Michelle Pfeiffer was one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood. She starred opposite Al Pacino, Harrison Ford, Sean Connery and Jack Nicholson. The image of Pfeiffer cracking a whip as Catwoman is iconic. And then, she disappeared for seveal years. Recently, Pfeiffer has resurfaced. But her days on the A-list appear to be behind her.
So, what the hell happened?
Pfeiffer started out as a pageant girl before moving into TV and movies. Pfeiffer was Ms. Orange County in 1978 and competed in the Miss California Beauty Pageant where she placed sixth.
After her sixth-place finish, Pfeiffer hired an agent and got into acting.
One of Pfeiffer’s earliest TV appearances was on the TV show, Fantasy Island. Guest star Robert Morse played a sailor who visits an island populated by beautiful women. Pfeiffer played one of the island’s inhabitants.
Pfieffer would return to the show a few years later.
In 1979, Pfeiffer landed a recurring role on the short-lived Animal House TV show, Delta House. The show recast some roles while maintaining original cast members Stephen Furst, Bruce McGill, James Widdoes and John Vernon. Pfeiffer’s character was named “The Bombshell”.
Pfeiffer wasn’t impressed by the show’s scripts, but she needed the work:
It was a no-brainer, and I detested it. But it was exposure so I did the best I could with terrible scripts. I told myself: “There are so many unemployed actors around, you should be glad you’re working at all.”
Delta House got good ratings initially. But after fights over content, the show was cancelled after only 13 episodes.
In 1980, Pfieffer landed a regular role on the car-themed cop show, B.A.D. Cats. Asher Brauner and Steve Hanks starred as a couple of former race-car drivers who join the Los Angeles Police Department.
B.A.D. Cats lasted 10 episodes on ABC.
Pfieffer made her big screen debut in the 1980 comedy, Hollywood Knights.
The movie was about a bunch of high school students in 1965 who go on a pranking spree after the Beverly Hills Residents’ Association shuts down their favorite hangout, ‘Tubby’s Drive-In’ diner. Robert Wuhl starred as the leader of the gang. Tony Danza and Fran Dresher co-starred.
Hollywood Knights performed reasonably well at the box office. But it developed a cult following in the 80’s due to frequent late-night showings on HBO. It was unavailable on home video until twenty years later. Speaking as someone who worked in a video store during that time, I can attest that it was in heavy demand.
Later that year, Pfeiffer appeared in the romantic comedy-drama, Falling in Love Again.
Elliott Gould played a middle-aged man who years for the good old days when he lived in the Bronx and fell in love with the girl of his dreams. Pfeiffer played that girl in flashbacks. In the present, she is played by Susannah York. Gould insists on going back to the Bronx to see if he can fall in love with his wife all over again.
Falling in Love Again was actually the first movie Pfeiffer filmed but due to delays it was released in theaters after Hollywood Knights.
Pfeiffer also showed up in an episode of the Dukes of Hazard spin-off, Enos. She played a prostitute who wants to be an actress. But her pimp won’t let her quit. Instead, he films her with wealthy big shots so he can blackmail them later.
In 1981, Pfeiffer went back to Fantasy Island. This episode starred Happy Days’ Don Most as a talentless painter. Mr. Roarke makes him a great artist which gives him a shot with Pfeiffer.
Later that year, Pfeiffer returned to the big screen in the comedy, Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen.
Non-Asian actor, Peter Ustinov, played the famous Chinese detective Charlie Chan who is called out of retirement to help a San Francisco detective solve a series of murders. He is joined by his goofy grandson played by Richard Hatch of Battlestar Galactica fame. Pfeiifer played Hatch’s fiancee.
The movie was protested by Chinese-Americans who were surprisingly unhappy with an English actor in Asian drag.
Pfeiffer spent the rest of 1981 appearing in TV movies. Callie & Son starred Lindsay Wagner as a teen mom whose son is taken from her and sold on the black market. Eventually, she becomes a rich Texas socialite and tracks down her son. Unfortunately, he has fallen for a beautiful schemer played by Pfeiffer.
Next, she appeared in a TV remake of Splendor in the Grass. Melissa Gilbert, Ned Beatty and Eva Marie Saint starred.
Finally, Pfeiffer appeared in the The Children Nobody Wanted which told the story of Tom Butterfield and the creation of the Butterfield Ranch. Pfieffer played Butterfield’s supportive girlfriend.
When Pfieffer came to Los Angeles to begin her acting career, she was taken in by a couple offered to help her get her life in order. They helped her stop drinking, smoking and doing drugs. It turns out that the couple was running a breatharian cult. Breatharianism is the believe that with enough focus, an enlightened person does not require food. They can live on sunlight alone. According to Pfeiffer:
They were very controlling. I wasn’t living with them but I was there a lot and they were always telling me I needed to come more. I had to pay for all the time I was there, so it was financially very draining. They believed that people in their highest state were breatharian.
Fortunately, Pfeiffer met actor Peter Horton at an acting class. The two began dating and Horton realized that something was up with his girlfriend. Horton had a supporting role in the cult-movie Split Image. The movie starred Michael O’Keefe as an athlete who is lured into a cult by Karen Allen. Horton played a member of the cult lead by Peter Fonda. In the movie, the kids are eventually deprogrammed by James Woods. While researching his part, Horton met some real life de-programmers he introduced Pfeiffer too.
With their help, Pfeiffer was able to leave the group. In 1981, the couple tied the knot. On their honeymoon, Pfeiffer got the call that she had been cast in the sequel to a big hit movie…
In 1982, Pfeiffer starred in the musical sequel, Grease 2.
The sequel centers on a new group of students at Rydell High School in 1961. In the original, John Travolta played a greaser who fell in love with an Australian exchange student played by Olivia Newton John. In the sequel, Pfeiffer played a Pink Lady who falls for an Australian exchange student played by Maxwell Caulfield.
The original Grease had been a box office bonanza in 1978. Expectations were sky high for the sequel. The movie was expected to launch the careers of its stars as well as additional sequels and a TV spin-off.
Instead, Grease 2 bombed at the box office. Critics compared it unfavorably to the original Grease – which they hated. Future Grease sequels were abandoned and Caufield’s career never recovered. But Pfeiffer was singled out as the one good thing in Grease 2.
In 1983, Pfeiffer appeared opposite Al Pacino in Brian De Palma’s Scarface.
Pacino played Cuban immigrant, Tony Montana, who comes to America and becomes a drug kingpin. Pfeiffer played his drug-addicted trophy wife, Elvira.
Having seen Grease 2, Brian DePalma refused to see Pfeiffer audition for Scarface. Pacino also opposed casting Pfeiffer. Glenn Close was Pacino’s original choice to play Elvira. But producer, Martin Bregman, lobbied for Pfeiffer:
I said to Al, ‘Elvira has to be half a hooker. Glenn Close is many things, but she is not half a hooker.
Several other actresses were considered for the part. Among them was fellow model-turned actress, Sharon Stone. Stone and Pfeiffer bonded while auditioning for the role of an extra in Woody Allen’s 1980 comedy-drama, Stardust Memories. Stone got that part, but lost out on Scarface.
According to Pfieffer, the three finalists for the role were herself, Camryn Manheim and Courtney Cox. With Bregman’s backing, Pfeiffer eventually landed the role.
When Scarface opened, the reviews were largely negative. Critics were put off by the film’s violence. Although once again, Pfeiffer got mostly positive notices. Scarface was a hit and has developed a large cult following over the years.
In 1985, Pfieffer co-starred opposite Jeff Goldblum in John Landis’ comedic thriller, Into the Night.
Goldblum played an insomniac who discovers his wife is cheating on him. A friend played by Dan Aykroyd tells him to go for a ride. While at the LAX airport, he comes across a beautiful jewel smuggler played by Pfeiffer. She asks him to help her escape the Iranians who are pursuing her.
Landis packed the movie with lots of in-jokes and cameos for his friends. But critics and audiences weren’t in on the fun. Roger Ebert wrote: “If I had been the agent for one of the stars, like Goldblum, Michelle Pfeiffer, Richard Farnsworth or Kathryn Harrold, I think I would have protested to the front office that Landis was engaging in cinematic auto-eroticism and that my clients were getting lost in the middle of the family reunion.”
Although reviews for Into the Night were mostly negative, Pfeiffer was once again singled out for praise by critics.
Later that year, Pfeiffer starred opposite Matthew Broderick and Rutger Hauer Richard Donner’s fantasy, Ladyhawke.
Broderick played a thief called The Mouse who helps a couple of star-crossed lovers. The couple (played by Hauer and Pfeiffer) were cursed. During the day, Pfeiffer’s character is transformed into a hawk. At night, Hauer is transformed into a wolf. With the help of The Mouse, they attempt to free themselves of the curse.
Originally, Kurt Russell was cast as Pfeiffer’s love interest. Donner wanted to cast Hauer as the evil captain of the guard. Hauer turned down the villain role, but when Russell pulled out of the project during rehearsals he was replaced by Hauer who had expressed an interest in the part. Broderick’s role was originally offered to Sean Penn and Dustin Hoffman.
Ladyhawke received mixed to positive reviews. Critics almost uniformly commented on Pfeiffer’s ethereal beauty. But the movie was not a hit at the box office.
On TV, Pfeiffer appeared in an ABC Afterschool Special about the dangers of drunk driving titled One Too Many.
And yes, that is a young Val Kilmer as her co-star. Kilmer was so taken with Pfieffer that he wrote a book of poems entitled My Eden After Burns that included poems inspired by the future Catwoman. Pfeiffer was married to the director, Peter Horton, at the time.
The movie was filmed in 1983 when Pfieffer and Kilmer were still unknowns. It aired two years later as the stars’ careers were heating up.
In 1986, Pfeiffer appeared in Alan Alda’s comedy, Sweet Liberty.
Alan Alda wrote and directed the comedy about a Hollywood movie descending on a small town. Alda played the author of a scholarly book about the Revolutionary War. When he sells the rights to his book to Hollywood, he is horrified by the changes that are made. Michael Caine and Pfeiffer played the actors cast in the movie adaptation.
Critical reception was lukewarm and the box office performance was modest. But once again, Pfeiffer got good reviews in a movie no one especially liked.
In 1987, Pfieffer appeared opposite Jack Nicholson, Cher and Susan Sarandon in George Miller’s adapatation of John Updike’s novel, The Witches of Eastwick.
Nicholson starred as a possibly demonic stranger who turns a small New England town upside down when he buys and moves into a mansion. Cher, Sarandon and Pfeiffer played three friends who form a relationship with Nicholson who seems to have magical powers in addition to his devilish charm.
The Witches of Eastwick was a difficult production. According to Miller, he made the mistake of showing weakness early on in the production. When discussing the budget, Miller offered to give up his trailer to cut costs since he planned to spend most of his time on the set. The producers interpreted this to mean that Miller could be pushed around. From that point on, they routinely gave him half of what he asked for from extras to cameras. Miller responded by refusing to shoot until his demands were met. The studio tried to have Miller fired, but Nicholson threatened to walk if the director was replaced.
Nicholson was reportedly miffed because his girlfriend at the time, Angelica Huston, had been passed over for the part that eventually went to Cher. Miller was against the casting of Cher and he was very vocal about it. According to Cher, Miller called her on her 40th birthday to tell her that Nicholson thought she wasn’t sexy enough for the role:
George hired and fired me four times for that project, and I eventually found out Jack had never said he didn’t want me in the film.
Cher was originally cast as Jane, but she preferred the part of Alexandra. Sarandon had already been cast as Alexandra, but at Cher’s insistence the roles were switched. Sarandon didn’t find out about the change until she arrived on location.
During the long and difficult shoot, the three actresses bonded over junk food. According to Cher:
Toward the end of The Witches of Eastwick, Michelle Pfeiffer, Susan Sarandon and I really went crazy. Our trailers all looked identical because we’d go from one to the other stuffing ourselves with Pepperidge Farm Cheddar Cheese Goldfish, M&Ms, Cokes and Hershey’s Kisses. Actually, you could say we went on a candy kiss binge. They were everywhere. We were under so much stress, and when that happens your body looks for a lift — and you get that false lift from sugar. … But then Michelle and I found that we could microwave sweet potatoes in four minutes, and that changed our entire lives. We lived on sweet potatoes, baked potatoes and Caesar salads.
Test audiences were unsatisfied with the movie’s original ending. So the cast was brought back together to reshoot the ending.
The Witches of Eastwick got mixed to positive reviews. But it was a bona fide hit at the box office. The movie has been adapted for TV three times and has also been turned into a musical.
Later that year, Pfieffer appeared in the comedy, Amazon Women on the Moon.
The movie consists of twenty-one skits directed by five different directors; Joe Dante, Carl Gottlieb, Peter Horton, John Landis and Robert K. Weiss. Pfeiffer and Horton (her real-life husband at the time) played a couple in a sketch directed by Landis who also directed Pfeiffer in Into the Night. Griffin Dunne played a doctor who won’t let the couple see their newborn baby.
Reviews were mixed to negative with critics complaining that the bad sketches outweighed the good ones. The movie bombed at the box office. It only played in 50 theaters and opened in 13th place.
In 1988, Pfieffer starred opposite Matthew Modine, Dean Stockwell and Alec Baldwin in Johnathan Demme’s quirky mob comedy, Married to the Mob
Pfeiffer played an unhappy housewife married to a mobster played by Baldwin. When he is bumped off, Pfeiffer tries to break away from the mob. Instead, she finds herself courted by Stockwell who plays the mob boss who killed her cheating husband. Modine and Oliver Platt played FBI agents who hope to use Pfieffer to catch Stockwell.
Married to the Mob received mostly positive reviews. The film was a hit and Pfeiffer was nominated for a Golden Globe.
Later that year, Pfeiffer appeared in Tequilla Sunrise as the woman Mel Gibson and Kurt Russell fight over.
Gibson played a drug dealer trying to go straight. Russell played his friend, an LA detective who is duty-bound to bust his friend should he deal drugs again. Pfeiffer played the insanely beautiful woman they both fall for.
Writer-director, Robert Towne, originally intended to cast Harrison Ford in the lead role. Ford became interested while Towne was doing rewrites for Roman Polanski’s Frantic. But Ford dropped out during pre-production. Towne then flew to Australia to meet with Gibson who immediately signed on to take Ford’s place.
Pfeiffer and Gibson had a love scene in a hot tub. But the hot tub was not properly constructed or chlorinated. As a result, Pfeiffer, her body double and Gibson all broke out in a rash and got splinters from the wood. Production had to be shut down for a few days while Pfeiffer recovered.
Pfeiffer and Towne did not get along. Towne called her “the most difficult actress I have ever worked with.” If Pfeiffer was grouchy, it might have had something to do with her divorce from Horton which was going on at the time. Or maybe it was due to the rash and splinters from the fake hot tub.
Despite mixed reviews, Tequila Sunrise was a hit at the box office.
Pfeiffer finished out the year with Dangerous Liaisons. Like Cruel Intentions, Dangerous Liaisons is based on the french play, Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Unlike Cruel Intentions, Dangerous Liaisons is really good.
Pfeiffer’s Madame Marie de Tourvel was the virtuous woman caught between 18th century schemers John Malkovich and Glenn Close. Close’s character offers herself to Malkovich if he can seduce the chaste Pfeiffer. Uma Thurman and Keanu Reeves appear as a young couple also caught up in the complex web. Tragedy and awesomeness ensue.
Les Liaisons Dangereuses has been adapted to the big screen several times. Pfeiffer was actually offered the role of the Marquise de Mertueil in the 1989 adaptation, Valmont. But she opted to play a supporting role in Stephen Frears’ version instead.
Dangerous Liaisons was a hit with critics and audiences. Among the many accolades Pfieffer received for Liaisons was an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Pfieffer and Horton split up in 1988. Following their divorce, Pfeiffer began dating a less-likely leading man. She met Fisher Stevens (from the Short Circuit movies) while they were co-starring in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of Twelfth Night.
For three years, Stevens and Pfeiffer were Hollywood’s most unconventional couple. But that came to an end when Pfieffer paid Stevens a surprise visit on the set of Super Mario Brothers. Rumor has it the Pfieffer walked into her boyfriend’s trailer and caught him making out with his 17-year-old co-star, Jamie Golightly. Stevens admitted to a kiss but denied that he had any inappropriate relationships with that woman:
We went for one walk, I kissed her once. It was a mistake. I didn’t have sex with her.
Pfeiffer’s publicist and Golightly both denied the trailer story ever happened. But Golightly admits there was a flirtation:
We were attracted to each other, but not anything serious. There was kissing, but it was not that big a deal. The first time I kissed him, he was like, ‘You know, I’ve got a girlfriend, so don’t say anything about this.’ Right, there are a thousand people around us, and he’s telling me not to say anything.
In 1989, Pfeiffer starred opposite the brothers Bridges in The Fabulous Baker Boys.
Jeff and Beau Bridges played brothers with a lounge act. Their act is getting stale, so they decide to audition female singers. They end up hiring a former escort played by Pfeiffer. Susie Diamond breathes life into the act but she also creates friction between the two brothers.
Several actresses were considered for the role of Susie Diamond including Madonna, Debra Winger, Brooke Shields, Jodie Foster and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Pfeiffer sang all of her own songs. Although she sang in Grease 2, she was never professionally trained. To prepare for the role, she practiced 10 hours a day in the studio and then listened to the tapes at home.
For the famous ‘Making Whoopee’ number on the piano-top, Pfeiffer had one choreography lesson. She wore pads on her knees and elbows during rehearsals. It ended up taking six hours to shoot the final scene.
The film was widely praised by critics. Pfeiffer was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and won a Golden Globe. The Fabulous Baker Boys wasn’t a big hit at the box office. But it cemented Pfeiffer’s status as a lead actress.
In 1990, Pfeiffer starred opposite Sean Connery in the adaptation of John le Carré’s novel of the same name, The Russia House.
Connery played a British book publisher with a background in Russia. After he gives a speech at a writer’s conference in Moscow, a beautiful Russian woman played by Pfeiffer tries to pass along an important manuscript to him. The notebooks are delivered to the British government instead. Soon, British intelligence and the CIA enlist Connery to determine the validity of the documents.
The Russia House was the first major Western movie to be filmed largely in the Soviet Union with full permission of the Russian Government. But Pfeiffer wasn’t happy with the arrangement. At one point, she held up filming in Moscow because of a rule that prevented Western film companies from feeding Soviet extras. When Pfeiffer found out about the rule, she refused to continue filming. The Soviet film commision begged her to return. According to Pfeiffer:
In a country where you can’t get food, where you can’t get soap, here they were watching us shoveling down these platefuls of hot, steamy spaghetti. I didn’t sleep that night. It was very traumatic. Then I realized, You know, this is so typically American of you. This is what, as a country, we’re accused of all the time. Now, whether I was right or wrong isn’t the issue. The issue was, Do I have the right, as an outsider, to come in and force my sensibilities on this culture? At a certain point, I decided to leave my identity at the border. I thought to myself, Okay, you have no identity. And at that point I was able to experience the country as it was, on a purer level, and finally to even embrace it.
The Russia House got mostly positive reviews based on strong performances and the exotic setting. Pfeiffer nominated for another Golden Globe but lost to Kathy Bates for Misery.
In 1991, Pfeiffer starred in the Gary Marshall’s big screen adaptation of Terrence McNally’s off-Broadway play, Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune.
Franky and Johnny reuinted Pfeiffer with her Scarface co-star, Al Pacino. Pfeiffer, looking as drab as hair and make-up can muster, plays a middle-aged waitress who has given up on love. Pacino played a short order cook who convinces Pfeiffer to give love one more chance.
McNally wrote the play for Kathy Bates. Bates campaigned to reprise her role in the movie, but was passed over in favor of the more glamorous Pfeiffer. She didn’t seem especially impressed with the decision:
I thought it was wonderful to see a love story about people over forty, ordinary people who were trying to connect… I don’t think we will see it with this movie.
The casting of Pacino and Pfeiffer as two people who are supposed to be lonely and desperate didn’t sit well with fans of the play. While many critics praised the performances, they lamented that the actors were too beautiful to be believable as hard luck cases.
Marshall enlisted some help to get a surprised reaction from Pacino. Star Trek VI was filming nearby. So Marshall arranged for William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy to come to the set dressed as their Star Trek characters. They hid off camera behind a door that Pacino was supposed to open. When he did, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock were smiling back at him.
Reviews were mixed to positive. Frankie and Johnny disappointed at the box office, but Pfeiffer was nominated for another Golden Globe. This time she lost to Bette Midler in For the Boys.
In 1992, much to Sean Young’s chagrin, Pfeiffer was cast in the coveted role of Catwoman in Tim Burton’s Bat-sequel, Batman Returns.
Michael Keaton returned as Batman/Bruce Wayne. Danny DeVito played the Penguin who was reimagined as a mutant orphan who lived in the sewers. And Christopher Walken played an evil industrialist who is trying to build a power plant that will somehow steal power from Gotham. Pfeiffer’s Catwoman starts off as a mousy secretary who suffers a near-fatal accident. Or something. The plot doesn’t really matter.
Famously, Sean Young campaigned for the role of Catwoman. But Burton was unwilling to see her. He originally cast Annette Bening in the role, but Bening had to drop out due to a pregnancy. Just about every age-appropriate actress at the time was considered for the role (including the not-so-age-appropriate Cher) before Pfeiffer was finally cast.
Pfeiffer had been considered for the Kim Basinger part in the original Batman. But Keaton vetoed her at the time because they had recently dated and he thought it might be weird. By the time the sequel came around, Keaton thought enough time had passed for him to work with Pfeiffer.
The original script for Batman Returns was written by Sam Hamm who had written the first Batman. It included Vicki Vale, Harvey Dent and Dick Grayson. But Burton was unhappy with the script and hired Daniel Waters to re-write it. Waters pared down the number of characters involved and created Max Shreck as the Penguin’s brother. Yet another re-write was done at Burton’s request by Wesley Strick. The end result is a bit of a mess.
Not surprisingly, reviews for Batman Returns were mixed. The sequel was a hit, but it was mired in controversy over the dark subject matter, violence towards women and sexual content that was deemed inappropriate for children.
Warner Brothers wanted to sell Happy Meal toys and decided they could do so better without Tim Burton making their franchise into a surreal nightmare. So, Burton was replaced by Joel Schumacher for the sequel. And Keaton, showing the best judgement of his career, bailed out on the Batman films.
It is rumored that Keaton was eventually offered 15 million dollars to reprise the role of Batman in the third film. But Keaton didn’t like the campy tone the series was taking. He wanted to go back to the broody Batman of the original film. So he turned down the large paycheck much to Val Kilmer’s delight.
Obviously, the movie was a hit. One of the biggest of Pfeiffer’s career. For years afterwards, Pfeiffer and Burton talked about collaborating on a Catwoman spin-off. But when Warner Brothers chased Burton off of Batman 3, that more or less killed the chances of the Catwoman spin-off. At least until Halle Berry expressed an interest in the role…
Pfeiffer followed up her Bat-blockbuster with Love Field. Pfeiffer played a housewife who was obsessed with the first lady. After witnessing President Kennedy’s assassination, she decides to attend his funeral. On the way, she befriends a black man and his daughter.
Love Field was the first movie released by Pfeiffer’s production company, Via Rose. Originally, Denzel Washington was cast in the male lead. Just before filming was set to start, Washington was replaced by Dennis Haysbert. Rumors swirled that Pfeiffer had Washington fired. According to Washington:
I didn’t give a good reading cause I just couldn’t deal with the material. It was bleeding-heart liberal nonsense. We finished the reading and I said, I don’t know if you guys are going to sue me or whatever, but I cannot do this. This is not real.’ I didn’t like the message it was sending. They were going to call me 85 ‘niggers’ and I said, ‘I’m just not having it. I haven’t been called this many niggers in my life and I’m not going to be called this many niggers in a movie.” And they screamed at me and said, ‘Are you out of your mind?’ or whatever. I wish they would have fired me. That would have taken me off the hook. But, you know what? Had I done the film, it wouldn’t have helped it any.
Love Field got mixed reviews and bombed at the box office. However, Pfeiffer’s goodwill at awards ceremonies scored her both an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe nomination.
In 1993, Pfeiffer starred opposite Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder in Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Edith Wharton’s 1920 novel, The Age of Innocence.
Day-Lewis played a well-to-do New Yorker in the 1870’s. He is engaged to marry Ryder’s character, but becomes involved with her cousin played by Pfieffer. Pfeiffer’s character has been disgraced by her husband who abused her and stole her fortune. At first, Day-Lewis defends her against malicious gossip. But eventually he finds himself falling for her.
While the film was well-regarded among critics, it wasn’t popular with audiences. As a departure for Scorsese, the movie had detractors among critics as well.
The Age of Innocence did receive some recognition come awards time. Pfeiffer was once again nominated for a Golden Globe. But the Academy nominated co-star Ryder instead. At the Globes, Pfeiffer lost yet again and Ryder won Best Supporting Actress.
In 1994, Pfeiffer reteamed with Jack Nicholson for Mike Nichols’ monster movie, Wolf.
Nicholson starred as a middle-aged publisher who is losing his mojo after a young rival played by James Spader steals his job and his wife. After being bitten by a wolf, Nicholson finds he has joined Team Jacob. Newly energized and hairier than ever, he starts a relationship with his boss’ daughter played by Pfeiffer.
Originally, Mia Farrow was attached to play Pfeiffer’s part. The studio grew concerned as Farrow started making headlines for the Woody Allen scandal. Farrow agreed to take a pay cut to stay on the picture. But eventually she had to drop out anyway due to schedule conflicts. Sharon Stone was also offered the part but turned it down.
Pfeiffer was very busy while filming Wolf. She adopted a baby girl, got engaged to TV producer David E. Kelley and got married all during the making of Wolf. Spader and Pfeiffer became friends while filming. So years later when her husband was looking for a leading man for Boston Legal, Pfeiffer recommended Spader for the role.
Nichols asked Pfeiffer to wear a red-hooded sweatshirt for the film’s final act. Pfeiffer refused because she thought the Little Red Riding Hood reference was corny. The movie’s original ending performed poorly at test screenings. So the movie’s release date was delayed so the ending could be reshot.
Reviews were mixed. Wolf opened in first place at the box office and grossed around $65 million dollars in the US. It fared slightly better overseas and ended up grossing over $130 million worldwide.
Pfeiffer kicked off 1995 with a cameo appearances on her husband’s TV show, Picket Fences. Pfeiffer played a client of a murdered male masseur in an episode titled Freezer Burns. Her appearances is uncredited as it was part of a practical joke on Kelley:
My husband is a really big practical joker, and one of the ‘Picket Fences’ directors and I planned to get back at him. It’s the episode where the masseur dies a mysterious death, and they have to interview all these women, and I’m one of the women. I snuck in on the set, did my little thing, and left. And then a lot of time went by, and I had forgotten about it, and I was in the bedroom breastfeeding John when [David] came back after seeing the first cut. He said, ‘Is there something you want to tell me?’
Later that year, Pfeiffer starred in the sleeper hit, Dangerous Minds.
Pfeiffer played retired US Marine LouAnne Johnson who took a teaching position at Carlmont High School in Belmont, California. The movie is based on Johnson’s autobiography My Posse Don’t Do Homework. Like most movie teachers, Pfeiffer uses unconventional methods to reach her students.
Up until this point, Pfeiffer had a pretty impressive run on the A-list. But there was one nagging question about her star status. Pfeiffer had more than her share of hits. But she had never had a big mainstream hit in which she was the main draw. Many in Hollywood questioned whether or not Pfeiffer had any box office draw on her own.
Andy Garcia filmed scenes as a love interest for Pfeiffer. But his scenes were cut from the final movie.
Dangerous Minds was one of the last movies produced by Don Simpson. Simpson had a way with movie soundtracks and Dangerous Minds was no exception. The popularity of the soundtrack and Coolio’s hit single, Gangsta’s Paradise, helped to fuel the movie at the box office. Pfieffer, who was pregnant throughout filming Dangerous Minds, appeared in the video for the song.
Dangerous Minds got mostly negative reviews, but it was a surprise hit at the box office. As the only star in the picture, Pfeiffer finally had a hit movie she could take full credit for even if it wasn’t among her best reviewed.
The show spun off a TV show starring Annie Potts. It ran for one season from 1996-1997.
In 1996, Pfeiffer starred opposite Robert Redford in the newsroom drama, Up Close and Personal.
Pfeiffer played an ambitious reporter who is hired by a local news director played by Redford. Under his guidance, her career takes off. As she becomes more successful, his career falters. Eventually, she leaves to pursue a job opportunity in Philadelphia. She struggles with her new role until Redford relocates to help her.
The original script began as an adaptation of the book Golden Girl: The Story of Jessica Savitch. The book chronicled the rise and fall of troubled news anchor, Jessica Savitch. Over the course of eight years, the script was rewritten and sanitized to the point where it no longer bore any resemblance to Savitch’s life story.
Screenwriter John Gregory Dunne ended up writing a book about his experiences bringing Up Close and Personal to the big screen. According to his book, Monster: Living Off the Big Screen, the changes were made to appeal to the broadest possible audience. When Dunne asked producer Scott Rudin what the movie was about, Rudin replied, “It’s about two movie stars.”
In spite of the bad reviews, the star power made the film a mild hit at the box office.
Later that year, Pfeiffer appeared in her husband’s movie, To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday.
Peter Gallagher played a husband stricken by the death of his wife played by Pfeiffer. He decides to move to the beach to be closer to his late wife who died at sea but doesn’t realize he has been neglecting his teenage daughter played by Claire Daines.
The movie was panned by critics and bombed at the box office. After a limited opening, To Gillian went into wide release where it ranked 11th at the box office. The movie is perhaps best known for being the movie debut of Freddie Prinze Jr.
Pfeiffer ended 1996 by starring opposite George Clooney in the romantic comedy, One Fine Day.
Pfeiffer played a divorced architect and single mom to a son. Clooney played a divorced reporter who is overwhelmed when his ex-wife unexpectedly drops off his daughter. As a result of the mix-up, both children miss their school field trip and are stuck with their parents.
Today, Clooney is a big star. But One Fine Day was only his second major motion picture coming off of From Dusk Till Dawn. Unfortunately, the reviews were mostly negative and One Fine Day disappointed at the box office. It opened in fifth place behind Scream.
In 1997, Pfeiffer starred in and produced the big-screen adaptation of the novel, A Thousand Acres which co-starred Jessica Lange and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
The story is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear. Jason Robards played a successful farmer who decides to retire. He offers to split his land among his daughters played by Lange, Pfeiffer and Leigh. The youngest daughter played by Leigh rejects the offer and in favor of a career as a lawyer. The other two take over the farm only to find themselves struggling with a deep family secret.
The critics weren’t kind. Roger Ebert offered the following take-down:
A Thousand Acres is an ungainly, undigested assembly of “women’s issues,” milling about within a half-baked retread of King Lear. The film is so unfocused that at the end of its very long 104 minutes, I was unable to say who I was supposed to like and who I was supposed to hate – although I could name several characters for whom I had no feelings at all… The screenplay is based on a novel by Jane Smiley, unread by me, which won the Pulitzer Prize – which means that either the novel or the prize has been done a great injustice.
Lange was equally unhappy with the final film. She battled producers throughout the editing process. Lange said the only thing that worked in the movie’s final cut were the performances. Pfeiffer, who was a producer on the movie, later admitted she didn’t even like her own performance.
Additionally, A Thousand Acres bombed at the box office. It opened in sixth place behind the English comedy, The Full Monty, which had been in theaters for six weeks.
In 1998, she did voice work for the Dream Works animated Moses movie, The Prince of Egypt.
Val Kilmer (who co-starred with Pfeiffer in One Too Many), provided the voice for Moses. Ralph Fiennes played Rameses. Pfeiffer played Moses’ wife. Sandra Bullock played Moses’ sister and Jeff Goldbulm (who co-starred with Pfeiffer in Into the Night) played his biological father. The star studded cast of voice talent also included Danny Glover, Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren and two of the Three Amigos; Steve Martin and Martin Short.
Former Disney studio chief, Jeffrey Katzenberg, constantly pitched his boss, Michael Eisner, on the idea of an animated version of The Ten Commandments. Eisner constantly turned Katzenberg down. So when Katzenberg formed his own animation studio at Dreamworks, The Prince of Egypt was his first project. Katzenberg hedged his bets with an all-star cast of voice actors.
The animated feature received mostly positive reviews and was a modest hit at the box office. It spawned a direct-to-video prequel, Joseph: King of Dreams, in 2000.
In 1999, Pfeiffer starred opposite Treat Williams in the big screen adaptation of the novel, The Deep End of the Ocean.
Pfeiffer and Williams played a couple whose three-year-old son is kidnapped. After a frantic search fails, Pfeiffer goes into a deep depression. Nine years later, after they have given up hope, they find a boy who may be their missing son.
Post Dangerous Minds, Pfeiffer made a lot more movies which rested on her star power rather than that of her co-star. She also seemed to be attracted to adaptations of books recommended by Oprah. The Deep End of the Ocean was the very first book to be discussed by the popular daytime talk show host in 1996. Oprah was even considered for the part that was eventually played by Whoopi Goldberg.
Reviews were largely negative. Once again, Roger Ebert:
Ulu Grosbard’s The Deep End of the Ocean is a painfully stolid movie that lumbers past emotional issues like a wrestler in a cafeteria line, putting a little of everything on his plate. It provides big roles for Michelle Pfeiffer and Treat Williams, but doesn’t provide them with the screenplay support they need; the result is that awkwardness when characters express emotions that the audience doesn’t share.
The Deep End of the Ocean tanked at the box office. It opened in sixth place sandwiched between Baby Geniuses and Wing Commander. It ended up grossing less than half of it’s production cost.
In 1999, Pfeiffer also appeared with an all-star cast in a big-screen version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Pfeiffer played the Queen of the fairies opposite Rupert Everett who played the king. Kevin Kline played a poor actor who wanders into the fairy kingdom and is given the head of an ass by a sprite played by Stanley Tucci. Sam Rockwell, Calista Flockhart and Christian Bale co-starred.
The movie got mixed to positive reviews, but played to small audiences.
Pfeiffer ended the year by co-starring opposite Bruce Willis in Rob Reiner’s comedy-drama, The Story of Us.
Pfeiffer and Willis played a married couple who decide to call it quits after 15 years of marriage. It’s When Harry Divorced Sally…
Both stars were going through a rough personal time while making The Story of Us. Pfeiffer’s production company was being dissolved and her father passed away. Willis was going through a high-profile divorce from Demi Moore.
Roger Ebert would have rather watched Willis and Moore’s divorce:
Gene Siskel used to ask if a movie was as good as a documentary of the same actors having lunch. Watching The Story of Us, I imagined a documentary of the marriage of, say, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. I do not say that to score a cheap point, but because Moore and Willis are spirited and intelligent people who no doubt had interesting fights about real issues, and not insipid fights about sitcom issues.
The domestic drama was savaged by critics and disappointed at the box office. It opened in third place behind Double Jeopardy which was in its fourth week in theaters. It ended up barely recouping its production costs.
In 2000, Pfeiffer bounced back by starring opposite Harrison Ford in Robert Zemeckis’ ghost story, What Lies Beneath.
Pfeiffer played a retired cellist who has just sent her only daughter off to college. Alone in their lakeside home, Pfeiffer begins witnessing strange occurrences which she believes are supernatural in nature. Her husband, played by Ford, worries that she might be going crazy. The trailer reveals most of the movie’s twists and turns, so be warned before you watch it.
Zemeckis filmed What Lies Beneath while taking a break from Castaway to allow Tom Hanks to loose weight. The original script treatment was written by documentary filmmaker Sarah Kernochan based on her personal experiences. DreamWorks commissioned a script from future Agent of Shield, Clark-Gregg (yes, Agent Coulson).
Despite mixed reviews, What Lies Beneath was a hit at the box office.
In 2001, Pfeiffer co-starred opposite Sean Penn in the melodrama, I Am Sam.
Penn played a mentally handicapped man who fights for custody of his 7-year-old daughter. Pfeiffer played a cold-hearted lawyer (are there any other kind?) who represents Penn in his case. And maybe, just maybe, learns a thing or two about life in the process.
Despite mostly negative reviews, Penn was nominated for an Oscar for his performance. I Am Sam did so-so box office in the U.S. But it was a hit overseas. It has actually been remade twice in Hindi and Tamil.
In 2002, Pfeiffer returned to Oprah’s Book Club territory for the adaptation of Janet Fitch’s Oprah-approved novel, White Oleander.
Alison Lohman stars as a 15-year old girl. Pfeiffer plays her mother who is sentenced to jail after murdering her cheating boyfriend with a poison made from white oleander. Lohman goes into foster care where she is shuffled between women played by Robin Wright Penn and Renee Zellweger. Tragedy follows her wherever she goes.
Barbara Streisand was offered a chance to direct the movie and play Pfeiffer’s role. Many expected Pfeiffer would be nominated for an Oscar. But the movie didn’t take off as expected. Pfeiffer was crowded out of the field by dual nominees from Chicago, Queen Latifah and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Reviews were mixed to positive. But the movie bombed at the box office. It opened in seventh place behind the Jackie Chan movie, The Tuxedo, which was in its third week in theaters.
In 2003, Pfeiffer returned to voice work for DreamWork’s animation’s star-studded fantasy, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.
Brad Pitt starred as the swashbuckling hero. Pfeiffer voiced the villainous Goddess of Discord. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Joseph Fiennes and Dennis Haysbert co-starred.
Pfeiffer wasn’t happy with her initial take on the character and gave Jeffery Katzenberg permission to fire her. He declined.
Despite a heavy marketing push from DreamWorks, Sinbad flopped at the box office. It opened in sixth place behind The Hulk which had been in theaters for three weeks. Reviews were mixed to negative.
At this point, Pfeiffer put her career on hiatus to concentrate on her family. There’s no doubt her career was cooling, but Pfeiffer was still on the A-list. Four years later, when she returned to the big screen, that was no longer the case.
In 2007, Pfeiffer returned to acting in Amy Heckerling’s romantic comedy, I Could Never Be Your Woman.
Pfeiffer played a divorced TV producer who casts a young actor played by Paul Rudd in an attempt to revive her show’s sagging ratings. Rudd’s character does something Rudd himself has never done in real life – he makes the show a hit. The two begin dating despite an age difference of more than a decade. This is extra weird not because in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pfeiffer plays Rudd’s girlfriend’s mom.
Heckerling based the movie on her own experiences as a single mom while producing the TV version of Clueless. She sent the script to Paramount, but they balked at the prospect. The movie went the indie route and Pfeiffer took a pay cut to lower the budget.
The movie was released around the world throughout 2007, but it never received a theatrical release in the US. Pfeiffer was prepared to begin promoting the movie for its expected US release, but it ended up going direct to video instead.
Later that year, Pfeiffer returned to the big screen for the first time in 5 years with a small part in the big screen adaptation of the Broadway musical Hairspray which was itself an adaptation of the original film of the same name.
Nikki Blonksy starred as an overweight teenager who’s obsessed with a dance show hosted by James Marsden. John Travolta (in drag) played the teen’s mother. Brittany Snow played the show’s dancing queen and Pfeiffer played her mother. Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes and Zac Efron co-starred.
Reviews were positive and the movie was a hit at the box office. It opened in third place behind Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Third place may not sound great, but it actually set a record for the biggest box office opening ever for a musical. The record was later broken by Mama Mia!
Later that year, Pfeiffer played another villain in Matthew Vaughn’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel, Stardust.
Charlie Cox starred as a young man who ventures into a mystical land to retrieve a fallen star for Sienna Miller. When he finds the star, it turns out to be a girl played by Claire Daines. Pfeiffer plays a witch who wants to consume the star to maintain her youth. Rupert Everett, Peter O’Toole and Robert DeNiro co-starred.
In the novel, the witch played by Pfeiffer has a relatively minor role. But once Vaughn signed Pfeiffer, the part was expanded. The studio originally wanted a bigger star like Orlando Bloom for the lead. But they relented once Pfeiffer, Daines and DeNiro joined the cast.
Stardust received mostly positive reviews. Despite testing well, it was not a hit in the US. It opened in fourth place behind The Simpsons Movie which had been in theaters for three weeks. Fortunately Stardust fared much better overseas where it managed to turn a profit.
In 2008, Pfeiffer starred opposite Ashton Kutcher in the drama, Personal Effects.
Pfeiffer played a single mother raising a deaf son. Her husband was murdered by his alcoholic buddy. She meets a young wrestler played by Kutcher. His sister was brutally murdered and he has returned home to attend the trial. Kathy Bates co-starred as Kutcher’s mother.
The movie was given a very brief theatrical release in 2008 as part of a fund-raiser for Iowa Flood Relief. It was released on video in 2009.
In 2009, Pfeiffer reuinted with her Dangerous Liaisons director, Stephen Frears, for the Parisian romance, Cheri.
Pfeiffer played an aging courtesan in Paris during the Belle Epoque. She begins a relationship with a 19-year-old played by Rupert Friend. But their affair is cut short when his mother (Kathy Bates) arranges a marriage to a girl played by Felicity Jones.
The film premiered at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival. It got mixed reviews and received only a limited release at the box office.
In 2011, Pfeiffer reunited with her Frankie and Johnny director, Gary Marshall, for the ensemble rom-com, New Year’s Eve.
Like Marshall’s previous hit, Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve is the cinematic equivalent of an episode of The Love Boat. A bunch of celebrities show up in barely connected plot lines and learn an important life lesson. Pfeiffer played a secretary who quits her job and offers her tickets to a New Year’s Eve Ball to a deliveryman played by Zac Efron if he will help her complete a series of New Year’s resolutions before midnight. The cast included Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Robert DeNiro, Ashton Kutcher, Sarah Jessica Parker, Katherine Heigl and Hilary Swank.
Reviews were negative and the movie failed to duplicate the success of Valentine’s Day at the box office. Hopefully that will spare us Marshall’s star-studded, life-affirming take on Arbor Day.
In 2012, Pfeiffer finally got the chance to work with Tim Burton again. She had a supporting role in Burton’s big screen adaptation of the TV show, Dark Shadows.
Johnny Depp starred as vampire Barnabas Collins. Eva Green played a maid who cursed him when he scorned her. Pfeiffer, Jonny Lee Miller and Chloë Grace Moretz play his descendants whom he meets when he returns from his coffin in the swinging 1970’s.
Pfeiffer was a fan of the original TV show. When she heard Burton was doing an adaptation, she called him personally to ask for a part.
Following Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, expectations were high. Reviews were mixed. But the appeal of Johnny Depp giving another quirky performance was not enough to generate interest in Dark Shadows. It turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments of the summer movie season.
Pfeiffer also appeared in People Like Us opposite Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks. People Like Us continued Pfeiffer’s recent losing streak with critics and audiences.
For better or worse, Pfeiffer was only a supporting player in these films. If they had been hits, they might have given her a little higher profile. But the fact that they bombed really can’t be held against her either.
In 2013, Pfeiffer starred opposite Robert DeNiro in Luc Besson’s crime comedy, The Family.
Pfeiffer and DeNiro played members of a notorious mafia clan who relocate to Normandy, France under the witness protection program. Tommy Lee Jones played a CIA agent tasked with helping them blend in with the locals.
The movie was panned by critics and did so-so box office. In the US, it opened in second place. It fared better overseas where it ended up turning a profit.
So what the hell happened?
Pfeiffer was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars in the late 80’s through the 90’s. But even at the peak of her stardom, it is debatable that she was ever a box office draw on her own. The only hit she ever starred in that couldn’t be attributed to a co-star or a franchise was Dangerous Minds. And it’s pretty likely that movie’s success was powered by its hit soundtrack.
Later in her career, Pfeiffer started making more female-driven pictures. She tended to take more central roles and was called upon to carry more weight at the box office. She picked several adaptations of popular novels that did not translate well to the big screen. Eventually, her movie career started to cool off.
At a certain point, Pfeiffer decided to take some time off to concentrate on her family. She certainly didn’t need to work if she didn’t want to. In addition to her own success, she was married to a very successful TV producer. When she returned to work, it was on her own terms. Most of her projects in recent years have reunited her with previous collaborators or allowed her to work with actors she has always wanted to work with.
While Pfeiffer is no longer an A-list star, she has managed to step back into Hollywood in supporting roles in the projects she chooses. There are a lot of actresses in the WTHH series who would love to switch places with her.
Sorry to be overly simplistic with this one, but I like the way she looks. You really can’t find a bad photograph of this woman, regardless of age or anything else. While I’d love to mention The Batman Curse (oops, just did), here’s a WTHHT entry where it really is just a huge success story. I think she’s been very fortunate, just by counting the number of successful movies that you’ve listed. I think here you have a combo of small factors. The 4-year hiatus is one thing, but she also will need some redefining. She took her hiatus as… Read more »
I think Pfeiffer will always be able to work when she wants to. Yeah, her age was a factor. There just aren’t a lot of lead roles for actresses in their 50s. Even ones as beautiful and talented as she is. I get the impression that at a certain point she decided the rat race for those parts wasn’t worth it. She took some time off and now she’s down-shifted into taking supporting roles in films she wants to make. I could see her doing television. I read an interview with Glenn Close and she pointed out that unless you… Read more »
Agree totally. I think she’ll always be able to work in movies, and for that reason I can’t see her going to tv. Maybe by choice only, anyway.
Hey, what about Michelle Pfeiffer’s sister Dedee? I think she’s pretty decent, plus she’s into forencics!
pfeiffer was good in tequila sunrise, married to the mob, batman returns and scarface. never saw dangerous liaisons and fabulous baker boys. always wanted to see how good she was in that as well as malkovich. it was seeing her work with kurt russell and mel gibson in tequila sunrise. she is a good actress, better than jolie and basinger and julia roberts.
Michelle Pfeiffer was probably my favorite actress in the late 80s and early 90s. Though I was also pretty fond of Meg Ryan. Looking at the careers, Pfeiffer was more talented and had better range. I had forgotten all about Tequila Sunrise when I started this article. But when I saw she made a movie with Mel Gibson and Kurt Russell, I immediately thought of you so I know you’re a fan of them both. I haven’t watched Dangerous Liaisons in a long, long time. But you should definitely check it out. It’s wicked. I’m less of a fan of… Read more »
Agree. In terms of tabloid/cover mag etc Jolie is definitely bigger. But she doesnt guarantee box office success, mind you (Challenging was a good movie and she gave a strong perf in it but it still bomb) I think Hollywood stars r dead. And more, the legacy of Michelle’s career will always be bigger than Jolie’s. Michelle looks like making a comeback plan, though i hope she should choose smth along Mery Streep’s role in TDWP – smth instanly iconic.
I would argue that Jolie was/is a bigger star at the box office than Pfeiffer at her peak. Pfeiffer has always had a weakness in that she never headlined a big hit. Jolie has had several big action movies where she was the big name. No star is guaranteed box office. But then, no star ever was. I do agree with you that stars are getting smaller. High concept movies and pre-sold concepts are more important than the stars. And that will probably become more and more true as special effects allow for more and more fantastic movies and lower… Read more »
ladyhawke was also good too. i also forgot to mention.
I’ve always felt like it would be much more fun to be a professional actor if you were well established as a supporting performer. Sure, you don’t get the huge paydays of the A-listers, but you also don’t have the headaches and expectations. Supporting roles are also often darker or more eccentric. You often see A-listers deliver their most natural and easy-going performances when the weight of the production is not on their shoulders. I’d love to have a career like Steve Buscemi or Dylan Baker or William H Macy’s. A natural supporting performer like Kevin Spacey actually had to… Read more »
Couldn’t agree more. The lead role in most movies is almost always the most bland. The supporting roles are so much more rewarding. Pfeiffer’s in a position where she can be choosy. I imagine she’s doing Dark Shadows because she has wanted to work with Burton again since Batman Returns. And possibly it’s a plum part as well. But you can see her having a blast in Hairspray and Stardust. Those roles looked like a lot more fun than playing the pretty girl in Wolf or Ladyhawke – roles that barely tapped into Pfeiffer’s sizeable talent.
pfeiffer is just as good as jodie foster.
Little known fact: I have met Jodie Foster. I was an extra in Little Man Tate. I nearly ran over Ms. Foster on the way to the set. Didn’t relaize who it was until I arrived on the set and saw her directing.
in your car?!
No. Walking. Lol. We couldn’t get anywhere near her outside of the club where we were shooting. Basically, we’d been sitting around eating donuts and drinking coffee until it was time to shoot. So when they called us to the set, I made a quick pitstop. I was in a hurry for obvious reasons and wasn’t looking where I was going. I nearly knocked over a woman in the hall. She was small, slight, had glasses and was wearing sweats. Not remotely glamorous at all. So I apologized and went on my way. I remember she had a very odd… Read more »
It’s amazing how the construct of fame makes us all into idiots. When I lived in Chicago I worked downtown on the Magnificent Mile. We had famous people come in every once in a while. Simon LeBon. Mr T. Laura San Giancoma. Lots of atheletes. Those kind of people. We all tried really hard to act like we weren’t very impressed. One day a friend and I were coming back into the store from lunch and he said “Hey, Isn’t that that guy from ‘Friends?'” It was 1994 so not everybody knew the names of the actors yet. But I… Read more »
lol – That’s hysterical.
I recently reconnected with a friend of mine from middle school. I had dragged him out to see Ishtar way back when. So I see him on FB and he tells me that a few years ago he met Dustin Hoffman. He said Hoffman was extremely nice, but he just had to tell him that he had seen Ishtar in the theater. Apparently, Hoffman had a great sense of humor about it and offered to give him a refund.
We’re obviously a similar age and have similar tastes because Michelle Pfeiffer has been my favourite actress ever since I saw her in Married To The Mob, although for a long time she had to share that position with Meg Ryan. Meg and Michelle vied for my affection throughout the late 80’s and the 1990’s and a comparison of their respective careers would definitely make for an interesting post. Although I think Meg had more range than she was given credit for, I’d have to agree with you that Michelle was the more talented of the two and it’s a… Read more »
Thanks for the kind words. Wow! I checked out your blog. You are a fan of Meg and Michelle. I compliment your taste in actresses. You’re right. Meg Ryan had more range than her career would suggest. Every time she tried to expand beyond “girl next door” audiences rejected it. But “When A Man Loves a Woman” showed she was capable of playing other roles even if audiences preferred to see her in romantic comedies. And while most people dismiss “Joe Vs. the Volcano”, I enjoyed her versatility playing 3 different roles to winning comic effect. Hmmmm… A Meg/Michelle comparison…… Read more »
A film as good as Joe Versus The Volcano should never be dismissed and I totally take your point on Frankie And Johnny. I’m often guilty of focusing on the performance of La Pfeiffer rather than the merits of her films as a whole.
You’ve actually got my wheels turning now on a Meg/Michelle career comparison post. I’ll have to get around to that and who knows I might even present the case for Meg Ryan.
If you do a write-up, come back and let me know. I’m definitely interested! Joe Vs. the Volcano has been a pet cause of mine for years. To me, it’s criminally under-rated. If I were ranking them for star power, Meg Ryan would win hands down. And I think she had range she doesn’t get credit for. Whereas Pfeiffer had golden globe nominations thrown at her in an embarassment of riches. I think an argument could be made that critically, Ryan was under-rated and Pfeiffer was over-rated. What puts Pfeiffer over the top for me is that she generally steered… Read more »
I’ve just posted my Meg/Michelle write-up.
I hope you get time to look at it because I’d appreciate your feedback.
Perfect timing! I’ll read it during lunch.
Let me post a link here to your article for anyone who is interested in reading it.
Enjoy!
Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys: http://oscarnerd.blogspot.com/2010/11/michelle-pfeiffer-in-fabulous-baker.html Michelle Pfeiffer received her second Oscar nomination for playing Susie Diamond, a former call-girl and a singer with the Baker brothers in the movie The Fabulous Baker Boys. It’s almost 100% sure that the race in 1989 was between Tandy and Pfeiffer, they were pretty much neck and neck. Tandy had the sentimentality on her side and Pfeiffer was a huge star back then. I think she did not get much less votes than Tandy after all, but a lot of people are quite devastated because of this loss. The Fabulous Baker… Read more »
i guess you could say i’m also a big michelle pfeiffer fan as well because of the movies i liked seeing her in.
Hey — nice run down of her career — but to answer the question you pose at the beginning and end of the article, and this applies to most of the people you’ve written ‘what the hell happened’ posts about, is simply that they got older. This is especially true for women. Hollywood, and audiences, are ageist — people want to see 25 to 35 year olds on screen. Once you hit the other side of 40, it’s either playing parents, retiring cops, or last-gasp-get-the-oldies-back-together-again-flicks. I think Pfeiffer is amazing, and has a lot to offer — and I’d love… Read more »
You’re definitely right. Age was a major factor for just about every actress I’ve written about. Mena Suvari and Alicia Silverstone are probably the only two exceptions. For Sean Young, Winona Ryder and Elisabeth Shue, it was less of a factor. But I’m sure age contributed there as well.
Age impacted some of the men. Kevin Costner comes to mind. But definitely less than Kathleen Turner, Meg Ryan or Michelle Pfeiffer.
Thanks for reading!
The quality of that picture of Michelle as Catwoman is amazing, it literally leaps out of the screen at me.
I hope you don’t mind but I’ve taken the liberty of using it in my most recent post and I’ve also made a few other minor changes. Like you I always consider my posts “works in progress”.
You left out that great film she did three or for years ago – co-starring Kathy Bates – about Parisienne courtesans in the Belle Epoque – I forget the name of the film, but Pfeiffer plays an aging but still beautiful courtesan in love with a young man-about-town… The film may be based on an Oscar Wilde short story??
That movie is Cheri and I did overlook it. I frequently skip over some movies I don’t think many readers will have heard of. Especially once the subject is off the A-List.
What I didn’t realize is that Cheri reteams Pfeiffer with Dangerous Liaisons Director, Stephen Frears. I must now track it down and watch it.
Thanks for the heads-up!
Michelle’s Catwoman was the ONLY thing I loved about “Batman Returns” (making the Penguin a mutant freak was as bad a decision as Rob Zombie making Michael Myers white trash)-I sure hope Anne Hathaway does the role justice, as well.
Despite its stars and director, “Wolf” is the worst werewolf film for me because it is so concerned with being more than just a horror film that it puts you to sleep rather than scares you.
As a Burton fan, I enjoyed a lot of his touches on Batman Returns. His take on the Penguin was not one of them. I am a big fan of Walken’s performance even if it feels out of place in the movie. I love the bit where he nonchalantly threatens to drop Selena out of a higher window. The movie is a mess, but there are a lot of highlights for me. There are an equal number of low points unfortunately. I remember enjoying Wolf. But I can’t bring myself to watch it again. I don’t expect I will enjoy… Read more »
The Dark Knight Rises Legacy: Do The Original Batman Films Still Hold Up? http://whatculture.com/film/the-dark-knight-rises-legacy-do-the-original-batman-films-still-hold-up.php/2 Batman Returns (1992) Sequels are always challenging for writers and directors to pull off. For evidence of that, you need only look at recent superhero flops like Spider-Man 3, Hellboy II: The Golden Army and Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer, all of which all-but-killed off their respective franchises. How does Tim Burton’s follow-up Batman Returns measure up, then, twenty years on from its release? The director and his script writer Daniel Waters wisely choose to expand the scale of the universe for their second… Read more »
10 “Failures” By Famous Directors (That Are Actually Better Than You Remember): http://whatculture.com/film/10-failures-by-famous-directors-that-are-actually-better-than-you-remember.php/8 3. Batman Returns Yes, Virginia, there was a time when Batman movies were made by someone other than Christopher Nolan. The popular consensus on the ’90s Batman franchise seems to break down thusly: there was the good one (the one with Jack Nicholson), there were the stupid ones (the ones where he had nipples)…and then there was the weird one, that one where Catwoman gets licked back to life by alley cats and Danny DeVito spits black gunk out of his mouth. The sequel to 1989′s monster… Read more »
I have always been a fan of Batman Returns in spite of its many flaws. You just have to give in to it and enjoy its many strengths.
As a movie, I can see why people don’t like it. It doesn’t hold together. As a Batman movie, it’s even more disappointing. But as a Tim Burton fever dream, it’s pretty fascinating. I just wish we could edit out most of the stuff with the Penguin. His character never worked for me.
10 Best Batman Film Casting Decisions: http://whatculture.com/film/10-best-batman-film-casting-decisions.php/7 5. Michelle Pfeiffer – Catwoman Catwoman is a character I can confess to never being fond of in both comic book and animated adaptations – perhaps it’s the indecisive nature of her origin story; was she an amnesiac flight attendant, an abused wife, an African American prostitute or the daughter of mafia boss Carmine Falcone? Characters such as Robin/Dick Grayson, The Joker, Two Face and Mr Freeze have fantastic backstories – steeped in iconography – each explored by fantastic writers in such adaptations as ‘The Killing Joke’, ‘The Long Halloween’, ‘Dark Victory’ and… Read more »
What if Tim Burton returned to direct a third ‘Batman’ film? http://www.hitfix.com/news/what-if-tim-burton-returned-to-direct-a-third-batman-film After the first “Batman” film became a pop culture touchstone, Warner Bros. handed the keys of the franchise over completely to Tim Burton who followed up with a much darker “Batman Returns” in 1992. That film featured stunning production design and an awards worthy Michelle Pfeiffer as the best Catwoman ever (don’t even try to argue anyone else). Unfortunately, Burton went overboard in his vision of the classic Batman villain the Penguin. Danny DeVito was great casting, but the character was plain gross, scared children and dragged the… Read more »
I wonder if Michelle Pfeiffer is one of the biggest stars who really ever only succeeded with supporting roles or as parts of ensembles. I do think the big weakness in her star power resume is having no demonstrated ability to open a picture as the sole star. One could argue that Dangerous Minds which she starred in was no small success, but it still was an ensemble cast in its own way. She never really had that one breakout starring role like Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock where both critics, audiences and the awards circuit loved her all at… Read more »
I think you are right on the money here. I love Michelle Pfeiffer, but she doesn’t have the big audience-pleasing smile of Roberts or Bullock. Bullock, Ryan and Roberts were in a class by themselves.
I never thought about the similarities between Pfeiffer and Theron, but I think you’re on to something there.
If you switched their careers and had Michelle Pfeiffer play all of Meg Ryan’s parts, and vice-versa, who would have done a better job? Meg wouldn’t have nailed any of Michelle’s serious parts (“The Age Of Innocence,” “White Oleander,” “Dangerous Liaisons”), and I can’t imagine her pulling off the role of Susie Diamond in The Fabulous Baker Boys. She definitely would have taken Dangerous Minds and the role of Selina Kyle/Catwoman somewhere (maybe not to the same heights, but somewhere). And I think she matches anything else. But Pfeiffer with Meg Ryan’s parts? None of the comedy roles would have… Read more »
First, I love your screen name! Now into the valcano with you! I have a hard time imagining Meg Ryan as Catwoman. But I would love to see it. I would also love to see Ryan in the Glenn Close role in Dangerous Liaisons. I don’t know why, but I think she could pull it off. Not as well as Close did, but better than most people would think. As soon as I get my time machine working, I’m going to go back and guide Meg through a more successful career. That would be the best use of a time… Read more »
You’re right, I wasn’t being fair to Michelle. For all the appeal of the rom-com sisterhood of Julia, Meg and Sandra if you’re talking about range it’s Pfeiffer in a walk, mainly because she could throw anything at you. Deadpan Pfeifer, Mobster Moll Pfeiffer, Quiet waitress Pfeiffer, Intense Pfeiffer, Crazy Catwoman Pfeiffer, Killer Pfeiffer, Sexy Pfeiffer and so on. There was never really Funny Pfeiffer. The closest she came was when Norah Ephron auditioned both Pfeiffer and Ryan for the part of Annie Reed when she was casting “Sleepless in Seattle”. Pfeiffer initially won out, but then got cold feet.… Read more »
I am going to have to think about that desert island question…
You’re right that Pfeiffer has always been the more versatile. That’s why I have always stated a preference for her as an actress. And yet, I don’t find myself watching very many of her movies today. On the other hand, I’m not sure I could go without When Harry Met Sally or Joe Vs. the Volcano indefinitely.
I did not realize Pfeiffer had been cast in Sleepless over Ryan. Boggles the mind.
When you do get your time machine working save me a seat, because I’m intrigued by your notion of Meg Ryan playing the Glenn Close role in Dangerous Liaisons.
An unsympathetic role like that, a year before America found its sweetheart in When Harry Met Sally could have set Meg on a totally different career path, and a head-to-head between two of the then, hottest starlets in Hollywood could have been combustible.
Although if I remember correctly the Close and Pfeiffer characters never share the screen.
P.S. As always thanks for the link love,
I can’t think of a better co-pilot for Mission: Meg. We could make a stop by 1993 to see if we could bring more attention to Flesh and Bone too.
Always happy to send folks to your site. In fact, I’ll be trying to do some more of that shortly…
I’ve been waiting for news of mission Meg, but it’s been awfully quite over here the past couple of weeks.
Is everything all right?
Thanks for the concern. It’s a combination of things. Truth is, I did get some bad news recently. My dad is sick. His prognosis is good. But it has weighed on my mind. Mostly, I’ve been busy. Work has been unusually steady for this time of year (which is good in that it allows me to earn extra $, but bad in terms of blogging.) My computer is in the shop, so I am relying on my wife’s laptop being available. Also, and much more sunny, we had a weekend getaway for Josie’s last soccer tournament with her old team.… Read more »
Sorry to hear about your dad. Hope all goes as well as it can.
Things are kind of goofy here, too, also resulting in very limited computer access. Hopefully that’ll get remedied soon.
Thanks. For now, we don’t know much. I don’t blog much about my personal life beyond Disney trips, etc. But I’ll definitely keep you guys updated as we get through this. The prognosis is good, so we’re all staying positive. A few weeks ago, my desk top blew up on me. This has left me with limited access as well. I can sometimes blog at work, but work has been too busy for that lately. I can use my wife’s lap top. But it has quirks of its own and isn’t always at my disposal. I have actually gone to… Read more »
I actually think it’s VERY SIMPLE why Michelle’s career declined: Her 5 year hiatus (yes, FIVE YEARS) after White Oleander. She must have known it would harm her career. Michelle should have been capitalizing on the success of What Lies Beneath (the biggest hit of her career) at that time. But no, she decided to take 5 years off. That is not good for ANY actor/actress’s career, no matter what their age is. Had Michelle not taken 5 years off, she may possibly be in Sandra Bullock’s position right now. By the way, can you do a “What the hell… Read more »
20 Worst Trailers That Secretly Ruined The Movie:
http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2013/20-worst-trailers-that-secretly-ruined-the-movie/3/
12. What Lies Beneath
The Spoilers: Michelle Pfeiffer investigates what she thinks is the ghost of a neighbor. Lucky the trailer is here to explain that, really, it’s the woman that hubby Harrison Ford had an affair with.
How They Should’ve Sold It: Robert Zemeckis sure didn’t give a monkey’s about spoiling his movies in 2000. Maybe he should’ve hired a more discreet trailer editor.
I’ve been thinking about if there’s anyway to compare or contrast Michelle’s career w/ Kim Basinger’s. Both of course played Michael Keaton’s love interest in a Batman movie. Both failed to properly capitalize off of their biggest successes (in Kim’s case, the movies that she did immediately following “Batman” and later, following her Oscar win). This coincides with them mysteriously going on multi-year hiatuses from film. Both were eventually relegated to having to co-star w/ Zac Efron (in “Charlie St. Cloud” and “New Year’s Eve”). More to the point, they’ve pretty much been downgraded to mostly supporting players. None the… Read more »
Speaking of Pfeiffer, her latest film People Like Us bombed more than anyone expected, grossing $4.3 million on more than 2,000 screens on its opening week. That’s a very poor per-theater average, but it’s also a slight surprise given the extensive marketing for the film that led me to hope it could be a modest success amidst all the big-budget, big-star films. Sadly,I was wrong, as were Dreamworks, and the film was off the film world’s radar in a matter of two weeks. That must be a blow to Michelle, who’s been working extremely hard to re-invent herself as a… Read more »
I agree. Pfeiffer works whenever she wants. She is happily married to a wealthy man and I think she’s just out enjoying life away from the screen.
I love that you are adding these, it’s been a while since I was last on your blog and I was suprised!
I’m happy to surprise.
It’s been a busy year and that kept me from taking on big articles. Instead, I was pushing out quick hits when I had time. But these are the most popular articles on the site by far. So eventually I decided my time would be better spent on the content everyone was demanding. I have gone back and updated/cleaned-up all the original articles. And now, I am working on new ones. The next one should be up sometime in the next week.