Jump to content

Michelle Pfeiffer

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Michelle Pfeiffer
A photograph of Michelle Pfeiffer at the premiere of Ant-Man and the Wasp in 2018
Pfeiffer in 2018
Born
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer

(1958-04-29) April 29, 1958 (age 66)
OccupationActress
Years active1978–present
WorksFull list
Spouses
  • (m. 1981; div. 1988)
  • (m. 1993)
Children2
RelativesDedee Pfeiffer (sister)
AwardsFull list

Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (/ˈffər/ FY-fər; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress. One of the most bankable stars in Hollywood during the 1980s and 1990s, her performances have earned her numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a British Academy Film Award, as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Pfeiffer began her acting career with minor television and film appearances, and secured her first lead role in Grease 2 (1982). Her breakthrough role as Elvira Hancock in Scarface (1983) propelled her into mainstream success, which continued with performances in The Witches of Eastwick (1987) and Tequila Sunrise (1988). Pfeiffer received her first of six consecutive Golden Globe Award nominations for Married to the Mob (1988). Her roles in Dangerous Liaisons (1988) and The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) garnered her two consecutive Academy Award nominations, for Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress respectively, and she won a Golden Globe Award for the latter.

Cemented as one of the highest-paid actresses of the 1990s, Pfeiffer starred in The Russia House (1990) and Frankie and Johnny (1991). In 1992, she played Catwoman in Batman Returns and received her third Academy Award nomination for Love Field, which she followed up with performances in The Age of Innocence (1993) and Wolf (1994). She also produced several of her own features through her company Via Rosa Productions, including Dangerous Minds (1995). Reducing her workload to prioritize her family, Pfeiffer acted sporadically throughout the 2000s, starring in What Lies Beneath (2000), White Oleander (2002), Hairspray, and Stardust (both 2007).

Following another hiatus, Pfeiffer returned to prominence in 2017 with performances in Where Is Kyra?, Mother!, and Murder on the Orient Express, and received her first Primetime Emmy Award nomination for playing Ruth Madoff in The Wizard of Lies. In 2020, she received her eighth Golden Globe Award nomination for French Exit. Pfeiffer has played Janet van Dyne in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2018, beginning with Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Early life

[edit]

Michelle Marie Pfeiffer was born on April 29, 1958, in Santa Ana, California, the second of four children of Donna Jean (née Taverna), a housewife, and Richard Pfeiffer, an air-conditioning contractor.[1] She has an older brother, Rick, and two younger sisters, Dedee[2] and Lori.[3] Her parents were both originally from North Dakota.[4] 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.[5][6] The family moved to Midway City, another Orange County community around seven miles (11 km) away, where Pfeiffer spent her early years.[7]

Pfeiffer attended Fountain Valley High School, graduating in 1976.[8] She worked as a check-out girl at Vons supermarket, and attended Golden West College[9] where she was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. After a short stint training to be a court stenographer, she pursued an acting career.[10] Pfeiffer won the Miss Orange County beauty pageant in 1978 and finished sixth in the Miss California contest the same year.[11] After her appearances in these pageants, Pfeiffer acquired an agent and began to audition for television and film roles.[12]

Career

[edit]

Late 1970s and 1980s

[edit]
Pfeiffer in 1979

Pfeiffer made her acting debut in 1978, in a one-episode appearance of Fantasy Island.[8] 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).[13] 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,[14] and took acting lessons at the Beverly Hills Playhouse,[15] before appearing in three 1981 television movies – Callie and Son, with Lindsay Wagner, The Children Nobody Wanted and Splendor in the Grass.

Pfeiffer obtained her first starring film role as the female lead in Grease 2 (1982),[16] the sequel to the smash-hit musical film Grease (1978).[17] 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".[18] The film was a critical and commercial failure but Pfeiffer's performance was noted as a standout.[19] The New York Times remarked: "[A]lthough she is a relative screen newcomer, Miss Pfeiffer manages to look much more insouciant and comfortable than anyone else in the cast."[20] 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."[17] 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."[8]

Director Brian De Palma, 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.[21] The film was considered excessively violent by most critics, but became a commercial hit and gained a large cult following in subsequent years.[22] Pfeiffer received positive reviews for her supporting turn; Richard Corliss of Time Magazine wrote, "most of the large cast is fine: Michelle Pfeiffer is better ..."[23] while Dominick Dunne, in an article for Vanity Fair titled "Blonde Ambition", wrote, "[s]he is on the verge of stardom. In the parlance of the industry, she is hot."[24]

Pfeiffer in 1985

Following Scarface, she played Diana in John Landis' comedy Into the Night (1985), with Jeff Goldblum; Isabeau d'Anjou in Richard Donner's fantasy film Ladyhawke (1985), with Rutger Hauer and Matthew Broderick; Faith Healy in Alan Alda'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's novel The Witches of Eastwick, with Jack Nicholson, Cher, and Susan Sarandon. The film received positive reviews and grossed over $63.7 million domestically, equivalent to $171 million in 2023 dollars,[25][26] becoming one of her earliest critical and commercial successes.[27][28] Praising their comedic timing, Roger Ebert wrote that Pfeiffer and her female co-stars each "have a delicious good time with their roles",[29] while the Los Angeles Times film critic Sheila Benson said Pfeiffer makes her character "a warm, irresistible character."[30]

Pfeiffer was cast against type, as a murdered gangster's widow, in Jonathan Demme's mafia comedy Married to the Mob (1988), with Matthew Modine, Dean Stockwell and Mercedes Ruehl. For the role of Angela de Marco, she donned a curly brunette wig and a Brooklyn accent,[3] and received her first Golden Globe Award 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.[31][32] Pfeiffer then appeared as chic restaurateuse Jo Ann Vallenari in Tequila Sunrise (1988) with Mel Gibson and Kurt Russell, but experienced creative and personal differences with director Robert Towne, who later described her as the "most difficult" actress he has ever worked with.[33]

At Demme's personal recommendation,[17] Pfeiffer joined the cast of Stephen Frears'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 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."[34] She won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role[35] and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.[36]

Pfeiffer then accepted the role of Susie Diamond, 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.[37] The film was a modest success, grossing $18.4 million in the US and Canada (equivalent to $45 million in 2023 dollars [25]).[38] Her portrayal of Susie, however, drew unanimous acclaim from critics. Critic Roger Ebert compared her to Rita Hayworth in Gilda and to Marilyn Monroe 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".[39] 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 Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the Chicago Film Critics Association. Pfeiffer's performance as Susie is considered to be the most critically acclaimed of her career.[40][41] The scene in which her character seductively performs "Makin' Whoopee" atop a grand piano is considered to be a memorable scene in modern cinema.[42][43][44][45]

1990s

[edit]
Pfeiffer at the 63rd Academy Awards in 1990

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,[46] and took on the part of the Soviet book editor Katya Orlova in the film adaptation of John le Carré'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.[47] Pfeiffer then landed the role of damaged waitress Frankie in Garry Marshall's Frankie and Johnny (1991), a film adaptation of Terrence McNally's Broadway play Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, which reunited her with her Scarface co-star, Al Pacino. The casting was seen as controversial by many, as Pfeiffer was considered far too beautiful to play an "ordinary" waitress;[48] Kathy Bates, the original Frankie on Broadway, also expressed disappointment over the producers' choice.[49] Pfeiffer herself stated that she took the role because it "wasn't what people would expect of [her]".[50] 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'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. 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.[51][52][53][54][55] Premiere 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."[56] Batman Returns was a big box office success, grossing over US$267 million worldwide.[57]

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".[58] For her portrayal of an eccentric Dallas, Texas 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 at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival.[59][60] In Martin Scorsese's period drama The Age of Innocence (1993), a film adaptation of Edith Wharton's 1920 novel, Pfeiffer starred with Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder, portraying a Countess in upper-class New York City in the 1870s. For her role, she received the Elvira Notari Prize at the Venice Film Festival, and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture.[61] That year, she was awarded the Women in Film Los Angeles' Crystal Award.[62]

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, 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;[63] The New York Times wrote: "Ms. Pfeiffer's role is underwritten, but her performance is expert enough to make even diffidence compelling."[64] Wolf was a commercial success, grossing US$65 million (equivalent to $134 million in 2023) at the domestic box office and US$131 million worldwide (equivalent to $269 million).[65]

Pfeiffer's next role was that of high school teacher and former United States Marine LouAnne Johnson in the drama Dangerous Minds (1995),[66] co-produced by her company. She appeared as her character in the music video for the soundtrack's lead single, "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio, featuring L.V.; the song won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance,[67] and the video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video.[68] While Dangerous Minds received negative reviews, it was a box office success, grossing US$179.5 million around the globe.[69] In 1996, Pfeiffer portrayed Sally Atwater in the romantic drama Up Close & Personal, with Robert Redford,[70] 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,[71] 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.[72]

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;[73] Beth Cappadora in The Deep End of the Ocean (1998) about a married couple who found their son who was kidnapped nine years ago;[74] Titania the Queen of the Fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999) with Kevin Kline, Rupert Everett and Stanley Tucci;[75] and Katie Jordan in Rob Reiner's comedy drama The Story of Us (1999) with Bruce Willis.[76] A Thousand Acres and The Deep End of the Ocean were also produced by Via Rosa Productions. Pfeiffer voiced Tzipporah, a shepherdess who becomes the wife of Moses (voiced by Val Kilmer), in DreamWorks Animation's The Prince of Egypt (1998), a musical adaptation based on the Book of Exodus.[77][78] She also recorded the film's theme song "When You Believe",[79] for which songwriter Stephen Schwartz won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.[80] The Prince of Egypt was released to critical and commercial success,[81] but Kenneth Turan found the film's modernization of Pfeiffer's character into a "feisty protofeminist" to be problematic.[82]

2000s

[edit]

Pfeiffer began to dissolve her film production company, Via Rosa Productions, in 1999, and moved into semi-retirement to spend more quality time with her children and family. Pfeiffer handed her producing partner Guinzburg one final film to produce under the Via Rosa Productions header. The film was called Original Sin (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 and Antonio Banderas.

In What Lies Beneath (2000), a Hitchcockian thriller directed by Robert Zemeckis, Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford 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,[83] and went on to gross US$291 million worldwide.[84] She then accepted the role of Rita Harrison, a highly strung lawyer helping a father with a developmental disability, in the drama I Am Sam (2001), with Sean Penn.[85] Despite grossing $97.8 million worldwide,[86] the film was unfavourably reviewed by critics;[87] Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote: "Pfeiffer, apparently stymied by the bland clichés that prop up her screechy role, delivers her flattest, phoniest performance ever."[88] 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."[89]

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 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."[90] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times described her as "incandescent", bringing "power and unshakable will to her role as mother-master manipulator" in a "riveting, impeccable performance".[91] 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 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 as the voice of Sinbad the Sailor. 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.[92] 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.[93] 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.[94]

Pfeiffer at the premiere of Stardust in 2007

Pfeiffer returned to cinemas in 2007 with villainous roles in two summer blockbusters, Hairspray and Stardust, which was hailed as a successful comeback by the media.[95][96][97][93] In the former, a film adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name, she starred alongside John Travolta, Christopher Walken and Queen Latifah as Velma Von Tussle,[98] the racist manager of a television station.[99] 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,[100] claiming she was his first and only choice for Velma.[101] 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".[95] Released to widely positive reviews, Hairspray grossed $202.5 million worldwide.[102] Pfeiffer's performance was also critically acclaimed,[103][104] with film critic David Edelstein of NPR calling her "sublime".[105] The cast of Hairspray was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast in a Motion Picture, and won the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast, the Hollywood Film Festival Award for Ensemble of the Year, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival Award for Ensemble Cast. In the fantasy adventure Stardust, Pfeiffer plays Lamia, an ancient witch who hunts a fallen star (Claire Danes) in search of eternal youth.[106] The film received mostly positive reviews but performed moderately at the box office,[107][108] earning $135.5 million globally.[109] The New York Times 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."[110]

Pfeiffer starred in Amy Heckerling's romantic comedy I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007), with Paul Rudd and Saoirse Ronan,[111] 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.[112] Reviews for I Could Never Be Your Woman were moderately positive,[113] 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."[114] Pfeiffer starred in Personal Effects, 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.[115]

Her next film, an adaptation of Colette's Chéri, reunited her with the director (Stephen Frears) and screenwriter (Christopher Hampton) of Dangerous Liaisons (1988). Pfeiffer played the role of aging retired courtesan 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.[116] The 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".[117] Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that it was "fascinating to observe how Pfeiffer controls her face and voice during times of painful hurt".[118] 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."[119]

2010s

[edit]

Following a two-year sabbatical from acting, Pfeiffer made part of a large ensemble cast in Garry Marshall's ensemble romantic comedy New Year's Eve (2011), her second collaboration with Marshall after Frankie and Johnny. The film, also starring Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, 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.[120] In 2012, she appeared with Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks in the drama People Like Us, as the mother of a struggling New York City corporate trader (Pine). Rolling Stone found her to be "luminous" in the film,[121] 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".[122] People Like Us debuted to US$4.26 million, described as "meager" by Box Office Mojo, and only made US$12 million in North America.[123]

Pfieffer reunited with Tim Burton, her Batman Returns director, in Dark Shadows (2012), based on the gothic television soap opera of the same name. In the film, co-starring Johnny Depp, Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter 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".[124] While Dark Shadows grossed a modest US$79.7 million in North America, it ultimately made US$245.5 million globally.[125] In Luc Besson's mob-comedy The Family (2013), co-starring Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, 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.[126][127] 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."[128] Meanwhile, The Huffington Post felt that "De Niro, Pfieffer and Jones all brought 100% to their roles."[129] The film grossed US$78.4 million worldwide.[130]

The only trepidation was I think I took for granted how nice it was to not be under the spotlight and just having a life. I remember thinking, "Do I really want to step back into this?" And I just realized that I'm not done. I have a lot more to do, and a lot more to say. I'm never going to be one that retires.

— Pfeiffer on her comeback, 2017[131]

Pfeiffer stated that her lack of acting throughout the 2000s was due to several reasons, including family matters and her approach to choosing roles.[132][133] She stated she was intending to "work a lot" once her children left for college,[134] mentioning that she felt her best performance was "still in her", saying how that's what she felt kept her going.[135]

In the independent drama Where Is Kyra?, Pfeiffer 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 on January 23, 2017, and received a limited release on April 6, 2018,[136] to critical acclaim;[137][138][139] Her role as Kyra was called the "performance of her life" by Village Voice's Bilge Ebiri,[140] and "the performance of her career", by Rolling Stone.[141]

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, reunites her with actor Robert De Niro, who played her husband, disgraced financier Bernard Madoff.[142] 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.[143] Tolucan Times remarked that Pfeiffer "steals the show as Madoff's wife, Ruth, and is a remarkable lookalike",[144] 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."[145] She received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Movie, in addition to a Golden Globe Award nomination.[146][147]

Pfeiffer speaking at an event for Mother! at the 2017 Venice Film Festival

In Darren Aronofsky's psychological horror film Mother! (2017), Pfeiffer portrayed one of the mysterious guests who interrupt the tranquil life of a couple, played by Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem.[148] Although Mother! divided critics and audiences,[149][150] reviewers praised Pfeiffer unanimously,[151][152] some of whom found her performance worthy of an Oscar nomination.[153][154] Vulture 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."[155]

Pfeiffer played a widowed socialite in Kenneth Branagh's Murder on the Orient Express (2017), the fourth screen adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1934 novel of the same name. Featuring an ensemble cast, the mystery film follows world-renowned detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh) attempting to solve a murder, while stranded with several suspects on the Orient Express during the 1930s.[156] She also recorded the original song "Never Forget" for the film's soundtrack. The film grossed US$351.7 million worldwide and received decent reviews from critics, with praise for the performances, but criticism for not adding anything new to previous adaptations.[157] Although some critics found its large cast underused, Pfeiffer's performance was praised, with Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times saying she delivered the film's best performance.[158] The New Yorker's Anthony Lane found that only Pfeiffer appears to be enjoying their material,[159] while Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle credited the film with reminding audiences that she is one of the industry's best actresses.[160] David Edelstein of Vulture described the actress as "a hoot and a half ... stealing every scene".[161]

Pfeiffer debuted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Janet van Dyne, the original Wasp, in the Ant-Man (2015) sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018).[162][163] Variety's Owen Gleiberman described her performance as "lovely" and "wistful",[164] while Josh Spiegel of /Film believed the film suffers from a lack of the actress.[165] In 2019, Pfeiffer briefly reprised the role in Avengers: Endgame,[166] and starred alongside Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning in the dark fantasy sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, playing the villainous Queen Ingrith.[167][168][169] Despite the film earning mixed reviews,[170][171] The Plain Dealer's Laura DeMarco felt that both Jolie and Pfeiffer "clearly relish their roles."[172]

2020s

[edit]

Pfeiffer headlined the dark comedy French Exit (2020), based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Patrick deWitt, directed by Azazel Jacobs.[173][174] In the film, which co-stars Lucas Hedges and Tracy Letts, Pfeiffer played a widow who moves to Paris, France, with her son (Hedges) and cat, who happens to be her reincarnated husband (Letts).[175] The film premiered at the New York Film Festival, to a positive reception.[176] Peter Debruge of Variety remarked that she gave a performance "for which she'll be remembered."[177][178] Pfeiffer received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for her performance.[179]

Pfeiffer portrayed former First Lady Betty Ford in the anthology drama television series The First Lady, which premiered on Showtime in April 2022.[180][181] The series received mixed reviews and was cancelled after one season.[182][183] The following year, she reprised the role of Janet van Dyne in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.[184]

Pfeiffer is attached to star alongside Annette Bening in the psychological thriller, Turn of Mind, set to be directed by Gideon Raff.[185] In 2022, she was cast in Wild Four O'Clocks, penned and directed by Peter Craig, and produced by Marc Platt and Adam Siegel.[186]

On March 18, 2024, it was announced that Pfeiffer had been cast in the Amazon MGM holiday comedy Oh. What. Fun.[187] On August 8, 2024, it was announced that Pfeiffer would star in, as well as executive produce, the Yellowstone spin-off The Madison.[188] On September 23, 2024, it was announced that Pfeiffer would star alongside Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning in the Apple TV+ television series, Margo's Got Money Troubles, in 2025.[189]

Acting style and reception

[edit]

Pfeiffer said she sometimes feels fraudulent as an untrained actor due to her lack of conventional schooling.[154] She credits director Milton Katselas with teaching her the difference between how an actor and their character would behave during the same scene.[190] Essayist Angelica Jade Bastién said Pfeiffer's talent disproves any argument that untrained actors are lesser than their trained peers.[191] Several film critics have described her as "a character actress in a screen siren's body",[190][192][193][194] with Bastién profiling her as "a character actress reluctantly placed in Hollywood’s lineage of blonde bombshells".[55] Journalist James Kaplan reported that some critics feel Pfeiffer has undersold herself by choosing character roles instead of capitalizing on her beauty.[195] In 1993, film critic Ty Burr argued that her "unshowy performances work because they don’t call attention to themselves", although her attractiveness prevents her from being seriously considered "one of today’s best screen actresses".[196] Pfeiffer claims she rarely accepts glamorous roles because she finds few of them compelling.[192] Although she prefers acting in dramas over comedies,[197] she does not have a favorite genre to perform in.[198]

During the 1980s, Pfeiffer typically played smart, funny, and independent women,[199] and pursued a wider range of roles in the 1990s.[28] Early in her career, she mostly played relatable working class women, aside from the occasional upper class character.[194] She has admitted she enjoys playing imperfect, evil, and "slightly trashy" women.[200][201][8] In a 2021 profile, journalist Lynn Hirschberg said Pfeiffer excels in emotionally conflicted roles,[200] while Adam Platt of New Woman and journalist Bilge Ebiri agreed that she often plays emotionally detached women.[202][203] Backstage contributor Manuel Betancourt observed parallels between Pfeiffer's characters and her own determination to subvert expectations,[204] with the actress confirming that she searches new projects for relatability.[205][206] However, Town & Country senior editor Adam Rathe finds Pfeiffer dissimilar to most of her characters.[207] Known to be highly selective about potential projects,[205] IndieWire contributor Kate Erbland believes Pfeiffer carefully chooses unconventional roles to avoid being typecast.[51] Pfeiffer's colleagues have described her as extremely committed, competent, and prepared,[192][202] although she refuses to watch her own performances.[208]

Pfeiffer has been called one of the greatest actresses of her generation.[209] However, she has also been described as one of Hollywood's most underrated,[154][210][211] with The Hollywood Reporter saying she "is too seldom ranked among the best of her generation".[212] In 2009, journalist Brian D. Johnson argued that Pfeiffer had yet to demonstrate her true range, believing she could potentially be as revered as Meryl Streep if afforded the same acting opportunities,[213] while film critic Mick LaSalle remarked that Pfeiffer's humility sometimes causes the public to overlook her as one of the industry's finest actresses.[160] Pfeiffer is particularly renowned for her versatility,[193][214][215][216] having accrued a filmography that spans period, romance, fantasy, musical, comedy, and drama.[217][218][219][220] By 2016, Salon's Charles Taylor declared that no actor of the previous decade had rivaled Pfeiffer's versatility.[215] Summarizing her career as eclectic, Erbland believes she has rarely repeated acting choices, with the actress confirming she had always aspired to play the widest possible range of characters, even when her options were limited.[51]

Pfeiffer was one of the highest-paid actresses of the 1980s and 1990s,[221][222] typically earning $9–$10 million per film during the latter decade.[223][224][225] Aside from The Witches of Eastwick, few of her films during the 1980s were major box office successes.[192] In 1995, The New York Times journalist Bernard Weinraub said Pfeiffer belongs to a group of respected actresses who are "not considered a big box-office draw".[222] However, several critics reported that her performances were consistently acclaimed, despite some mediocre films and box office returns.[51][192][226][227] Regardless, Pfeiffer was the sixth highest-grossing domestic box office star of 1990,[228] and one of the few actresses whose salary corresponded with their box office appeal as of 1996, according to UPI.[223] In 1996, Entertainment Weekly ranked her the 67th greatest movie star of all time.[229] By 1999, Variety named Pfeiffer "the female movie star most likely to improve a film's box-office appeal".[230] In 2004, People ranked her among The 100 Greatest Movie Stars of Our Time, naming her 20th in the "icons" category.[231]

Pfeiffer was awarded a motion picture star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007.[232]

Public image

[edit]

Pfeiffer has been described as one of the world's most beautiful and talented actresses.[221][233][234] After being typecast in early roles based on her appearance,[235] she initially struggled to convince directors to take her seriously as an actor,[190] and thus sought out more challenging opportunities.[192] Journalists Candice Russell of the Sun-Sentinel and Rachel Syme of The New Yorker observed that, early in her career, critics regularly undermined Pfeiffer's work by focusing on her appearance instead of her acting.[194][235]

Pfeiffer was considered one of the leading sex symbols of the 1980s and 1990s,[236][237][238][239] and several publications dubbed her one of the era's "It girls".[201][240][241] In 1990, Pfeiffer appeared on the inaugural cover of People magazine's annual "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" issue.[242][243] 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).[243] In 2004, the magazine named her one of the most beautiful women of all time.[244] In 2011, the Los Angeles Times Magazine featured her among the "50 Most Beautiful Women in Film".[245] In 2020, Vogue Paris listed Pfeiffer as one of the 21 most beautiful American actresses of all time.[246] Men's Health ranked Pfeiffer 45th and 67th on their all-time hottest women and sex symbol rankings, respectively.[247][248] Pfeiffer has been famously self-deprecating about her own appearance,[46][192] at times mocking her trademark features.[249] At least two of her films, Stardust (2007) and Chéri (2009), explore beautiful, youth-obsessed women struggling to accept aging, themes Pfeiffer personally identified with.[250] According to several plastic surgeons, she possesses some of the most requested celebrity features among clients.[197] In 2001, plastic surgeon Stephen R. Marquardt declared Pfeiffer the most beautiful face in Hollywood.[28][251] 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.[251][252] Several outlets have commented on Pfeiffer's perceived ability to physically age slowly.[253]

Famously private like the characters she plays,[254][219][255][256] Matthew Jacobs of HuffPost Canada crowned Pfeiffer Hollywood's foremost "movie star who doesn't walk around feeling like a movie star", which he believes allows her to play authentic characters without letting her fame compromise her talent.[210] Analyzing her public profile for the repertory cinema Metograph, Luke Goodsell said few stars of the 1990s were as elusive as Pfeiffer, writing, "Though a sex symbol, she was never a femme fatale like Sharon Stone; she could play quirky and romantic, but she wasn’t an American sweetheart like Julia Roberts or Meg Ryan; a serious talent, she was rarely considered in the company of Meryl Streep or Jodie Foster".[257] Pfeiffer is notorious for disliking giving press interviews.[194][190][254][256] Describing herself as "the worst interviewee that ever was",[258] she believes it is not an actor's responsibility to promote a film project.[192] Film critic Michael Sragow observed that the actress can at times appear "flustered or elusive" during interviews.[205] Journalist Timothy Egan once likened profiling Pfeiffer to covering geology, which she outgrew by 1995.[8] Vikram Murthi of The Nation believes Pfeiffer's aversion to publicity "has lent her an air of gravitas, of someone who directs a spotlight rather than chases after it".[256]

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, and "Riptide" by Vance Joy.[259][260][261][262] Joy was particularly inspired by Pfeiffer's transformation from Selina Kyle into Catwoman in Batman Returns,[259] whereas Ronson cited The Fabulous Baker Boys as his favorite Pfeiffer film.[263] In 2021, singer-songwriter Ethel Cain released her debut single "Michelle Pfeiffer", which the artist named after the actress because "I've always ... thought she was a picture perfect bombshell".[264] Australian cricketers speak of "getting a Michelle" when they take five wickets in an innings. In cricketing parlance, this is referred to as a "five for", a near-homophone for "Pfeiffer", which resulted in the nickname "Michelle".[265]

Other ventures

[edit]
Pfeiffer meeting with Senator Dianne Feinstein to support the Personal Care Product Safety Act in 2019

Product and endorsements

[edit]

In 2005, Pfeiffer served as the face of Giorgio Armani's spring campaign; the designer has often dressed her for public appearances.[266][208]

In 2019, she launched a collection of fine fragrances called Henry Rose.[267] It is the first fine fragrance line to be both Cradle to Cradle Certified and EWG Verified.[268] 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.[269]

Philanthropy

[edit]

Having been a smoker for ten years (she quit in 1992), and having a niece who suffered from leukemia for ten years, Pfeiffer decided to support the American Cancer Society.[270] She also supports the Humane Society.[21] In 2016, she attended the Healthy Child Healthy World's L.A. Gala for people who lead organizations for children's environmental health.[271] In December that year, Pfeiffer, who was vegan at the time, joined the board of directors for Environmental Working Group, an advocacy group based in Washington. D.C.[272]

Personal life

[edit]
Pfeiffer with husband David E. Kelley at the 46th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1994

Soon after coming to Hollywood at age 20, Pfeiffer was taken in by a seemingly friendly couple who ran a metaphysics and vegetarian cult. 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."[273]

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 in 1981, and it was on their honeymoon that she discovered she had won the lead role in Grease 2.[274] 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);[275] 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.[276][277][278][279][280][281]

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.[21] Pfeiffer then had a three-year relationship with actor/producer Fisher Stevens, whom Pfeiffer met when she was starring as Olivia in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of Twelfth Night, where Stevens played Sir Andrew Aguecheek.[282][283]

In 1993, Pfeiffer married television writer and producer David E. Kelley.[284] 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.[285] She had entered into private adoption proceedings before she met Kelley,[286] and in March 1993 adopted a newborn daughter, Claudia Rose,[287] who was christened on Pfeiffer's and Kelley's wedding day.[288] 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.[289]

Pfeiffer experimented with a plant-based diet for a few years but later added meat to her diet and advocated a "paleoish" diet.[290][291][292]

Acting credits and accolades

[edit]

According to review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Pfeiffer's most acclaimed films 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 (1993), Batman Returns (1992), Scarface (1983), Where Is Kyra? (2017), The Prince of Egypt (1998), and Stardust (2007).[293]

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 (1993), The Wizard of Lies (2017), and French Exit (2020).[294] For Dangerous Liaisons, she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She also received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for The Wizard of Lies.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Unstoppable Michelle Pfeiffer". People. Time, Inc. May 10, 1999. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  2. ^ "DeDee Pfeiffer – Movie and Film Biography and Filmography". AllRovi. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Michelle Pfeiffer biography". Yahoo Movies. Yahoo!. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
  4. ^ Egan, Tim (August 6, 1995). "Michelle Pfeiffer, Sensuous to Sensible". The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  5. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer – Pfeiffer: 'I'm A Multi-Cultural Mutt'". Contact Music. February 1, 2008. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  6. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer". IMDb. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  7. ^ Epting, Chris (2011). Orange County: Then & Now. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-8115-6. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
  8. ^ a b c d e Egan, Tim (August 6, 1995). "Michelle Pfeiffer, Sensuous to Sensible". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  9. ^ Tierney, Tom (2002). Glamorous Movie Stars of the Eighties Paper Dolls. Courier Dover Publications. ISBN 978-0-486-42191-9.
  10. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer biography". Hello! Magazine. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  11. ^ "Burbank Gal is Chosen as State Titlist". Merced-Sun Star. The McClatchy Company. Associated Press. April 17, 1978. Retrieved July 18, 2011.[dead link]
  12. ^ Erickson, Steve (November 2002). "Beauty and the Beast". Los Angeles Magazine. Vol. 47, no. 11. Emmis Communications. ISSN 1522-9149. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
  13. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer Live Events". TCM. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  14. ^ "Weekly Review". Weekly Review. No. 1186. Weekly Review Ltd. 1983. p. 96.
  15. ^ "Alumni videos: Beverly Hills Playhouse". Beverly Hills Playhouse. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
  16. ^ Brantley, Ben (February 1989). "The Enigma Next Door". Vanity Fair. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c Thompson, Douglas (1995). Pfeiffer: Beyond the Age of Innocence. Warner Futura. ISBN 978-0-7515-1030-0.
  18. ^ "The Genesis of Grease 2". pfeiffertheface.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2010.
  19. ^ Sanford, James (July 5, 2007). "Michelle Pfeiffer fans, rejoice: She's this year's comeback kid". MLive.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  20. ^ Maslin, Janet (June 11, 1982). "Grease 2 (1982): More Grease". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
  21. ^ a b c "Michelle Pfeiffer Biography". Talk Talk. Tiscali UK Limited trading. Archived from the original on September 26, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2008. Michelle, renowned as the most beautiful actress in the world ...
  22. ^ Gottdiener, Mark (2000). New forms of consumption: consumers, culture, and commodification. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-8476-9570-6.
  23. ^ Corlis, Richard (December 5, 1983). "Say Good Night to the Bad Guy". Time. Archived from the original on October 22, 2007. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
  24. ^ Dunne, Dominick (1984). "Blonde Ambition". Vanity Fair. Vol. 47, no. 3. p. 58.
  25. ^ a b 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  26. ^ "The Witches of Eastwick". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 27, 2011..
  27. ^ "All Michelle Pfeiffer Movies, Ranked By Tomatometer". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  28. ^ a b c Marx, Rebecca Flint. "Michelle Pfeiffer – Biography by Rebecca Flint Marx". AllMovie. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  29. ^ Ebert, Roger (June 12, 1987). "The Witches of Eastwick". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  30. ^ Benson, Sheila (June 12, 1987). "Movie Review: 'Witches' Curse Goes to the Devil". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  31. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer – awards and nominations". MSN Movies. Microsoft Corporation. Archived from the original on September 23, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
  32. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer". Golden Globe Awards. Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Archived from the original on May 21, 2006. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  33. ^ "Tequila Sunrise: Michelle Pfeiffer". Pfeiffertheface.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
  34. ^ "Dangerous Liaisons". The Washington Post. January 13, 1989. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
  35. ^ "Past winners and nominees – Film nominations 1989". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  36. ^ "61st Academy Awards winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  37. ^ "150 Greatest movie performances of all time". TotalFilm.com. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  38. ^ "The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)". Box Office Mojo. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  39. ^ Ebert, Roger (October 13, 1989). "The Fabulous Baker Boys". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on May 7, 2013. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
  40. ^ Gorman, Allison; Gorman, Anna (February 2, 2015). "The Roles of a Lifetime: Michelle Pfeiffer". Paste. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  41. ^ Haskell, Robert (February 7, 2019). "Michelle Pfeiffer is Back (as if She Ever Left)". InStyle. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2019. The Fabulous Baker Boys — in which she gave her most widely lauded performance, as the lounge singer Susie Diamond
  42. ^ Nathan, Ian (January 1, 2020). "The Fabulous Baker Boys Review". Empire. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  43. ^ West, Rachel (April 29, 2018). "Michelle Pfeiffer's 10 Best Roles". Entertainment Tonight Canada. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  44. ^ Graham, Jane (October 16, 2010). "The Fabulous Baker Boys: No 24 best romantic film of all time". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2021. this is Pfeiffer's movie, the one that made her the biggest female film star in the world
  45. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer: ageless beauty". The Sydney Morning Herald. June 29, 2009. Retrieved June 22, 2021. When Michelle Pfeiffer purred the words to while sprawled across a grand piano in 1989's s, the scene went down in history as one of cinema's sexiest moments.
  46. ^ a b "She sings! She dances! She acts! – The Fabulous Pfeiffer Girl". Empire. February 1, 2010. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved April 29, 2017 – via Gorgeous Pfeiffer.
  47. ^ Smith, Richard. "The Russia House". Turner Classic Movies. Time Warner Company. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  48. ^ "Salon Brilliant Careers #124; The dazzling versatility of Michelle Pfeiffer". Salon.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2007. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
  49. ^ Denby, David (September 23, 1991). "Frankie and Johnny brings outrageous romance to a wounded city". New York magazine. Vol. 24, no. 37. New York Media, LLC. ISSN 0028-7369. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  50. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer". Inside the Actors Studio. Season 13. Episode 16. August 5, 2007.
  51. ^ a b c d Erbland, Kate (February 25, 2021). "'French Exit' Star Michelle Pfeiffer Explains the Secret to Her Eclectic Career". IndieWire. Retrieved March 5, 2021. Pfeiffer's Catwoman — long considered the gold standard cinematic version of the Bat-verse baddie
  52. ^ Cotter, Padraig (March 29, 2019). "Batman: Why Michelle Pfeiffer Is The Best Catwoman". ScreenRant. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  53. ^ Melrose, Kevin (June 19, 2017). "Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman Is Still Batman's Best Movie Villain". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved June 18, 2019. it's Selina's story that imbues Batman Returns with a depth that lifts it above its predecessor, and establishes Pfeiffer's Catwoman as the Caped Crusader's most compelling movie villain of all time.
  54. ^ Diaz, Eric (April 2, 2019). "Michelle Pfeiffer Shows Why She's Still The Best Catwoman". Nerdist. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  55. ^ a b Bastién, Angelica Jade (June 26, 2017). "25 Years Later, Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman Is Still the Best Superhero Movie Villain". Vulture. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2019. Pfeiffer's Catwoman is widely seen as the best cinematic take on the character
  56. ^ "The Best and Worst Batman Villains". Première. Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Inc. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  57. ^ "Batman Returns at Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. IMDb Company. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  58. ^ Maslin, Janet (July 10, 1989). "Review/Film; Michelle Pfeiffer in a Tale of a 1960's Interracial Friendship". The New York Times. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  59. ^ "Love Field – Awards". AllMovie. Rovi Company. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  60. ^ "Berlinale: 1993 Prize Winners". Berlinale.de. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  61. ^ Galbraith, Jane (June 14, 1993). "Pfeiffer spices up award show". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
  62. ^ Galbraith, Jane (June 14, 1993). "Pfeiffer spices up award show". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  63. ^ "Wolf Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on May 22, 2010. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  64. ^ Maslin, Janet (June 17, 1994). "Wolf (1994) Review/Film; Wolf Bites Man; Man Sheds His Civilized Coat". The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  65. ^ "Wolf at Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. IMDb Company. February 10, 2009. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  66. ^ "Movies to See". Jet. Vol. 88, no. 15. Johnson Publishing Company. August 21, 1995. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  67. ^ "Big Winners at 38th Grammy Awards Ceremony in Los Angeles". Jet. 89 (18). March 18, 1996. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  68. ^ "Rap star Coolio, Fugees with win at MTV Awards". Jet. Vol. 90, no. 19. Johnson Publishing Company. September 23, 1996. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  69. ^ "Dangerous Minds (1995) - Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com.
  70. ^ "Book Review: Monster, by Joan Didion, John Gregory Dunne". Entertainment Weekly. March 7, 1997. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  71. ^ Maslin, Janet (October 18, 1996). "Gone but Not Forgotten". The New York Times. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  72. ^ "One Fine Day". AllMovie. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  73. ^ "A Thousand Acres Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on February 28, 2007. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  74. ^ Howe, Desson (March 12, 1999). "'The Deep End of the Ocean' (PG-13)". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  75. ^ Maslin, Janet (May 14, 1999). "A Midsummer Night's Dream: A 'Dream' of Foolish Mortals". The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  76. ^ "The Story of Us (film)". AllMovie. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  77. ^ O'Sullivan, Michael (December 18, 1998). "High Fidelity From 'Prince'". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  78. ^ Lovell, Glenn (December 10, 1998). "Film Review: 'The Prince of Egypt'". Variety. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  79. ^ Welkos, Robert W. (February 24, 1999). "Oscar's Big Song Squabble". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  80. ^ Yeend, Adam J. (August 1, 2023). "'The Prince of Egypt' Directors Look Back on Their Animated Landmark 25 Years Later (Exclusive)". Oscars.org. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  81. ^ Sanchez, Rick (December 15, 1999). "Prince of Egypt, The". IGN. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  82. ^ Turan, Kenneth (December 18, 1992). "'Egypt': The Newest Testament". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  83. ^ "What Lies Beneath". The Numbers.com. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved October 24, 2008.[permanent dead link]
  84. ^ "What Lies Beneath (2000)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  85. ^ "I Am Sam". AllMovie. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  86. ^ "I Am Sam (2001)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  87. ^ "I Am Sam". Metacritic. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  88. ^ Axmaker, Sean (January 24, 2002). "'I am Sam' wallows in melodramatic mush". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Hearst Communications Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  89. ^ LaSalle, Mick (January 25, 2002). "Penn plays sad 'Sam' / He's full of integrity as retarded father". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
  90. ^ Holden, Stephen (October 11, 2002). "Slowly, A Princess Turns Into An Urchin". New York Times. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
  91. ^ Turan, Kenneth (October 11, 2002). "Artful 'Oleander' needs more compelling voice". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 29, 2008.
  92. ^ "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas Preview". Entertainment Weekly. April 25, 2003. Archived from the original on September 27, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  93. ^ a b "Michelle Pfeiffer's Eternal Beauty". CBS News. October 4, 2007. Retrieved March 26, 2021. "Stardust" and her role this summer in the movie "Hairspray" mark a comeback for Pfeiffer after five years away from the big screen. She has proved she is still striking on camera and popular with audiences, putting her in a stronger position than ever as an actress.
  94. ^ Swildon, Tilda (February 17, 2008). "White Witch shares her love potion with two men". The Sunday Times. Times Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved July 20, 2011.[dead link]
  95. ^ a b "Michelle Pfeiffer: The former beauty queen is back after a five-year break". Irish Independent. July 16, 2007. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  96. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer Returns to Big Screen after 3-Year Hiatus". Extra. March 15, 2007. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  97. ^ Netburn, Deborah; Victorio, Lora (January 1, 2008). "Hits and misses along the comeback trail". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  98. ^ "Hairspray". The Hollywood Reporter. July 19, 2007. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  99. ^ Scott, A. O. (July 19, 2007). "Review: In 'Hairspray,' a celebration of youth and a guileless era". The New York Times. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  100. ^ Sims, James (June 28, 2007). "Dishing with 'Hairspray' Film Cast: Michelle Pfeiffer". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  101. ^ Moore, Roger (August 19, 2007). "Pfeiffer back on screen with vengeance". Deseret News. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  102. ^ "Hairspray (2007)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  103. ^ Moore, Roger (August 9, 2007). "Pfeiffer wins acclaim in return to films". The Post and Courier. Retrieved March 23, 2021. one of the most beautiful women in the movies
  104. ^ Smith, Liz (June 5, 2007). "Michelle Pfeiffer — What She Did for Love". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  105. ^ Edelstein, David (July 20, 2007). "Hollywood's Musical 'Hairspray,' a Little Too Bouffant". NPR. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  106. ^ "Stardust". AllMovie. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  107. ^ ""Rush Hour 3" Wins At Box Office". CBS News. August 13, 2007. Retrieved November 11, 2021. The other movie premiering this weekend was "Stardust," a well-reviewed adult fairy tale with Michelle Pfeiffer.
  108. ^ "'Rush Hour 3' roars to top of film box office". CTV News. August 12, 2007. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  109. ^ "Stardust Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. August 20, 2007. Retrieved February 14, 2017. Production Budget: $70 million
  110. ^ Holden, Stephen (August 10, 2007). "When Stars (Celestial) Fall, and Stars (Hollywood) Fly". The New York Times. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  111. ^ Schwartz, Missy (February 8, 2008). "Would You Dump This Woman?". Entertainment Weekly. No. #977. Archived from the original on September 23, 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  112. ^ "Would You Dump This Woman?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  113. ^ "I Could Never Be Your Woman". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  114. ^ "Review: I Could Never Be Your Woman". Reel Views.net. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  115. ^ Meredith, Luke (December 12, 2008). "2011 Movie preview: 'No strings attached'". USA Today. Gannett Company, Inc. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  116. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer beweist in Chéri Mut zur Falte". Die Welt (in German). February 10, 2009. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  117. ^ Dalton, Stephen (February 11, 2009). "Chéri review". The Times. London. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
  118. ^ Ebert, Roger (June 24, 2009). "Chéri review". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on May 7, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
  119. ^ Turan, Kenneth (June 26, 2009). "Chéri review". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
  120. ^ "New Year's Eve (2011)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  121. ^ "People Like Us". Rolling Stone. June 28, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  122. ^ Holden, Stephen (June 28, 2012). "'People Like Us,' With Chris Pine". New York Times. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  123. ^ "Weekend Report: 'Ted' Gets High, 'Mike' Scores". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  124. ^ Vejvoda, Jim (May 9, 2012). "Dark Shadows Review". IGN. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
  125. ^ "Dark Shadows (2012)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  126. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer in Talks to Join Robert De Niro in 'Malavita'" Archived November 6, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Overallsite
  127. ^ "The Family". IMDb. September 13, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  128. ^ "Today's Box Office: The Family". thv11.com. September 13, 2013. Archived from the original on October 18, 2013. Retrieved November 17, 2013.
  129. ^ Kit, Zorianna (September 14, 2013). "Just Seen It: The Family Movie Review". Huffington Post. Retrieved November 17, 2013.
  130. ^ "The Family (2013)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  131. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer: 'I'm Always Afraid of Failing'". The New York Times. November 2, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  132. ^ Miller, Julie (March 28, 2017). "Michelle Pfeiffer Reveals Why She "Disappeared" from Hollywood". Vanity Fair. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  133. ^ "Live! with Kelly and Michael". Live with Kelly and Michael. September 11, 2013. ABC.
  134. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer 'Dreading' Her Soon-To-Be-Empty Nest". Access Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 26, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  135. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer: 'My best performance is still in me'". zap2it.com. June 20, 2012. Archived from the original on July 20, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  136. ^ Patten, Dominic (December 5, 2016). "Sundance 2017: Robert Redford, New Rashida Jones Netflix Series, 'Rebel In The Rye' & More On Premiere, Docu, Midnight & Kids Slates". Deadline Hollywood.
  137. ^ Edelstein, David (April 6, 2018). "Michelle Pfeiffer Is Stunning in Where Is Kyra?". Vulture.
  138. ^ Weitzman, Elizabeth (April 5, 2018). "'Where Is Kyra?' Film Review: Michelle Pfeiffer Shines in Dark Indie Drama". The Wrap.
  139. ^ Kinane, Ruth (April 3, 2018). "Michelle Pfeiffer is brilliant in bleak drama Where Is Kyra?: EW review". Entertainment Weekly.
  140. ^ Patten, Bilge (April 2, 2018). "Michelle Pfeiffer Gives the Performance of Her Life in "Where Is Kyra?"". The Village Voice.
  141. ^ Fear, David (April 6, 2018). "'Where Is Kyra?' Review: Michelle Pfeiffer Gives the Performance of Her Career". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on April 11, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  142. ^ "HBO's 'Wizard Of Lies' Madoff Movie A Go With Michelle Pfeiffer, Alessandro Nivola Joining Robert De Niro; Barry Levinson To Direct" Deadline
  143. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 23, 2017). "Madoff Movie 'Wizard Of Lies' Draws Largest Premiere Viewership For HBO Film In 4 Years". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 25, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  144. ^ "The Wizard of Lies". tonymedley.com. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  145. ^ Ali, Lorraine. "Robert De Niro plays an oddly convincing Madoff in HBO's 'Wizard of Lies'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  146. ^ "She's Back, People: Michelle Pfeiffer Scores First Emmy Nomination For HBO's 'Wizard Of Lies'". Moviepilot.com. July 14, 2017. Archived from the original on September 4, 2017. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  147. ^ "Here are the nominees for the 75th Golden Globe Awards". The Los Angeles Times. December 11, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  148. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer, Domhnall Gleeson Joining Jennifer Lawrence in Darren Aronofsky Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. April 15, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  149. ^ "mother! Buzz: Is Darren Aronofsky's Latest the Year's Most Controversial Movie?".
  150. ^ "mother!" – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
  151. ^ Munzenrieder, Kyle (December 27, 2017). "From Laura Dern to Michelle Pfeiffer, 2017 Was the Year of the Comeback". W. Retrieved May 16, 2018. September's mother! may have been the most divisive movie of the year, but it seems the one thing we all could agree on was, 'You know, it's really nice to have Michelle Pfeiffer back.'
  152. ^ Appelo, Tim (April 9, 2018). "Michelle Pfeiffer: 'I Don't Need to Look Younger'". AARP. Retrieved May 17, 2018. [Pfeiffer] earned A-plus reviews in a baffling flick that got an F on Cinemascore.
  153. ^ Donnelly, Matt (February 6, 2017). "Paramount Pulls Brad Pitt's 'World War Z 2,' 'Friday the 13th' Reboot From Schedule". TheWrap.
  154. ^ a b c Krizanovich, Karen (September 11, 2017). "Hollywood's most underrated actress makes a sensational return". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2020. Talk on the film circuit is that Pfeiffer's star-blasting turn in mother! is a stand-out – and could even get the 59 year-old an Oscar win.
  155. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer is the MVP of Mother!". September 18, 2017.
  156. ^ Emery, Dawn (November 2, 2017). "'Murder on the Orient Express': Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Pfeiffer Dish on All-Star Remake at London Premiere". Variety. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  157. ^ Giles, Jeff (November 9, 2017). "Murder on the Orient Express Mostly Stays on Track". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
  158. ^ Roeper, Richard (November 8, 2018). "Others sent to back of train in Branagh's 'Murder on Orient Express'". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  159. ^ Lane, Anthony (November 20, 2017). ""Murder on the Orient Express" and "Thelma"". The New Yorker. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  160. ^ a b LaSalle, Mick (November 9, 2017). "A successful new stab at 'Murder on the Orient Express'". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on August 5, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  161. ^ Edelstein, David (November 10, 2017). "Murder on the Orient Express Is a Mild Ride". Vulture. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  162. ^ "Ant-Man and the Wasp". Box Office Mojo. July 12, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  163. ^ Couch, Aaron (July 2, 2018). "'Ant-Man and the Wasp' Director on Wooing Michelle Pfeiffer and His Marvel Future". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  164. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (June 27, 2018). "Film Review: 'Ant-Man and the Wasp'". Variety. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  165. ^ Spiegel, Josh (June 27, 2018). "'Ant-Man and the Wasp' Review: Marvel Delivers a Fun and Funny Palate Cleanser". /Film. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  166. ^ Allen, Ben (May 4, 2019). "All of the cameos in Avengers: Endgame". Radio Times. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  167. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer in Talks to Join Angelina Jolie in 'Maleficent 2' (Exclusive)". Variety. April 27, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  168. ^ Levack, Chandler (October 17, 2019). "Disney's Meet the Fockers-esque Maleficent: Mistress of Evil casts the laziest kind of spell". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  169. ^ Zoller Seitz, Matt (October 18, 2019). "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  170. ^ Mendelson, Scott (October 15, 2019). "Review: 'Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil' Resembles The Offspring Of An Unholy Union Between 'Gargoyles,' 'Aquaman' And 'Avatar'". Forbes.com. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  171. ^ Travers, Peter (October 17, 2019). "'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil' Is a Melted, Wannabe 'Frozen'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  172. ^ Laura, DeMarco (October 16, 2019). "Angelina Jolie and Michelle Pfeiffer magnificent in 'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil' (review)". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  173. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer to Star in Azazel Jacobs' Dark Comedy 'French Exit'". Variety. April 9, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  174. ^ "Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Azazel Jacobs' 'French Exit' Starring Michelle Pfeiffer & Lucas Hedges". Deadline. September 7, 2019. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  175. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer, Lucas Hedges, Tracy Letts Join 'French Exit' Comedy". Deadline. May 3, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  176. ^ "Interview: Michelle Pfeiffer on 'French Exit,' her new business and what she hated about the Catwoman costume". The Morning Call. December 21, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  177. ^ Lang, Brent (August 11, 2020). "'French Exit' With Michelle Pfeiffer, Lucas Hedges to Close New York Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  178. ^ Debruge, Peter (October 10, 2020). "'French Exit' Review: Michelle Pfeiffer Makes a Clean Break, Delivering a Role for Which She'll Be Remembered". Variety. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  179. ^ "Nominations for the 78th Golden Globe Awards (2021) Announced". Golden Globe Awards. February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  180. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer To Star As Betty Ford In 'The First Lady', Susanne Bier To Direct Showtime Anthology Series". Deadline. January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  181. ^ Baumgartner, Drew (August 24, 2021). "Showtime's Anthology Series 'The First Lady,' About Three Iconic White House Women, Will Premiere in 2022". Collider. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  182. ^ "Review: Showtime's 'The First Lady' wants to be as cool as Michelle Obama, but it's just confused". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  183. ^ "Viola Davis responds to critics of her Michelle Obama portrayal". BBC News. April 25, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  184. ^ "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Star Michelle Pfeiffer Posts Intense Training Video". Comicbook.com. May 30, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  185. ^ "Annette Bening & Michelle Pfeiffer Team For Feature Adaptation Of Alice LaPlante's 'Turn Of Mind' – Cannes". Deadline. May 11, 2019. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  186. ^ Ritman, Alex (May 6, 2022). "Michelle Pfeiffer to Lead 'Wild Four O'Clocks' for 'The Batman' Writer Peter Craig and 'La La Land,' 'Drive' Producers". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  187. ^ Grobar, Matt (March 18, 2024). "Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Showalter To Team For Amazon MGM Holiday Comedy 'Oh. What. Fun'". Deadline. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  188. ^ Petski, Denise (August 8, 2024). "Michelle Pfeiffer Confirmed To Headline Taylor Sheridan's 'Yellowstone' Spinoff 'Madison'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  189. ^ Otterson, Joe (September 23, 2024). "Michelle Pfeiffer Joins Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman in Apple TV+ Series 'Margo's Got Money Troubles'". Variety. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  190. ^ a b c d Brown, Mick (April 20, 2009). "Michelle Pfeiffer: interview". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on October 11, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2017. an actress who could portray inner conflict with her eyes and face better than any other film star of her generation
  191. ^ Bastién, Angelica Jade (June 26, 2017). "The 10 Essential Roles of Michelle Pfeiffer". Vulture. Archived from the original on September 29, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
  192. ^ a b c d e f g h Hirshey, Gerri (September 3, 1992). "Michelle Pfeiffer: The Bat's Meow". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 24, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  193. ^ a b Clifton, Anthony (March 12, 2023). "10 Great Supporting Performances by Leading Actors". Collider. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023. Michelle Pfeiffer is undoubtedly one of the most talented of her time.
  194. ^ a b c d Syme, Rachel (January 31, 2021). "Michelle Pfeiffer Chooses Carefully". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021. proved herself to be one of the great actors of her generation
  195. ^ Kaplan, James (January 27, 2014). "Up close with Michelle Pfeiffer". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  196. ^ Burr, Ty (January 29, 1993). "A Michelle Pfeiffer filmography". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 16, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  197. ^ a b Mueller, Matt (April 2009). "Face Forward" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 6, 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2021 – via Matt Mueller.
  198. ^ Macnab, Geoffrey (April 22, 2009). "Michelle Pfeiffer: 'I never had a big game plan'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  199. ^ Kaye, Elizabeth (April 2, 2016). "The Stacks: Why It's So Hard to Be Michelle Pfeiffer". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on April 20, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  200. ^ a b Hirschberg, Lynn (February 23, 2021). "When It Comes to Acting, Michelle Pfeiffer Would Prefer Not To". W. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  201. ^ a b Berk, Philip (August 9, 2018). "Michelle Pfeiffer makes a comeback after a 10-year hiatus". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  202. ^ a b Platt, Adam (May 1, 1997). "Pfeiffer and Clooney get close – The real life of Michelle Pfeiffer". New Woman. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2017 – via Gorgeous Pfeiffer.
  203. ^ Ebiri, Bilge (April 13, 2018). "Is Where Is Kyra? the Best Michelle Pfeiffer Has Ever Been?". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on May 17, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  204. ^ Betancourt, Manuel (January 13, 2021). "Michelle Pfeiffer Isn't Done Defying Our Expectations". Backstage. Archived from the original on December 23, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  205. ^ a b c Sragow, Michael (August 5, 2007). "What Lies Beneath". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  206. ^ Tapan, Barbaros (December 25, 2018). "Michelle Pfeiffer: A successful actress, mother and businesswoman". Daily Sabah. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2019. Considered to be among the most talented actresses of her generation
  207. ^ Rathe, Adam (February 17, 2021). "Michelle Pfeiffer Is Playing the Long Game". Town & Country. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  208. ^ a b Haskell, Robert (February 7, 2019). "Michelle Pfeiffer is Back (as if She Ever Left)". InStyle. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  209. ^
  210. ^ a b Jacobs, Matthew (February 9, 2021). "Michelle Pfeiffer, Unheralded Comedy Maven". HuffPost Canada. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  211. ^ Jacobs, Matthew (December 7, 2017). "What Lies Beneath The Comeback Of Michelle Pfeiffer And The Decline Of Julia Roberts". HuffPost Canada. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  212. ^ Feinberg, Scott; Rooney, David (February 25, 2021). "Golden Globes Film Predictions: Who Will Win, Who Should Win". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  213. ^ Johnson, Brian D. (June 26, 2009). "Courtesans gone wild in 'Cheri' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'". Maclean's. Archived from the original on May 17, 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  214. ^ Wittmer, Carrie (March 29, 2017). "Michelle Pfeiffer explains why she 'disappeared' from Hollywood". Business Insider. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  215. ^ a b Taylor, Charles (May 25, 1999). "The dazzling versatility of Michelle Pfeiffer". Salon. Archived from the original on October 28, 2016. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  216. ^ Patterson, Adreon (February 4, 2021). "Michelle Pfeiffer On Why Getting Noticed For Your Looks Is 'No-Win' In Hollywood". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  217. ^ Miller, Julie (March 28, 2017). "Michelle Pfeiffer Reveals Why She 'Disappeared' from Hollywood". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  218. ^ "Happy Birthday, Michelle Pfeiffer! Celebrates the Star's Milestone Birthday With Photos Through the Years". Parade. April 12, 2012. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  219. ^ a b Goldstein, Gary (February 19, 2010). "Michelle Pfeiffer". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021. She has proven as adept in comedies ("Married to the Mob") and musicals ("Hairspray") as she has in serious dramas ("White Oleander", "The Deep End of the Ocean") and period pieces ("The Age of Innocence").
  220. ^ Acosta, Carmenlucia (April 28, 2021). "Looking Back at Michelle Pfeiffer's Most Iconic Movie Roles". L'Officiel. Archived from the original on February 25, 2024. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  221. ^ a b Rivas, Irene (April 21, 2021). "Michelle Pfeiffer turns 63: the photos that show how the passage of time has affected the sex symbol of Hollywood par excellence". Mujer Hoy (in Spanish). Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2022. Known as one of the most beautiful (and talented) actresses in Hollywood
  222. ^ a b Weinraub, Bernard (September 18, 1995). "Skyrocketing Star Salaries". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  223. ^ a b "Study: Film stars are overpaid". UPI. April 8, 1996. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  224. ^ Hacker, Andrew (1999). Money: Who Has How Much and Why. United States: Simon and Schuster. p. 74. ISBN 9780684864501. Citing a survey conducted by Entertainment Weekly, Hacker named Pfeiffer the fourth highest-paid actress of the time, after Demi Moore, Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023 – via Google Books.
  225. ^ LaSalle, Mick (July 16, 1996). "Why Overpaid Hollywood Stars Aren't Worth It". Deseret News. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  226. ^ Lindsey, Robert (January 13, 1989). "Hard Work Is Moving Michelle Pfeiffer Closer To Stardom". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on August 10, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  227. ^ Lindsey, Robert (January 1, 1989). "For Michelle Pfeiffer, It Was a Very Good Year". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  228. ^ "Highest Grossing Stars of 1990 at the Domestic Box Office". The Numbers. Archived from the original on January 6, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  229. ^ Scott, Vernon (October 29, 1996). "Entertainment Weekly Magazine's - 'The 100 Greatest Movie Stars of all Time'". United Press International. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  230. ^ Longsdorf, Amy (March 7, 1999). "'Deep' Thoughts Chic Michelle Pfeiffer Explains Attraction Of Flawed Character". The Morning Call. Archived from the original on May 18, 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  231. ^ Lo, Ricky (July 29, 2006). "The 100 Greatest Movie Stars of Our Time". Philstar.com. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  232. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer". Hollywood Walk of Fame. August 6, 2007. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021. She rose to prominence during the late 1980s and early 1990s, during which time she gave a series of critically-acclaimed performances
  233. ^
  234. ^ Siegler, Bonnie (October 2, 2023). "Michelle Pfeiffer Young: A Look Back Through Her Glamorous Hollywood Evolution". First for Women. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024. Michelle Pfeiffer has been one of Hollywood's most talented and stunning stars since the early '80s.
  235. ^ a b Russell, Candice (March 25, 1990). "Flirting with Oscar". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  236. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer wears her years with pride in 'Cheri'". Orlando Sentinel. June 17, 2009. Retrieved August 22, 2024. one of the screen's leading sex symbols of the '80s and '90s.
  237. ^ "Looking great for my age is ok now, says Michelle Pfeiffer". Business Standard. September 5, 2013. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  238. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer, 55, On Aging: 'Looking Great For My Age is OK Now'". ABC News. September 4, 2013. Archived from the original on March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  239. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer Is Still Smoldering Hot". Vanity Fair. June 17, 2019. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  240. ^ Berk, Philip (February 15, 2021). "Nominee Profile 2021: Michelle Pfeiffer, "French Exit"". Golden Globes. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  241. ^ Pieri, Kerry (April 29, 2015). "7 Standouts of Michelle Pfeiffer's Cinematic Style". Harper's Bazaar. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  242. ^ "People's Annual 'Most Beautiful' List – 1990 - Michelle Pfeiffer". Entertainment Tonight Canada. April 18, 2017. Archived from the original on June 22, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  243. ^ a b "The Unstoppable Michelle Pfeiffer – Most Beautiful, Michelle Pfeiffer". People. May 10, 1999. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
  244. ^ "All-Time Most Beautiful Women – Michelle Pfeiffer". People. April 13, 2004. Archived from the original on November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  245. ^ "The 50 Most Beautiful Women in Film". Los Angeles Times Magazine. 2011. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  246. ^ Garrigues, Manon (July 3, 2020). "The most beautiful American actresses of all time". Vogue Paris. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  247. ^ "The 100 Hottest Women of All Time". Men's Health. November 22, 2013. Archived from the original on April 24, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  248. ^ "The 100 Hottest Sex Symbols of All Time". Men's Health. July 1, 2020. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  249. ^ Hefa, Kiran; Hogan, Kate (September 28, 2009). "35 All-Time Screen Beauties". People. Archived from the original on July 30, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  250. ^ Diu, Nisha Lilia (November 5, 2013). "Interview: Michelle Pfeiffer, 'I was in a cult'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  251. ^ a b Todd, Stephen (August 20, 2018). "Perfection exhibition: how far we will go to look good in this Instagram age?". Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  252. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer, scientifically, the most beautiful woman in the world". ABC (in Spanish). March 7, 2001. Archived from the original on August 8, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  253. ^
  254. ^ a b Stone, Peter; Kelsey, Colleen (May 9, 2012). "New Again: Michelle Pfeiffer". Interview. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  255. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  256. ^ a b c Murthi, Vikram (April 29, 2021). "The Caustic Grace of French Exit". The Nation. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  257. ^ Goodsell, Luke (2024). "Cracked Actor: Michelle Pfeiffer". Metrograph. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  258. ^ Aronofsky, Darren (March 28, 2017). "Michelle Pfeiffer". Interview. Archived from the original on March 5, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  259. ^ a b Mallenbaum, Carly (December 2, 2014). "Michelle Pfeiffer is the pop-music muse of the moment". USA Today.
  260. ^ "Why Michelle Pfeiffer is Name-Dropped in Two Cool New Songs". WZOK. February 5, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  261. ^ Thompson, Clay (February 23, 2015). "How is Catwoman slinking her way into song lyrics?". The Arizona Republic.
  262. ^ Smith, Katherine Snow (February 19, 2015). "How to look like Uptown Funk muse Michelle Pfeiffer for free". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  263. ^ "Q&A: Mark Ronson Talks 'Uptown Funk,' Old New York City and Michelle Pfeiffer". radio.com. December 4, 2014. Archived from the original on April 24, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  264. ^ Kent, Matthew (February 11, 2021). "Ethel Cain reflects on the freedom of LA with revelatory new single "Michelle Pfeiffer"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  265. ^ "Cricket diary: The bowler who bats and keeps wicket". The Independent. September 12, 1998. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022.
  266. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer: Then and Now". InStyle. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  267. ^ "Henry Rose: 100% Transparent Fine Fragrances". Henry Rose. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  268. ^ "Discover Henry Rose". Henry Rose. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  269. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon". NBC. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  270. ^ "Star Portrait: Michelle Pfeiffer". GQ Magazine (in German). Nast Digital Network. Archived from the original on October 1, 2011. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
  271. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer, Bob Breech, David E. Kelley attend Healthy Child Healthy World's L.A. Gala". guestofaguest. November 4, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  272. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer: Why I became a vegan". CNN. June 4, 2012. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  273. ^ Duffin, Claire (November 2, 2013). "Michelle Pfeiffer: The day I realised I was part of a cult". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  274. ^ Brown, Mick (April 20, 2009). "Michelle Pfeiffer: interview". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
  275. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer: interview". Turner Classic Movies. Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved May 8, 2011.[dead link]
  276. ^ Sastry, Keertana (March 30, 2012). "Scandals Onscreen: Celebrities Who Had Affairs Right In Front Of Our Eyes". Business Insider. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  277. ^ "Being John Malkovich". The Age. Melbourne. April 26, 2003. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  278. ^ Hind, John (December 5, 2009). "Did I say that?". The Guardian. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  279. ^ "Right for the part". The Daily Telegraph. London. June 1, 2003. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  280. ^ Akbar, Arifa (January 8, 2011). "John Malkovich: 'I don't need to be liked'". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  281. ^ Barber, Lynn (July 9, 2006). "Life and taxes". The Guardian. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  282. ^ Lipton, Michael A. "The Two Lives of Catwoman – Couples, Batman Returns, Fisher Stevens, Michelle Pfeiffer". People. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  283. ^ Frank Rich (July 10, 1989). "Review/Theater; Night of Stars, and Also Shakespeare". The New York Times. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  284. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer | Biography, Films, Batman, Catwoman, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. December 25, 2023.
  285. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer biography and filmography". Tribune.ca. Tribute Entertainment Media Group. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  286. ^ "Hello!". Hello. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
  287. ^ Pringle, Gill (July 13, 2007). "Michelle Pfeiffer: The former beauty queen is back after a five-year break". The Independent. London: Independent Print Limited. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  288. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer Biography". Tiscali.co.uk. October 23, 2008. Archived from the original on September 26, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
  289. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer Opens Up About Why She 'Disappeared' from Hollywood". Woman's Day. September 8, 2017.
  290. ^ Walters, Meg (June 24, 2023). "The Complete Evolution Of Michelle Pfeiffer". The List. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  291. ^ Hargrove, Hannah (December 9, 2020). "Michelle Pfeiffer wows with swimsuit selfie inside garden of $22million mansion". Hello Magazine. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  292. ^ "Forever Young". Woman's Way. October 21, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  293. ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  294. ^ "Person: Michelle Pfeiffer". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
[edit]