More than 40 years after beginning her film career, Michelle Pfeiffer is considered one of the most sought-after actresses of all time. She turned the heads of moviegoers in the 80s and 90s in rows. However, it has lost none of its charm in 2023. Most recently, you could marvel at her in the Marvel cracker “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” earlier this year. Today the all-rounder is celebrating his 65th birthday. A look back at her most important works and a look into the future.
On April 29, 1958, Michelle Marie Pfeiffer was born in Santa Ana, California. Her father worked as a heating engineer, her mother Donna was a housewife. Her parents had German, Irish, Dutch, Swiss and Swedish roots. She grew up in Midway City with her older brother Rick (68) and her little sisters Dedee (59) and Lori (57). In 1976 she graduated from high school and from then on she worked in supermarkets. From 1978 she competed in Miss pageants and discovered her talent for acting.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Pfeiffer went from engagement to engagement. However, she was unable to gain a firm footing in the industry with small series roles and commercially unsuccessful films. However, the determined young woman did not give up, diligently took acting lessons to hone her gift. Pfeiffer was first noticed after she took on the lead role in “Grease 2” in 1982. The sequel didn’t quite match the first part in terms of success, but she received good reviews for her performance.
Just a year later, she was to have her breakthrough. After initial doubts and with the persuasion of Al Pacino (83), director Brian De Palma (82) cast Pfeiffer as Tony Montana’s wife Elvira Hancock in “Scarface”. With the film, the then 25-year-old was finally able to make a name for herself in Hollywood. Other starring roles followed alongside Jeff Goldblum (70), Matthew Broderick (61) and Michael Caine (90). The next cinema hit came with “The Witches of Eastwick”. The fantasy comedy with Jack Nicholson (86), Cher (76) and Susan Sarandon (76) is now considered a classic.
In 1989, Michelle Pfeiffer received her first Oscar nomination. For the film “Dangerous Liaisons” (with Glenn Close and John Malkovich) she was nominated for “Best Supporting Actress”. It wasn’t quite enough for the golden boy, but she still took home the BAFTA award for her performance. Another Oscar nomination followed just a year later: in 1990 she entered the race as “Best Actress” for “The Fabulous Baker Boys”. However, she was defeated by Jessica Tandy (1909-1994) in “Miss Daisy and her Chauffeur”.
At the beginning of the 1990s things got quieter around Pfeiffer. The American turned down the lead roles in “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Basic Instinct”. There was another career upswing in 1992. As Catwoman in Tim Burton’s (64) production of “Batman Returns” there was praise from the critics and plenty of money at the box office. At the same time, she appeared in the film “Love Field” – which earned her a third Oscar nomination.
Martin Scorsese (80) signed Pfeiffer in 1993 for “Age of Innocence”. Alongside Daniel Day-Lewis (66) and Winona Ryder (51), she was again highly praised and received her sixth Golden Globe nomination. In 1995 she landed another cinema hit with “Dangerous Minds – Wilde Thoughts”. The strip not only became a classic, the title song “Gangsta’s Paradise” by rapper Coolio (1963-2022) also stormed the charts.
In the late 1990s, Pfeiffer’s popularity declined. After numerous cinematic failures, it wasn’t until the early 2000s that things started to pick up again. In “Shadow of Truth” she played alongside Harrison Ford (80). After further moderately successful films, she withdrew from the limelight in 2003 for the time being. She celebrated her comeback in 2007 with a role in the film “Hairspray”, which put her back in the spotlight. Meanwhile, Michelle Pfeiffer mainly takes on supporting roles. But it also pays off for her. Since 2018, she has starred as Janet van Dyne in Marvel’s Ant-Man series.
Pfeiffer, who found happiness privately with television producer David E. Kelley (67), can look back on a remarkable career and impressive filmography in 2023. What is next for the 65-year-old is not yet known. But one thing seems to be clear: No matter which project Michelle Pfeiffer chooses, the former beauty queen attracts attention with each of her roles.
