Michelle Pfeiffer was born in Santa Ana, California to Dick and Donna Pfeiffer. She has an older brother and two younger sisters - Dedee Pfeiffer, and Lori Pfeiffer,
who both dabbled in acting and modeling but decided against making it
their life's work...
She graduated from Fountain Valley High School in 1976, and attended one year at the Golden West College, where she studied to become a court reporter. But it was while working as a supermarket checker at Vons, a large Southern California grocery chain, that she realized her true calling.
She was married to actor/director Peter Horton ("Gary" of Treintaytantos (1987)) in 1981. They were later divorced, and she then had a three year relationship with actor Fisher Stevens.
When that did not work out, Pfeiffer decided she did not want to wait
any longer before having her own family, and in March 1993, she adopted a
baby girl, Claudia Rose. On November 13th of the same year, she married
lawyer-turned-writer/producer David E. Kelley, creator of Picket Fences (1992), Chicago Hope (1994), El abogado (1997), and Profesores de Boston (2000). On August 5, 1994, their son John Henry was born.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Natica Jackson <natica@cris.com>
She graduated from Fountain Valley High School in 1976, and attended one year at the Golden West College, where she studied to become a court reporter. But it was while working as a supermarket checker at Vons, a large Southern California grocery chain, that she realized her true calling.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Natica Jackson <natica@cris.com>
Spouse
| David E. Kelley | (13 November 1993 - present) (2 children) |
| Peter Horton | (5 October 1981 - 1 October 1988) (divorced) |
Trivia
Used to work in a clothing store.
Ranked #39 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]
Born at 8:11am-PDT.
She thought about looking for a man to father a child with "no
strings attached," but decided to adopt instead. She adopted a daughter,
'Claudia Rose'.
Won the Miss Orange County beauty pageant.
Was voted Best Dressed Female Movie Star.
Studied acting at The Beverly Hills Playhouse.
Michelle's name was misspelled as 'Michele' in the credits of her film, Callie & Son (1981).
Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#3).
Does her own singing in Grease 2 (1982), Los fabulosos Baker Boys (1989), El príncipe de Egipto (1998) and Hairspray (2007).
The character Catwoman/Selina Kyle, who she played in Batman vuelve (1992), was voted #3 in Empire's "69 Sexiest Movie Characters of All Time".
Turned down the Sharon Stone role in Instinto básico (1992).
While a teenage clerk at Vons Grocery Store in California, c.
1974, she learned to tie maraschino cherry stems in knots with her
tongue.
Has an adopted daughter named Claudia Rose (born in 1993) and a son named John Henry (born in 1994) with husband David E. Kelley, named after David's father.
Studied acting under Geraldine Page at workshop at Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles.
Her first job as a performer was playing "Alice" from Alicia en el país de las maravillas (1951) at Disneyland in the Main Street Electrical Parade in the mid-1970s.
There was a study done of the faces of beautiful women,
quantifying the ratio of the width of the mouth to the width of the
nose, attempting to find the perfect proportions for the perfect face of
feminine beauty (the ratio turns out to be something like 1.7). The
movie star with the most perfect proportions for feminine facial beauty,
based on this measure, turns out to be Michelle Pfeiffer.
Older sister of Lori Pfeiffer, and Dedee Pfeiffer.
Actor Val Kilmer wrote poetry for her.
Michelle's paternal grandfather was of German descent, and
Michelle's paternal grandmother had English, Welsh, French, German,
Dutch, and Irish ancestry. On her mother's side, Michelle is of
Swiss-German and Swedish descent.
Was chosen to be on the cover of the first ever "People Magazine's
50 Most Beautiful People in the World" issue in 1990; appeared on the
list a record 6 times (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1999) and the first
person to appear on the cover of the special issue twice (1990 and
1999).
Barbara Walters called her and Julia Roberts the most beautiful people she has ever interviewed.
Chosen by People Magazine as one of the most intriguing people of 1988 and 1989.
Turned down the role of the White Witch in Las crónicas de Narnia: El león, la bruja y el armario (2005); she was the only major Hollywood star offered the role.
Was considered for the role of Eva Perón in Evita (1996), and when the film was to be directed by Oliver Stone, she even had taken a good few months voice training for the role.
In 1999, joined the "12 million dollar club".
Was offered the role of Clarice Starling, in the movie El silencio de los corderos (1991), that eventually went to Jodie Foster.
Received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on August 6, 2007.
Has been an an avid oil painter for most of her life.
Was nominated for 6 consecutive Golden Globe Awards from 1989-1994.
Has been very good friends with Cher since working together on Las brujas de Eastwick (1987).
When she was in her twenties, strangers would come up to her thinking she was Deborah Harry from the band Blondie.
Not surprisingly, Harry stated in an interview that if she could choose
any actress to play her in a film, she would choose Pfeiffer.
Was voted by Empire Magazine as 13th Greatest actress of her time (out of 50 actresses) 2004.
Good friends with Ellen Barkin.
Empire Magazine voted her the 33rd sexiest movie star in December 2007.
Was considered for the lead role in Mamma mia! (2008) that eventually went to Meryl Streep.
According to her interview in Premiere Magazine in 1999, she would really like to work with: Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt.
Turned down the role of Ginger McKenna in Casino, de Scorsese (1995), because she had already played a similar role (that of a drug-addicted trophy wife) in El precio del poder (1983). The part eventually went to Sharon Stone.
Was considered for the role in Bugsy (1991) that eventually went to Annette Bening.
Auditoned for the role in Cowboy de ciudad (1980) that eventually went to Debra Winger.
Was attached to star in two romantic comedies in 2004. One was "Taming Ben Taylor" (2004) with Kevin Costner
and the other was "She's Gone" (2004), a romantic comedy about a couple
whose marriage is at a crossroads. It was to be produced by Armyan Bernstein and Mark Johnson for Disney.
Was considered for a part in Armas de mujer (1988) along with Meryl Streep. The roles eventually went to Melanie Griffith (replacing Pfeiffer) and Sigourney Weaver (replacing Streep).
15 years before Chéri (2009) was made, Jessica Lange was attached to play the lead role which eventually went to Pfeiffer. She has credit as a producer on the film.
Turned down the role of the Angel of death in El último show (2006). The role went to Virginia Madsen.
Auditioned for the role of Emmeline in El lago azul (1980), but she was dissatisfied with the character. The part went to Brooke Shields.
Was considered for the role in Aquel 'excitante' curso (1982) that was played by Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Turned down Demi Moore's role in Pasión por vivir (2000), a film that was originally developed for her, due to scheduling conflicts with Historia de lo nuestro (1999), which coincidentally co-starred Moore's estranged husband, Bruce Willis.
Turned down the Ashley Judd role in Doble traición (1999).
She was offered the role of Slim Keith in Historia de un crimen (2006). She turned down the role and it was then given to Hope Davis.
While Pfeiffer was involved with her own production company "Via
Rose Productions", she had a few projects in development. They included a
biopic of singer Marianne Faithfull, artist Georgia O'Keeffe,
as well as a sci-fi/drama, a female basketball coach, a project where
she would play a tabloid journalist called "Privacy", also included in
the mix are one about the Rosewood Education Center in South Central Los
Angeles, where gang members help and work with handicap kids. Another
script in development was where she would play an undercover drug agent
in a project called, "The Ice Queen", based on the true story of DEA
agent Heidi Landgraf who posed as a drug queen and ended up sending 200
dealers to jail.
Empire Magazine voted her the 3rd sexiest movie star ever in 1995. 1st was Johnny Depp and 2nd was Marilyn Monroe.
Was considered for the Marcia Gay Harden's role in Mystic River (2003).
Was offered the Julia Roberts role in Pretty Woman (1990).
Kate Nelligan has been her co-star in three films: Frankie y Johnny (1991), Lobo (1994) and Íntimo y personal (1996).
Michelle was under serious consideration for the role of "Maria" in the big-screen adaptation of La hoguera de las vanidades (1990). Brian De Palma, who had directed the actress in El precio del poder (1983), was eager to work with her again. However, she instead opted for the role in another literary film adaptation, La casa Rusia (1990). Melanie Griffith
was then cast as "Maria" and received a Razzie nomination as Worst
Actress for the role, while Michelle went on to receive a Golden Globe
nomination for her performance.
Was the original choice for the female lead in Asuntos de familia (2009).
Reportedly turned down the chance to star opposite Pierce Brosnan in the romantic comedy, How to Make Love Like an Englishman (2014).
After almost 20 years to the day, she has reunited with two former directors for new projects. Garry Marshall, who directed Pfeiffer in Frankie y Johnny (1991), is directing her in Noche de fin de año (2011), and Tim Burton, who directed her in Batman vuelve (1992), is directing her in Sombras tenebrosas (2012).
Has been vegan since June 2012.
Personal Quotes
I still think people will find out that I'm really not very
talented. I'm really not very good. It's all just been a big sham.
[on playing her part of Claire Spencer in Lo que la verdad esconde (2000)] "I thought about Drew Barrymore in the first Scream: Vigila quién llama
(1996) - I mean, ultimately that movie was more funny than scary, but
the opening sequence was quite terrifying, and she portrayed terror in a
way I'd never seen an actress do."
[on wearing her costume in Batman vuelve (1992) for the first time]: "I thought to myself 'I can't move, I can't breathe, I can't think. I'm unhappy. I can't act'."
I act for free, but I demand a huge salary as compensation for all
the annoyance of being a public personality. In that sense, I earn
every dime I make.
Ultimately, I believe the only secret to a happy marriage is
choosing the right person. Life is a series of choices, right?
For me, getting comfortable with being famous was hard - that
whole side of it, the loss of anonymity, the loss of privacy. Giving up
that part of your life and not having control of it.
(From Movieline magazine April 2002) People like Susan Sarandon and Meryl Streep
have paved the way and our window of opportunity expands incrementally
year by year. Obviously, the kind of roles I'm offered are different
than before, but I feel like the roles have only gotten more
interesting. I want to grow up to be Judi Dench or Ellen Burstyn.
The older we get, the less we work, but look at the work just those two women are doing. It gets deeper.
It's my profound fear of embarrassment that's kept me going. That's the key to my success.
It seems that my leading men just keep getting younger the older I get. (from the Berlin Film Festival Promoting Cheri)
Interview with Movieline April 2002: (On being asked who do you find ravishing?) I find Cate Blanchett just so beautiful, so chameleon-like, so good in such different things. Brad Pitt
is great looking. He's pretty cute and I'd like to work with him, too.
There are people I love on- screen that I would love to work with. I
adore George Clooney and I'd love to work with him again. I'd love to work with Ralph Fiennes. I'd love to work with Sean Penn again. I also find my husband very, very attractive.
I look over and I've cut Al Pacino.
This is the guy who already hates me. So, well, there goes that, I
guess! But I actually think it's when he began to like me. And we've
been good friends ever since. I got the job. (July 2007 Inside the Actors Studio (1994)).
If you think hitting 40 is liberating, wait until you hit 50 - and
I was surprised at how liberating it was. The anticipation of something
is always much worse than the reality.
I remember that I used to get on the phone with Ellen Barkin. We were both unemployed. Nobody would hire us. For every part that we wanted, Debra Winger
would steal. We could not get a job and we'd be hysterical for hours on
the phone, bitching and moaning and kvetching. [Interview in Esquire,
1990].
I love Robert Zemeckis. I would do the yellow pages if he was directing [October 2000 while promoting Lo que la verdad esconde (2000)].
I still think I'm going to be fired in the first week of every new
job I take. Always. In fact, before I even start a movie I'll try to
get myself fired or think of a reason I should quit. I guess it's fear
of failure.
The loss of youth, the loss of beauty - it definitely plays havoc
with your psyche. There's this transition from, 'Wow, she looks really
young for her age,' to, 'She looks great for her age.' There is
certainly a mourning process to that. I used to think I would never have
surgery but it's really hard to say never.
Salary
| Frankie and Johnny (1991) | $3.000.000 |
| Batman Returns (1992) | $3.000.000 |
| Dangerous Minds (1995) | $6.000.000 |
| The Deep End of the Ocean (1999) | $12.000.000 |
| What Lies Beneath (2000) | $10.500.000 |
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