Famous for her string of box office hits in various genres throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the talented Michelle Pfeiffer has appeared in over 40 films throughout her career. Born April 29, 1958 in Santa Ana, Calif., Pfeiffer began acting after winning the Miss Orange County pageant at 19. After a bumpy start with Grease II, she went on to star in classics such as Scarface, Dangerous Liaisons and The Witches of Eastwick.
In the brilliant, dark Batman Returns by Tim Burton, Pfeiffer stars as the sad-sack assistant murdered by her boss then turned into the sassy Catwoman. She actually did some of her own stunts and looked fabulous as she blew up buildings with a “meow.”
Pfeiffer also has appeared in a number of literary adaptations. In The Age of Innocence, directed by Martin Scorsese, she played the beautiful, scandalous Countess Olenska, who tempts the straight-laced Newland Archer, played by Daniel Day Lewis. With beautiful costuming and cinematography captured the Gilded Age of New York, the film was based on the novel of the same name by Edith Wharton.
She also worked with Stephen Frears in Chéri, based on the novel by Colette, in which she portrayed an aging, French courtesan.
Most recently, Pfeiffer joined the ensemble in Murder on the Orient Express. She played Caroline Hubbard, the American who stayed in the compartment next to the murdered man and may be lying about what she saw. This movie is an update of the classic by Agatha Christie.
Described as hardworking, gracious and “luminous,” Pfeiffer has been nominated for Oscars, won Golden Globes and also numerous critics’ awards. At the height of her acting career in the 1990s, Pfeiffer adopted a child, remarried and then gave birth to another child; she decided to take time off to both enjoy her family and take a break from the public eye. With both kids now in college, she’s jumping back into films, so expect to see more of this accomplished actor!
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