton's, remains the character's most iconic look. And Michelle Pfeiffer overcomes ''Batman Returns'' heavy-handed feminist dialogue to deliver a growling, fierce performance." ''Batman Returns'' was a big box office success, grossing over US$267 million worldwide.
The first film her company produced was the independent drama ''
Love Field'', which was released in 1992. Reviewers embraced the film and ''The New York Times'' felt that Pfeiffer was "again demonstrating that she is as subtle and surprising as she is beautiful".
For her portrayal of an eccentric
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County wi ...
housewife, she earned nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe for Best Actress – Drama and won the
Silver Bear for Best Actress
The Silver Bear for Best Actress (german: Silberner Bär/Beste Darstellerin) was an award presented at the Berlin International Film Festival from 1956 to 2020. It was given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance and was cho ...
at the
43rd Berlin International Film Festival
The 43rd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 February 1993. The Golden Bear was awarded to American-Taiwanese film '' The Wedding Banquet'' directed by Ang Lee and Chinese film '' Xiāng hún nǚ'' directed by Xi ...
.
In
Martin Scorsese's period drama ''
The Age of Innocence
''The Age of Innocence'' is a 1920 novel by American author Edith Wharton. It was her twelfth novel, and was initially serialized in 1920 in four parts, in the magazine '' Pictorial Review''. Later that year, it was released as a book by D. Ap ...
'' (1993), a
film adaptation of
Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton (; born Edith Newbold Jones; January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) was an American novelist, short story writer, and interior designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portra ...
's 1920
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
, Pfeiffer starred with
Daniel Day-Lewis and
Winona Ryder, portraying a Countess in upper-class
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
in the 1870s. For her role, she received the
Elvira Notari
Elvira Notari (born Elvira Coda; 10 February 1875 – 17 December 1946) was an Italian film director, one of the country's earliest and most prolific female filmmaker. She is credited as the first woman who made over sixty feature films and about ...
Prize at the
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...
, and a
Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture. That year, she was awarded the Women in Film Los Angeles'
Crystal Award.
Professional expansion (1994–1999)
Following the formation of her producing company, Via Rosa Productions, Pfeiffer saw a professional expansion as a producer. While she continued to act steadily throughout the decade, she and her producing partner Guinzburg experienced a winning streak of producing back to back films next under their header. She starred with
Jack Nicholson in the 1994 horror film ''
Wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...
'', portraying the sardonic and willful interest of a writer who becomes a wolf-man at night after being bitten by a creature. The film was released to a mixed critical reception; ''The New York Times'' wrote: "Ms. Pfeiffer's role is underwritten, but her performance is expert enough to make even diffidence compelling." ''Wolf'' was a commercial success, grossing US$65 million (equivalent to $ million in ) at the domestic box office and US$131 million worldwide (equivalent to $ million).
Pfeiffer's next role was that of high school teacher and former
United States Marine LouAnne Johnson in the drama ''
Dangerous Minds'' (1995), co-produced by her company. She appeared as her character in the music video for the soundtrack's lead single, "
Gangsta's Paradise
"Gangsta's Paradise" is a single by American rapper Coolio. Interpolating Stevie Wonder's 1976 song " Pastime Paradise", and featuring American singer L.V., the single was released on August 1, 1995. Certified Platinum in October, the song was ...
" by
Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (August 1, 1963 – September 28, 2022), known professionally as Coolio, was an American rapper. First rising to fame as a member of the gangsta rap group WC and the Maad Circle, Coolio achieved mainstream success as a sol ...
, featuring
L.V.; the song won the 1996
Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously, a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance.
In 2003, this award was split into separate a ...
, and the video won the
MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video. While ''Dangerous Minds'' received negative reviews, it was a box office success, grossing US$179.5 million around the globe. In 1996, Pfeiffer portrayed Sally Atwater in the romantic drama ''
Up Close & Personal'', with
Robert Redford, took on the titular role in the drama ''
To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday'', which was adapted by her husband David Kelley from Michael Brady's play of the same name, and served as an executive producer and starred as the divorced single mother architect Melanie Parker in the romantic comedy ''
One Fine Day'', with
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by George Clooney, numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film A ...
.
Subsequent performances included Rose Cook Lewis in the film adaptation of
Jane Smiley's
Pulitzer Prize-winning novel ''
A Thousand Acres'' (1997) with
Jessica Lange and
Jennifer Jason Leigh; Beth Cappadora in ''
The Deep End of the Ocean
''The Deep End of the Ocean'' is a best-selling novel by Jacquelyn Mitchard, released in 1996. It is about an American middle class, suburban family that is torn apart when the youngest son is kidnapped and raised by a mentally ill woman, u ...
'' (1998) about a married couple who found their son who was kidnapped nine years ago;
Titania the Queen of the Fairies in ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream
''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict ...
'' (1999) with
Kevin Kline,
Rupert Everett and
Stanley Tucci; and Katie Jordan in
Rob Reiner
Robert Norman Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitcom '' All in the Family'' (1971–1979), a perform ...
's comedy drama ''
The Story of Us'' (1999) with
Bruce Willis. Pfeiffer voiced
Tzipporah, a spirited shepherdess who becomes the wife of Moses (
Val Kilmer), in the animated biblical drama film ''
The Prince of Egypt'' (1998). She starred alongside an all-star voice cast that included Ralph Fiennes, Sandra Bullock and Patrick Stewart. ''A Thousand Acres'' and ''The Deep End of the Ocean'' were also produced by Via Rosa Productions.
Decrease in workload and hiatus (2000–2006)
Pfeiffer chose to begin the process of dissolving her film production company, Via Rosa Productions, in 1999, and moved into semi-retirement in order to spend more quality time with her children and family, meaning that she would continue to star in films sporadically into the 2000s and beyond. Pfeiffer handed her producing partner Guinzburg one final film to produce under the Via Rosa Productions header. The film was called ''
Original Sin
Original sin is the Christian doctrine that holds that humans, through the fact of birth, inherit a tainted nature in need of regeneration and a proclivity to sinful conduct. The biblical basis for the belief is generally found in Genesis 3 ( ...
'' (2001). It was originally intended to star Pfeiffer, who later changed her mind as she was looking to work less for a while. The film was produced by her company, but instead starred
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie (; born Angelina Jolie Voight; June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, humanitarian and former Special Envoy to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award ...
and
Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Bandera (born 10 August 1960), known professionally as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor and singer. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received various accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival ...
.
In ''
What Lies Beneath'' (2000), a
Hitchcockian thriller directed by
Robert Zemeckis, Pfeiffer and
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4billion in North America and more than $9.3billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America. He is the recipient o ...
starred as a well-to-do couple who experience a strange haunting that uncovers secrets about their past. While critical response towards the film was mixed, it opened atop at the box office, and went on to gross US$291 million worldwide. She then accepted the role of Rita Harrison, a highly strung lawyer helping a father with a
developmental disability
Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
, in the drama ''
I Am Sam'' (2001), with
Sean Penn. Despite grossing $97.8 million worldwide, the film was unfavourably reviewed by critics; ''
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' (popularly known as the ''Seattle P-I'', the ''Post-Intelligencer'', or simply the ''P-I'') is an online newspaper and former print newspaper based in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington, United States.
Th ...
'' wrote: "Pfeiffer, apparently stymied by the bland clichés that prop up her screechy role, delivers her flattest, phoniest performance ever." Meanwhile, ''
SF Gate'' observed: "In one scene, she breaks down in tears as she unburdens herself to him about her miserable life. It's hard not to cringe, watching this emotionally ready actress fling herself headlong into false material."
Pfeiffer took on the role of a murderous artist, named Ingrid Magnussen, in the drama ''
White Oleander'' (2002), with
Alison Lohman (in her film début),
Renée Zellweger
Renée Kathleen Zellweger (; born April 25, 1969) is an American actress. The recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards, she was one of the world's highest-paid ...
and
Robin Wright. The film was a critical and commercial success in its arthouse release.
Stephen Holden of ''The New York Times'' wrote that "Ms. Pfeiffer, giving the most complex screen performance of her career, makes her Olympian seductress at once irresistible and diabolical."
Kenneth Turan of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' described her as "incandescent", bringing "power and unshakable will to her role as mother-master manipulator" in a "riveting, impeccable performance". She earned Best Supporting Actress Awards from the
San Diego Film Critics Society and the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, as well as a
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...
Award nomination.
In 2003, Pfeiffer lent her voice for the character of goddess of chaos Eris in ''
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas'', an animated film featuring
Brad Pitt
William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...
as the voice of
Sinbad the Sailor
Sinbad the Sailor (; ar, سندباد البحري, Sindibādu al-Bahriyy; fa, سُنباد بحری, Sonbād-e Bahri or Sindbad) is a fictional mariner and the hero of a story-cycle of Persian origin. He is described as hailing from Baghda ...
. She had struggles with finding the character's villainies. Initially the character was "too sexual", then she lacked fun. After the third rewrite, Pfeiffer called producer
Jeffrey Katzenberg and told him "You know, you really can fire me," but he assured her that this was just part of the process. Following the release of the film, she took a four-year hiatus from acting, during which she remained largely out of the public eye to devote time to her husband and children.
During this time, she turned down the role of the White Witch in the fantasy film ''
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe'' (2005), which went to
Tilda Swinton.
Intermittent roles (2007–2016)
Pfeiffer returned to cinemas in 2007 with villainous roles in two summer blockbusters, ''
Hairspray'' and ''
Stardust
Stardust may refer to:
* A type of cosmic dust, composed of particles in space
Entertainment Songs
* “Stardust” (1927 song), by Hoagy Carmichael
* “Stardust” (David Essex song), 1974
* “Stardust” (Lena Meyer-Landrut song), 2012
* ...
'',
In the former, a film adaptation of the
Broadway musical of the same name, she starred alongside
John Travolta,
Christopher Walken and
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album '' All Hail the Qu ...
as Velma Von Tussle, the
racist manager of a television station. Although a fan of Pfeiffer's work in the musicals ''Grease 2'' and ''The Fabulous Baker Boys'', director
Adam Shankman cast Pfeiffer largely based on her performance in ''Batman Returns'', claiming she was his first and only choice for Velma. Although she had fun with the part, Pfeiffer described Velma as the most difficult role she had played at the time, because of her character's racism; but she was drawn to the film's important message of anti-bigotry, accepting that "in order to do a movie about racism, somebody has got to be the racist".
Released to widely positive reviews, ''Hairspray'' grossed $202.5 million worldwide. Pfeiffer's performance was also critically acclaimed,
with film critic
David Edelstein of
NPR calling her "sublime". The cast of ''Hairspray'' was nominated for the
Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast in a Motion Picture
The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast (or Ensemble) in a Motion Picture is an award given by the Screen Actors Guild to honor the finest acting achievements in film.
Winners and nominees
:
1990s
2000s
2010s
2 ...
, and won the
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
The Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Broadcast Film Critics Association.
2000s 2001
* ''Gosford Park''
** ''Ocean's Eleven''
** ''The Royal ...
, the
Hollywood Film Festival
The Hollywood Film Festival is an annual film festival that takes place in Los Angeles, California, USA.
History
The Hollywood Film Festival was established in 1997 by author and producer Carlos de Abreu and his wife, model Janice Pennington.P ...
Award for Ensemble of the Year, and the
Palm Springs International Film Festival Award for Ensemble Cast. In the fantasy adventure ''
Stardust
Stardust may refer to:
* A type of cosmic dust, composed of particles in space
Entertainment Songs
* “Stardust” (1927 song), by Hoagy Carmichael
* “Stardust” (David Essex song), 1974
* “Stardust” (Lena Meyer-Landrut song), 2012
* ...
'', Pfeiffer plays
Lamia, an ancient witch who hunts a fallen star (
Claire Danes) in search of eternal youth. The film received mostly positive reviews but performed moderately at the box office, earning $135.5 million globally. ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' film critic
Stephen Holden described Pfeiffer as "as deliciously evil a witch as the movies have ever invented", writing that she "goes for broke with the relish of a star who figures she has nothing to lose."
Pfeiffer starred in
Amy Heckerling's romantic comedy ''
I Could Never Be Your Woman'' (2007), with
Paul Rudd
Paul Stephen Rudd (born April 6, 1969) is an American actor. He studied theater at the University of Kansas and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, before making his acting debut in 1991. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in ...
and
Saoirse Ronan, portraying Rosie, a 40-year-old divorced mother working as a scriptwriter and producer for a television show who falls in love with a much younger man (Rudd). Her reported salary was US$1 million, with an advance on 15 percent of the gross. However, the film was only distributed on
home video markets domestically. Reviews for ''I Could Never Be Your Woman'' were moderately positive, with critic
James Berardinelli finding Pfeiffer and Rudd to "have adequate chemistry to pull off the romance," in what he described as an "enjoyable romantic comedy that has enough going for it to make it worth a recommendation."
Pfeiffer starred in ''
Personal Effects
property is property that is movable. In common law systems, personal property may also be called chattels or personalty. In civil law systems, personal property is often called movable property or movables—any property that can be moved fr ...
'', with
Ashton Kutcher, playing two grieving people coping with the pain and frustration of their loss whose bond spawns an unlikely romance. The drama premiered at
Iowa City's Englert Theatre in December 2008. Her next film, an adaptation of
Colette's ''
Chéri
Cheri or Chéri may refer to:
People Given name
* Cheri Blauwet (born 1980), American wheelchair racer
* Cheri Dennis (born 1979), American singer
* Cheri DiNovo (born 1950), Canadian United Church minister and social democratic politician
* ...
'', reunited her with the director (
Stephen Frears
Stephen Arthur Frears (born 20 June 1941) is an English director and producer of film and television often depicting real life stories as well as projects that explore social class through sharply drawn characters. He's received numerous accola ...
) and screenwriter (
Christopher Hampton) of ''Dangerous Liaisons'' (1988). Pfeiffer played the role of aging retired
courtesan
Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other ...
Léa de Lonval, with
Rupert Friend in the title role, with Kathy Bates as his mother. ''Chéri'' premiered at the 2009
Berlin International Film Festival, where it received a nomination for the
Golden Bear award. ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ...
'' of London reviewed the film favorably, describing Hampton's screenplay as a "steady flow of dry quips and acerbic one-liners" and Pfeiffer's performance as "magnetic and subtle, her worldly nonchalance a mask for vulnerability and heartache". Roger Ebert in the ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...
'' wrote that it was "fascinating to observe how Pfeiffer controls her face and voice during times of painful hurt".
Kenneth Turan in the ''Los Angeles Times'' praised the "wordless scenes that catch Léa unawares, with the camera alone seeing the despair and regret that she hides from the world. It's the kind of refined, delicate acting Pfeiffer does so well, and it's a further reminder of how much we've missed her since she's been away."
Following a two-year sabbatical from acting, Pfeiffer made part of a large ensemble cast in
Garry Marshall's romantic comedy ''
New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the December 31, last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly ...
'' (2011), her second collaboration with Marshall after ''Frankie and Johnny''. The film, also starring
Halle Berry,
Jessica Biel,
Robert De Niro
Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...
,
Josh Duhamel
Joshua David Duhamel (; born November 14, 1972) is an American actor and former fashion model. After various modeling work, he made his acting debut as Leo du Pres on the ABC daytime soap opera ''All My Children'' and later starred as Danny Mc ...
,
Zac Efron,
Sarah Jessica Parker, and
Sofía Vergara, among many others, saw her take on the supporting role of Ingrid Withers, an overwhelmed secretary befriending a deliveryman (Efron). While the film was panned by critics, it made US$142 million worldwide. In 2012, she appeared with
Chris Pine and
Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks (born Elizabeth Irene Mitchell; February 10, 1974) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is known for playing Effie Trinket in ''The Hunger Games'' film series (2012–2015) and Gail Abernathy-McKadden in the ''Pitch Perf ...
in the drama ''
People Like Us'', as the mother of a struggling New York City corporate trader (Pine). ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...
'' found her to be "luminous" in the film, and ''The New York Times'', positively pointing out Pfeiffer and Banks, noted that their performances "partly compensate for the holes in a story whose timing is hard to swallow". ''People Like Us'' debuted to US$4.26 million, described as "meager" by
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray ...
, and only made US$12 million in North America.
Pfieffer reunited with Tim Burton, her ''Batman Returns'' director, in ''
Dark Shadows
''Dark Shadows'' is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinspor ...
'' (2012), based on the
gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
television soap opera
of the same name. In the film, co-starring
Johnny Depp
John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awar ...
,
Eva Green,
Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter (born 26 May 1966) is an English actress. Known for her roles in blockbusters and independent films, particularly period dramas, she has received various awards and nominations, including a British Academy Film Award ...
and
Chloë Grace Moretz, she played
Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, the matriarch of the Collins family. Critical response towards the film was mixed, but writers acclaimed the actors' performances—most notably Depp and Pfeiffer's. ''IGN'' found her to be "commanding" in her role and felt that the main characters were "played by one of Burton's best ensemble casts yet". While ''Dark Shadows'' grossed a modest US$79.7 million in North America, it ultimately made US$245.5 million globally. In
Luc Besson
Luc Paul Maurice Besson (; born 18 March 1959) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. He directed or produced the films ''Subway'' (1985), '' The Big Blue'' (1988), and ''La Femme Nikita'' (1990). Besson is associated with the '' ...
's mob-comedy ''
The Family
A family is a domestic or social group.
Family or The Family may also refer to:
Mathematics
*Family of curves, a set of curves resulting from a function with variable parameters
*Family of sets, a collection of sets
*Indexed family, a family wh ...
'' (2013), co-starring Robert De Niro,
Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones (born September 15, 1946) is an American actor and film director. He has received four Academy Award nominations, winning Best Supporting Actor for his performance as U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard in the 1993 thriller film '' T ...
,
Dianna Agron and
John D'Leo, she played the "tough mother" in a Mafia family wanting to change their lives under the
witness protection program. Although reviews for the film were mixed, ''
THV11'' said on the cast's portrayals: "The core actors of ''The Family'' were really solid, and the whole film comes together to make a solid movie." Meanwhile, ''
The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' felt that "De Niro, Pfieffer and Jones all brought 100% to their roles." The film grossed US$78.4 million worldwide.
Resurgence (2017–present)
Pfeiffer stated that her lack of acting throughout the 2000s was due to several reasons, including family matters and her approach to choosing roles. She stated she was intending to "work a lot" once her children left for college,
mentioning that she felt her best performance was "still in her", saying how that's what she felt kept her her going. The slew of screen work that would follow in 2017 would prompt the media to dub her career resurgence a "Pfeiffer-sance". In the independent drama ''
Where Is Kyra?
''Where Is Kyra?'' (released in the United Kingdom as ''Deceit'') is a 2017 American drama film directed by Andrew Dosunmu with a screenplay by Darci Picoult and a story by Dosunmu and Picoult. The film stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Kiefer Suther ...
'', she starred as a sensitive and fragile woman who loses her mother and "faces a crisis in which she must find a means for survival, all the while hiding her struggles from her new lover". The film premiered at the
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,6 ...
on January 23, 2017, and received a limited release on April 6, 2018, to critical acclaim; Her role as ''Kyra'' was dubbed the "performance of her life" by ''
Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...
s Bilge Ebiri, and "the performance of her career", by ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...
''.
Pfeiffer landed the role of
Ruth Madoff for the
HBO Films drama ''
The Wizard of Lies'', based on the book of the same name. The film, directed by
Barry Levinson
Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American filmmaker, comedian and actor. Levinson's best-known works are mid-budget comedy drama and drama films such as '' Diner'' (1982); '' The Natural'' (1984); '' Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987) ...
, reunites her with actor Robert De Niro, who played her husband, disgraced financier
Bernard Madoff. ''The Wizard of Lies'' premiered on
HBO on May 20, 2017, garnering favorable reviews from critics and an audience of 1.5 million viewers, HBO's largest premiere viewership for a film in four years. ''Tolucan Times'' remarked that Pfeiffer "steals the show as Madoff's wife, Ruth, and is a remarkable lookalike", while ''Los Angeles Times'' asserted: "As Ruth, Pfeiffer convincingly portrays a pampered woman left with utterly nothing —she's lost her homes, status and, most important, her relationship with her sons." She received a nomination for the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Movie, in addition to a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
nomination.
In
Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. His films are noted for their surrealistic, melodramatic, and sometimes disturbing elements, often in the form of psychological fiction.
Arono ...
's psychological horror film ''
Mother!'' (2017), with
Jennifer Lawrence and
Javier Bardem, Pfeiffer portrayed one of the mysterious guests disrupting the tranquil life of a couple. While ''Mother!'' polarized viewers and prompted mass walkouts, the film was better received by critics.
''
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North a ...
'' remarked: "Out of the main actors, it's Pfeiffer who is able to root the character in meaning — she bracingly marries the exploration of Biblical creation, mythological overtones, and hellish domestic commentary. There's a gravity to Pfeiffer's performance that allows her to succeed where the other main actors fail, save for brief spurts — she straddles the boundaries between embodying a symbol and granting the character enough interiority to feel like a flesh and blood woman, too."
Pfeiffer had a supporting role in
Kenneth Branagh
Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus t ...
's ''
Murder on the Orient Express
''Murder on the Orient Express'' is a work of detective fiction by English writer Agatha Christie featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 1 January 1934. In the ...
'' (2017), the fourth adaptation of
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...
's 1934
novel of the same name. The
mystery–
drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
ensemble film follows world-renowned detective
Hercule Poirot
Hercule Poirot (, ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by British writer Agatha Christie. Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-running characters, appearing in 33 novels, two plays ('' Black Coffee'' and '' Alibi''), and more ...
, who seeks to solve a murder on the
famous European train in the 1930s. Pfeiffer played an aging socialite, opposite
Johnny Depp
John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awar ...
,
Penélope Cruz, and
Judi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...
. Pfeiffer sang the song "Never Forget", which plays over the film's closing credits and appears on the film's official soundtrack.
The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the performances, but criticism for not adding anything new to previous adaptations.
Richard Roeper of the ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...
'' opined that the actress delivers the film's best performance, while ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issue ...
''
's
Anthony Lane found Pfeiffer to be the only actor who appears to be enjoying their material.
''Murder on the Orient Express'' grossed US$351.7 million worldwide.
Pfeiffer made her
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published ...
debut with her portrayal of
Janet van Dyne
The Wasp (Janet van Dyne) is a fictional character, fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Ernie Hart, and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Tales to Astonish'' #44 (Ju ...
, the original Wasp (
Evangeline Lilly), in ''
Ant-Man and the Wasp'' (2018), the sequel to ''
Ant-Man
Ant-Man is the name of several superheroes appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, Ant-Man's first appearance was in ''Tales to Astonish'' #27 (January 1962) but first appeared in costum ...
'' (2015). ''
Varietys
Owen Gleiberman described her presence as "lovely" and "wistful", while Josh Spiegel of
/Film
''/Film'', also spelled ''Slashfilm'', is a blog that covers movie news, reviews, interviews, and trailers. It was founded by Peter Sciretta in August 2005.
Podcasts
Six podcasts have run on the site. ''The /Filmcast'', hosted by David Chen, ...
believed the film suffers from a lack of the actress, describing her appearance as "cruelly brief". In 2019, Pfeiffer briefly reprised the role in ''
Avengers: Endgame'', and starred alongside
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie (; born Angelina Jolie Voight; June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, humanitarian and former Special Envoy to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award ...
and
Elle Fanning in the dark fantasy sequel ''
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil'', playing the villainous Queen Ingrith. Despite the film earning mixed reviews, ''
The Plain Dealer
''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday.
As of Ma ...
''
's Laura DeMarco felt that both Jolie and Pfeiffer "clearly relish their roles."
Pfeiffer headlined the dark comedy ''
French Exit'' (2020), based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by
Patrick deWitt, directed by
Azazel Jacobs.
In the film, which co-stars
Lucas Hedges and
Tracy Letts, Pfeiffer played a widow who moves to
Paris, France
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, with her son (Hedges) and cat, who happens to be her reincarnated husband (Letts). The film premiered at the
New York Film Festival, to a positive reception. Peter Debruge of ''Variety'' remarked that she gave a performance "for which she'll be remembered." Pfeiffer received a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
nomination for
Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for her performance.
Pfeiffer is attached to star alongside
Annette Bening in the psychological thriller, ''Turn of Mind'', set to be directed by
Gideon Raff
Gideon "Gidi" Raff ( he, גדעון „גידי" רף; born 10 September 1972) is an Israeli film and television director, screenwriter, and writer. He is best known for his creation of the Channel 2 thriller drama series '' Prisoners of War'', ...
. Pfeiffer portrays
Betty Ford
Elizabeth Anne Ford (; formerly Warren; April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011) was the first lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, as the wife of President Gerald Ford. As first lady, she was active in social policy and set a precedent as a pol ...
in the anthology drama television series ''
The First Lady'', which premiered on
Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global ...
in April 2022. She is set to reprise her role as Janet van Dyne in ''
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'' (2023), alongside
Paul Rudd
Paul Stephen Rudd (born April 6, 1969) is an American actor. He studied theater at the University of Kansas and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, before making his acting debut in 1991. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in ...
, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas,
Jonathan Majors and
Bill Murray. In 2022, she was cast in ''Wild Four O'Clocks'', penned and directed by
Peter Craig, and produced by
Marc Platt and
Adam Siegel, as well as in
Francis Ford Coppola's ''Megalopolis''.
Acting style and reception
Pfeiffer has never received formal
acting training,
expressing that she sometimes feels fraudulent as an actor due to her lack of conventional schooling.
Instead, she credits director
Milton Katselas with teaching her to differentiate between how an actor and their character would behave during the same scene.
Vulture.com
''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'', ...
's
Angelica Jade Bastién said Pfeiffer's skill dispels the argument that untrained actors are less capable than their trained peers.
In 1992, ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...
'' Gerri Hirshey described Pfeiffer as a
character actress comfortable wearing unflattering costumes,
while film critics have described her as "a character actress in a screen siren's body".
Journalist reported that some critics argue that "There are those who maintain she has sold short her greatest success by choosing character roles that emphasized her extravagant acting talent over her extravagant good looks". Drawn towards "imperfect" women,
Pfeiffer claims she rarely accepts traditionally glamorous roles because she finds few of them compelling.
She also prefers dramatic over comedic roles, describing humor as challenging.
Often commended for masking her true emotions when in character, Pfeiffer frequently uses this trait advantageously in
period films, a trademark genre of hers.
She has described acting as a "
sadomasochistic" profession due to how "brutal" she finds the process at times.
During the 1980s, Pfeiffer typically played smart, funny, and fiercely independent women,
before pursuing a wider range of roles during the 1990s.
According to Rachel Syme of ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issue ...
'', such characters are often "both ditzy and wily, high-femme and high-maintenance, scrappy and ... armed with claws".
In a 2021 profile, Lynn Hirschberg of ''
W'' wrote that Pfeiffer's finest performances involve a conflicted "woman at war with herself", finding that she "has a way of pitting her characters' wit and self-awareness against their flaws and trauma".
Adam Platt of ''
New Woman'' observed that Pfeiffer's characters tend to "play the world at a distance" and "are often wise beyond their years".
Director and film critic
Bilge Ebiri observed that Pfeiffer "often played women who were somewhat removed from the world", exhibiting "a reserve that suggested ... melancholy, pain, dreams deferred".
''Backstage'' contributor Manuel Betancourt observed parallels between Pfeiffer's roles and her own concern with subverting first impressions, with the actress admitting that she reviews new scripts for parallels between her characters and her own emotional life.
''Town & Country'' senior editor Adam Rathe finds Pfeiffer dissimilar to most of her characters,
to whom the actress claims to become addicted once committing.
Known to be highly selective about her roles,
IndieWire
IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Holl ...
contributor Kate Erbland believes Pfeiffer often choses ones that confuse audiences to avoid being typecast.
''
The Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries.
Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...
'' film critic
Michael Sragow defended her unconventional acting choices, writing that "She liberates audiences from stereotypes and preconceptions".
Filmmakers and co-stars agree that Pfeiffer is extremely committed to her work,
developing a reputation for competence and preparedness.
Pfeiffer refuses to watch her own work, describing herself as "a perfectionist" who finds "nothing perfect in what I do".
In addition to discarding old scripts, she does not retain reviews, magazine articles, or covers about her career.
Pfeiffer is widely regarded as one of the greatest actresses of her generation,
an accolade novelist
Steve Erickson claims she had already achieved by her thirties. Despite observing that her body of work lacks the prestige of some of her contemporaries, Bastién believes Pfeiffer's
filmography to be the most fascinating among her peers,
explaining that "No modern actress better evokes the rich tension between understanding the currency that comes with being a great beauty and the distaste with being seen at all". In 2009,
''Maclean'''s film critic
Brian D. Johnson argued that Pfeiffer had yet to demonstrate her true acting range, believing she could potentially be as respected as
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...
if only allowed the same opportunities,
while the ''
San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The pap ...
''
's
Mick LaSalle remarked that Pfeiffer's humility sometimes viewers to overlook her as one of the industry best actresses.
Pfeiffer is particularly renowned for her versatility,
having accumulated a diverse repertoire spanning period, romance, fantasy, musical, comedy, and drama films.
By 2016, ''
Salon
Salon may refer to:
Common meanings
* Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments
* French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home
* Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment
Arts and entertainment
* Salon ...
''
's Charles Taylor declared that no actor of the previous decade had rivaled the actress in terms of versatility,
while Adreon Patterson of
CinemaBlend dubbed Pfeiffer Hollywood's most versatile actress in 2021.
Summarizing her career as eclectic,
IndieWire
IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Holl ...
contributor Kate Erbland believes she has rarely repeated acting choices, with the actress confirming she had always aspired to play the widest possible variety of characters, even when her options had been limited.
One of the most successful and highest-paid actresses of 1980s and 1990s,
Pfeiffer typically earned $9–$10 million per film during the latter decade.
LaSalle noted her as an exception to Hollywood actors whose salaries he believed were otherwise undeserved. According to
UPI, Pfeiffer was one of the few actresses whose film salary corresponded with their box office appeal as of 1996.
Apart from ''The Witches of Eastwick'', few of the actress' films during the 1980s had been major box office successes,
an observation Pfeiffer never disclosed to film studios in fear that they would stop hiring her.
In 1995, ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' journalist
Bernard Weinraub said Pfeiffer belongs to a respected group of actresses who are "not considered a big box- office draw".
However, her performances consistently garnered acclaim despite mediocre ticket sales and some films critics found forgettable.
By 1999, ''Variety'' named Pfeiffer "the female movie star most likely to improve a film's box-office appeal". Contributing to
Encyclopedia.com
Encyclopedia.com (also known as HighBeam Encyclopedia) is an online encyclopedia. It aggregates information from other published dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference works including pictures and videos.
History
The website was launched by ...
, Robyn Karney wrote that among the several blonde, attractive actresses who debuted during the 1980s, "Pfeiffer seemed the most precisely cut from the cloth of a long Hollywood tradition", likening her to
Carole Lombard.
However, Karney felt the declining quality of her films towards the end of the century was a sobering reminder that "the great female movie star of the Golden Age is no more".
Pfeiffer feels critics have not entirely understood her acting decisions, which Rathe attributes to the "wildcard image" she has maintained throughout her career,
and explained she is sometimes surprised by their reviews, whether positive or negative.
Pfeiffer established herself as one of the industry's most prolific and acclaimed actors,
despite having yet to receive top-billing in a blockbuster film.
According to Carmenlucia Acosta of ''
L'Officiel'', "Few actresses have had the fortune of interpreting timeless roles that still remain popular today".
In 2020, the ''
Kenosha News'' voted Pfeiffer America's 26th favorite actress. Despite her popularity, Krizanovich dubbed Pfeiffer Hollywood's most underrated actress.
Similarly, Matthew Jacobs of ''
HuffPost Canada'' believes Pfeiffer continues to be underappreciated despite her accolades,
explaining that her public persona has never quite rivaled those of her contemporaries.
''
The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
''
's Mark Shanahan observed that, despite Pfeiffer's success and reputation, she is sometimes overlooked during discussions about Hollywood's greatest leading ladies due to her perceived effortlessness on-screen.
Describing Pfeiffer as an "Unheralded Comedy Maven", Jacobs hailed her as "one of the great comedic actors of our time, though she is rarely recognized as such".
The author identified subtlety as one of her strengths since her "magnetism never overwhelms the movies she's in. Even when she is the most talented person on-screen (and she usually is), she still allows room for the ensemble to shine."
Describing her as "one of the industry's greatest stars during its pre-millennial twilight",
ABC Online's Luke Goodsell identified Pfeiffer's comparatively sparse workload as "Among the many depressing phenomena of 21st-century Hollywood". She was awarded a
motion picture
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...
star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
in 2007.
Public image
Pfeiffer has long been described as one of the world's most beautiful and talented actresses,
a designation ''The Daily Telegraph''s Mick Brown considers to be both a defining characteristic and curse.
After being cast in early roles largely based on her appearance,
Pfeiffer initially struggled to convince directors to take her seriously as an actor because they doubted she was more than simply attractive,
which she combated by actively seeking challenging roles in which physical beauty was not an essential characteristic.
Journalists Candice Russell of the ''
Sun-Sentinel
The ''Sun Sentinel'' (also known as the ''South Florida Sun Sentinel'', known until 2008 as the ''Sun-Sentinel'', and stylized on its masthead as ''SunSentinel'') is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as well as surrounding B ...
'' and Rachel Syme of ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issue ...
'' observed that, early in her career, critics regularly undermined Pfeiffer's work by focusing on her appearance over her acting.
''The Daily Beast''s Elizabeth Kaye recognized Pfeiffer as a rare talent who demonstrates it is indeed possible to be both physically attractive and a serious performer, believing the actress achieves this by combining "the sensibility of a modern woman" with "the glamour of a '30s icon".
Both Karen Krizanovich of ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was f ...
'' and ''Town & Country''s Adam Rathe agree that the same critics who were initially enchanted by her appearance remain captivated by Pfeiffer's performances, intelligence, and humor.
According to ''
The Spokesman-Review
''The Spokesman-Review'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Spokane, Washington, the city's sole remaining daily publication. It has the third-highest readership among daily newspapers in the state, with most of its readership base in ...
'' critic Dan Webster, the actress is known as much for her on-screen glamor as she is for her acting talent.
Celebrity photographers
Nigel Parry and
Patrick McMullen cite Pfeiffer among the most beautiful women they have photographed. In 2020, ''
Vogue Paris'' listed Pfeiffer as one of the 21 most beautiful American actresses of all-time. As one of the most famous
sex symbols of the 1980s and 1990s,
her beauty and fashion choices attracted immense media scrutiny throughout both decades. Ranking her among history's most beautiful actresses, ''
Glamour
Glamour may refer to:
Arts
Film
* ''Glamour'' (1931 film), a British film
* ''Glamour'' (1934 film), an American film
* ''Glamour'' (2000 film), a Hungarian film
Writing
* ''Glamour'' (magazine), a magazine for women
* ''The Glamour ...
'' named Pfeiffer "the most perfect face on the silver screen". The same magazine recognized the actress as one of the greatest
fashion icons of the 1980s, calling her the decade's "go-to girl" and "one of our all-time favorite movie goddesses". Similarly, ''
Harper's Bazaar'' crowned Pfeiffer the fourth most glamorous "beauty icon" of the decade, while ''
Complex'' ranked her the 49th "hottest woman of the '80s".
''Men's Health'' ranked Pfeiffer 45th and 67th on their all-time hottest women and sex symbol rankings, respectively. According to Alice Cary of
British ''Vogue'', several costumes worn by the actress "have become hallmarks of popular culture". In 1990, Pfeiffer appeared on the inaugural cover of ''
People
A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of proper ...
'' magazine's annual "
50 Most Beautiful People in the World
''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''People'' had the lar ...
" issue. She was again pictured on the cover in 1999, making her the first celebrity to appear on the cover of the issue twice, and the only celebrity to grace the cover twice during the 1990s.
She has been featured in the "Most Beautiful" issue a record-breaking six times throughout the decade (from 1990 to 1993, and in 1996 and 1999).
In 2004, the magazine named her one of the most beautiful women of all-time.
AllMovie biographer Rebecca Flint Marx wrote that Pfeiffer possesses "a rare beauty that has inspired countless platitudes and an almost-permanent place on ''People''
's Fifty Most Beautiful list".
Pfeiffer has been famously self-deprecating about her appearance.
At least two of her films, ''Stardust'' (2007) and ''Chéri'' (2009), explore beautiful, youth-obsessed women struggling to accept aging,
themes with which Pfeiffer personally identified.
According to several plastic surgeons, she possesses some of the most requested celebrity features among clients.
In 2001, plastic surgeon
Stephen R. Marquardt declared Pfeiffer the most beautiful face in Hollywood.
Nicknamed the "golden ratio", Marquardt claims Pfeiffer's face adheres to a mathematical formula in which he determined a person's ideal mouth is 1.618 times as wide as their nose.
Several media publications have commented on Pfeiffer's perceived ability to physically age slowly. Famous for being fiercely private like the characters she plays,
Matthew Jacobs of ''
HuffPost
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' crowned Pfeiffer Hollywood's prime example of "a movie star who doesn't walk around feeling like a movie star", which benefits her ability to play authentic characters without allowing her fame to affect her talent.
Pfeiffer is notorious for disliking press interviews,
referring to herself as "the worst interviewee that ever was",
and maintaining that it is not an actor's responsibility to promote a film project.
''
The Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries.
Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...
'' film critic
Michael Sragow observed that the actress can at times appear "flustered or elusive" during interviews.
Vikram Murthi of ''
The Nation
''The Nation'' is an American liberal biweekly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's ''The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper tha ...
'' believes Pfeiffer's aversion to publicity "has lent her an air of gravitas, of someone who directs a spotlight rather than chases after it."
Media commentators noted that Pfeiffer had unexpectedly become a "pop-music muse" in 2014; her name is mentioned in two of the year's most popular songs: "
Uptown Funk" by
Mark Ronson featuring
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical ...
, and "
Riptide" by
Vance Joy.
Joy was particularly inspired by Pfeiffer's transformation from Selina Kyle into Catwoman in ''Batman Returns,''
[ whereas Ronson cited ''The Fabulous Baker Boys'' as his favorite Pfeiffer film. Australian ]cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...
ers speak of "getting a Michelle" when they take five wickets in an innings
An innings is one of the divisions of a cricket match during which one team takes its turn to bat. Innings also means the period in which an individual player bats (acts as either striker or nonstriker). Innings, in cricket, and rounders, is ...
. In cricketing parlance, this is referred to as a "five for", a near-homophone for "Pfeiffer", which resulted in the nickname "Michelle".
Other ventures
Product and endorsements
In 2005, Pfeiffer served as the face of Giorgio Armani's spring campaign; the designer has often dressed her for public appearances.
In 2019, she launched a collection of fine fragrances called Henry Rose. It is the first fine fragrance line to be both Cradle to Cradle Certified and EWG Verified. On December 7, 2022 she promoted the line on The Tonight Show. It was even featured as one of the smells in the game called "Sniff Cup Flip Cup" she played against Jimmy Fallon.
Philanthropy
Having been a smoker for ten years, and having a niece who suffered from leukemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...
for ten years, Pfeiffer decided to support the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more tha ...
. She also supports the Humane Society. In 2016, she attended the Healthy Child Healthy World's L.A. Gala for people who lead organizations for children's environmental health. In December that year, Pfeiffer, who is a vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...
, joined the board of directors for Environmental Working Group, an advocacy group based in Washington. D.C.
Personal life
Soon after coming to Hollywood at age 20, Pfeiffer was taken in by a seemingly friendly couple who ran a metaphysics
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of conscio ...
and vegetarian
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat ( red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter.
Vegetaria ...
cult
In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal ...
. They helped her to cease drinking, smoking and doing drugs. Over time, they took control of her entire life. Much of her money went to the group. "I was brainwashed," she said, "I gave them an enormous amount of money."
At an acting class taught by Milton Katselas in Los Angeles, she met fellow budding actor Peter Horton, and they began dating. They married in Santa Monica
Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...
in 1981, and it was on their honeymoon that she discovered she had won the lead role in '' Grease 2''. Horton directed Pfeiffer in a 1985 ABC TV special, ''One Too Many'', where she played the high school girlfriend of an alcoholic student ( Val Kilmer); and in 1987, the real-life couple played an on-screen couple in the 'Hospital' segment of John Landis's comedy skit compilation '' Amazon Women on the Moon''.
In 1988, Pfeiffer had an affair with John Malkovich, her co-star in '' Dangerous Liaisons'', who at the time was married to Glenne Headly
Glenne Aimee Headly (March 13, 1955 – June 8, 2017) was an American actress. She was widely known for her roles in '' Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'', '' Dick Tracy'', and '' Mr. Holland's Opus''. Headly received a Theatre World Award and four Josep ...
.
Pfeiffer and Horton decided to separate in 1988, and were divorced two years later. Horton later blamed the split on their devotion to their work rather than their marriage. Pfeiffer then had a three-year relationship with actor/producer Fisher Stevens, whom Pfeiffer met when she was starring in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of ''Twelfth Night
''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins V ...
'', where Stevens played Sir Andrew Aguecheek.
In 1993, Pfeiffer married television writer and producer David E. Kelley. She made a brief uncredited cameo appearance in one episode of Kelley's television series '' Picket Fences'' and played the title character in '' To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday'', for which Kelley wrote the screenplay. She had entered into private adoption proceedings before she met Kelley, and in March 1993 adopted a newborn daughter, Claudia Rose, who was christened on Pfeiffer's and Kelley's wedding day. In 1994, Pfeiffer gave birth to a son, John Henry Kelley II, named for his grandfather and Pfeiffer's father-in-law, United States Hockey Hall of Fame coach John Henry "Jack" Kelley.
Acting credits and accolades
Pfeiffer's most acclaimed films, according to the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
, include '' The Fabulous Baker Boys'' (1989), '' Avengers: Endgame'' (2019), '' Dangerous Liaisons'' (1988), '' Hairspray'' (2007), '' Married to the Mob'' (1988), '' Ant-Man and the Wasp'' (2018), ''The Age of Innocence
''The Age of Innocence'' is a 1920 novel by American author Edith Wharton. It was her twelfth novel, and was initially serialized in 1920 in four parts, in the magazine '' Pictorial Review''. Later that year, it was released as a book by D. Ap ...
'' (1993), and ''Where Is Kyra?
''Where Is Kyra?'' (released in the United Kingdom as ''Deceit'') is a 2017 American drama film directed by Andrew Dosunmu with a screenplay by Darci Picoult and a story by Dosunmu and Picoult. The film stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Kiefer Suther ...
'' (2017).
Pfeiffer has received three Academy Award nominations: Best Supporting Actress for '' Dangerous Liaisons'' (1988); and Best Actress for '' The Fabulous Baker Boys'' (1989) and '' Love Field'' (1992). She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama for ''The Fabulous Baker Boys'', and has been nominated seven more times for her performances in '' Married to the Mob'' (1988), '' The Russia House'' (1990), '' Frankie and Johnny'' (1991), ''Love Field'', ''The Age of Innocence
''The Age of Innocence'' is a 1920 novel by American author Edith Wharton. It was her twelfth novel, and was initially serialized in 1920 in four parts, in the magazine '' Pictorial Review''. Later that year, it was released as a book by D. Ap ...
'' (1993), '' The Wizard of Lies'' (2017), and '' French Exit'' (2020). For ''Dangerous Liaisons'', she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She also received a Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
nomination for ''The Wizard of Lies''.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pfeiffer, Michelle
1958 births
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American women
Actresses from California
Actresses from Santa Ana, California
American beauty pageant winners
American environmentalists
American women environmentalists
American women singers
American film actresses
American people of Dutch descent
American people of English descent
American people of French descent
American people of German descent
American people of Irish descent
American people of Swedish descent
American people of Swiss-German descent
American people of Welsh descent
American Shakespearean actresses
American stage actresses
American television actresses
American voice actresses
Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film) winners
Best Supporting Actress BAFTA Award winners
Golden West College alumni
Living people
People from Woodside, California
People from Midway City, California
Silver Bear for Best Actress winners
Best Actress Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners