In 1983, Michelle Pfeiffer starred alongside Al Pacino in “Scarface.” The film made her famous, but she doesn't only have positive memories of the filming.
In 1988's "Dangerous Liaisons" she shone as the beautiful Madame de Tourvel, a year later she seduced as a nightclub singer in "The Fabulous Baker Boys," and in 1992 she slipped into a skin-tight leather outfit as Catwoman in "Batman's Return." These appearances were a long time ago, but the decades have passed by Michelle Pfeiffer almost without a trace. The actress is celebrating her 66th birthday on April 29th.
In 1990, the American “People” magazine published a special issue with the 50 most beautiful people in the world. Michelle Pfeiffer was in her early 30s at the time and graced the cover of the special edition. The fact that the actress was considered the most beautiful person in the world came as a shock to her at the time. "I look like a duck," she said. "It's the way my mouth puckers up or my nose turns up."
At that point, Michelle Pfeiffer was already a big star in Hollywood. She had her first success in 1981 with the musical romance "Grease 2". Two years later she appeared alongside Al Pacino as a gangster's bride in "Scarface". In the cult film she took on the role of Elvira Hancock. Michelle Pfeiffer played her way into the hearts of viewers with a short blonde bob.
At first it looked like the actress wouldn't get the role. Al Pacino didn't want Michelle Pfeiffer in the film because she had only previously appeared in "Grease 2," a completely different genre than "Scarface." The film is now cult and for Michelle Pfeiffer it was the breakthrough. But she doesn't only have positive memories of the film. She said about the six-month filming in Interview Magazine in 2017: "I can tell you that I was scared." She and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio were the only women on set. "It was a men's club."
Five years after “Scarface,” she starred in “Dangerous Liaisons,” directed by Stephen Frears. In the drama about the unscrupulous intrigues of French aristocrats, she played the virtuous Madame de Tourvel, who falls for the seducer Vicomte de Valmont (played by John Malkovich). The film earned her her first of three Oscar nominations. Another Oscar opportunity followed for her portrait of an ex-call girl in “The Fabulous Baker Boys” from 1989.
Michelle Pfeiffer was one of the most sought-after actresses at the time. In 1990 she filmed the crime thriller “Russia House” with Sean Connery. In 1991 she appeared in front of the camera again with Al Pacino - for the comedy "Frankie & Johnny". Tim Burton cast her in Batman Returns as the mysterious Catwoman. Pfeiffer's portrayal of a naive housewife in the romantic drama "Love Field" by director Jonathan Kaplan earned him another Oscar nomination. Again she came away empty-handed at the Academy Awards.
She hasn't been mentioned at the Oscars since then, but her career continued nonetheless. In 2009 she appeared in the costume film "Cheri" as an aging courtesan who breaks her teenage lover's heart. With Robert De Niro, she made viewers laugh with the black mafia comedy "Malavita – The Family" (2013).