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Background:
Hollywood actress Michelle Pfeiffer created some hubbub with her role of Madame
de Tourval in Stephen Frears’ drama Dangerous Liaisons (1988), where she won a
BAFTA Award and received an Oscar nomination. Yet, she delighted the film
community by winning various awards, including a Golden Globe Award and a
National Board of Review Award, after portraying chanteuse Susie Diamond in The
Fabulous Baker Boys (1989). The same role also brought her an Oscar and BAFTA
nomination. Additionally, she was handed several awards for her roles in the
motion pictures Love Field (1992), the drama Dangerous Minds (1995), the 1996
One Fine Day (also served as executive producer), her self-produced A Thousand
Acres (1997, as Rose Cook Lewis), the 2000 What Lies Beneath, and White Oleander
(2002, had the role of murderer Ingrid Magnussen).
Outside the limelight, according to a 2003 survey by the Beverly Hills Institute
for Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Pfeiffer possesses the most coveted
skin. Her healthy skin also led her to be wrongly accused in 2002 for undergoing
plastic surgery. The actress, with measurements 33 1/2B-24-34 (Source: Celebrity
Sleuth magazine), has been listed four times as one of the “50 Most Beautiful
People in the World” by People magazine. She also became number 39 on Empire
(UK) magazine’s “The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time” list, was listed the 1997
“Best Dressed Female Movie Star,” as well as the 3rd person in the 1995 Empire’s
“The 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History.” As for her romantic life, the ex-wife
of Peter Horton (1981-1990) was once romantically involved with actors John
Malkovich, Val Kilmer and Fisher Stevens before finally settling down with David
E. Kelley, with whom she raises an adopted daughter and a son.
Mudturtle
Childhood and Family:
On April 29, 1958, Michelle Pfeiffer was born in Santa Ana, California, to Dick
Pfeiffer (heating and air-conditioning contractor) and Donna Pfeiffer. She is
also the sister of Rick and actresses Lori and Dedee Pfeiffer.
As a little girl, she was nicknamed “Michelle Mudturtle” due to her “duck” walk
and big lips. She attended Fountain Valley High School and then took a Court
Reporting program at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California. A year
later, she quit and studied acting with Geraldine Page in a workshop at LA’s
Ahmanson Theater.
Michelle met his first husband, actor/director Peter Horton (born on August 20,
1953), in acting class. They married in 1981, but separated seven years later.
Michelle and Peter were officially divorced in 1990. She then tied the knot with
David E. Kelley, producer/screenwriter/creator of “The Practice” and “Ally
McBeal” (born on April 4, 1956). Married on November 13, 1993, the couple has an
adopted daughter named Claudia Rose Kelley and a son named John Henry Kelley
(born August 5, 1994).
White Oleander
Career:
Michelle Pfeiffer’s initial move toward show business was her participation in
the 1978 Miss Orange County beauty pageant. She eventually won and entered the
state competition of Miss California, but failed to pick up the title. Instead,
she became acquainted with an agent, who got her roles in TV commercials and
cameo spots.
In 1979, Pfeiffer made her TV film debut with the supporting turn of Tricia in
The Solitary Man, and had her first regular role in the short-lived ABC sitcom
“Delta House,” as the Bombshell. She made her big screen debut by playing Suzie
Q in the comedy The Hollywood Knights (1980). After several roles on TV,
Pfeiffer landed a starring role as the leader of the girl gang Pink Lady in the
sequel of Grease, Grease 2 (1982). She followed it up with the female lead of
Isabeau d’Anjou in the refreshing fantasy movie Ladyhawke (1985, starring
Matthew Broderick and Rutger Hauer), the supporting role of Elvira Hancock in
Brian De Palma’s brutal Scarface (1983, starring Al Pacino and Steven Bauer) and
Faith Healy in Alan Alda’s Sweet Liberty (1986).
Following her appearance alongside Jack Nicholson, Susan Sarandon and Cher in
the box office hit The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Pfeiffer achieved her first
big screen real breakthrough by taking the role of seduced Madame de Tourval in
Stephen Frears’ drama Dangerous Liaisons (1988, starring Glenn Close and John
Malkovich). For her lovely portrayal in the latter, Michelle took home a BAFTA
for Best Supporting Actress and received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting
Actress.
Pfeiffer rose to further prominence when director Steven Kloves cast her in the
role of Susie Diamond in The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989). Thanks to her bravura
acting, the skillful performer grabbed numerous awards like a Golden Globe, a
Chicago Film Critics Association, a National Society of Film Critics, a Los
Angeles Film Critics Association, a National Board of Review and a New York Film
Critics Circle for Best Actress. For the same role, she also earned an Oscar and
BAFTA nomination for Best Actress.
The actress had her stage debut in the New York production of “Twelfth Night”
(1989) before costarring opposite Sean Connery in the thriller movie The Russia
House (1990, played Katya Orlova, earned a Golden Globe nomination). Subsequent
to her Golden Globe-nominated role as café waitress Frankie in Frankie & Johnny
(1991), Pfeiffer won a Silver Berlin Bear from the Berlin International Film
Festival and received her second Best Actress Oscar nomination for her portrayal
of Dallas housewife Lurene Hallett in Love Field (1992) before heating up the
screen as Catwoman in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns (1992, starring Michael Keaton
as Batman). The actress also presented remarkable turns in the Martin
Scorsese-directed drama The Age of Innocence (1993, earned a Golden Globe
nomination for her role of Ellen Olenska) and Mike Nichols’ Wolf (1994,
costarred opposite Jack Nicholson). Superbly handling the lead character of
ex-marine LouAnne Johnson in the biopic Dangerous Minds (1995), Pfeiffer was
handed a Blockbuster Entertainment for Best Actress in Drama and received two
MTV Movie nominations.
The recipient of the 1994 ShoWest Female Star of the Year and the 1995 Hasty
Pudding Theatricals Woman of the Year, Pfeiffer tried her hand at producing by
executive producing the romantic comedy One Fine Day (1996), where she also had
the Blockbuster Entertainment-winning starring turn as architect Melanie Parker.
It was soon followed with her second production work, the screen adaptation of
Jane Smiley’s Pulitzer-winning novel titled A Thousand Acres (1997), in which
her portrayal of Rose Cook Lewis garnered a Silver Rose for Best Actress from
the Verona Love Screens Film Festival. Next up for Pfeiffer, she voiced
Tzipporah for the DreamWorks animated The Prince of Egypt (1998) and took the
role of Titania in the adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Mid Summer Night’s Dream
(1999), before costarring opposite Harrison Ford in the thriller What Lies
Beneath (2000). Delivering a convincing performance in the 2000 suspense film,
the actress netted a Blockbuster Entertainment award for Best Actress.
Playing Rita Harrison in I Am Sam (2001), Pfeiffer’s star shone even brighter
with her performance as murderer Ingrid Magnussen in White Oleander (2002),
where she took home a Kansas City Film Critics Circle and a San Diego Film
Critics Society for Best Supporting Actress, as well as a Screen Actors Guild
nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She once more lent her voice for an
animated character, this time for Eris, Goddess of Chaos, in Sinbad (2003).
In 2006, Pfeiffer will appear as Rosie, a mother falling in love with a younger
man, in the romantic comedy I Could Never Be Your Woman. She is also set to play
Lamia in the fantasy sci-fi Stardust (2007), an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s
novel. The actress will reportedly be cast as Velma Von Tussle in the
star-studded musical comedy Hairspray (2007), and is currently talking about a
role in David E. Kelley’s Chasing Montana (2008).
Awards:
- Kansas City Film Critics Circle: Best Supporting Actress, White
Oleander, 2003
- San Diego Film Critics Society: Best Supporting Actress, White Oleander,
2002
- Blockbuster Entertainment: Favorite Actress - Suspense, What Lies
Beneath, 2001
- Verona Love Screens Film Festival: Silver Rose - Best Actress, A
Thousand Acres, 1999
- Blockbuster Entertainment: Favorite Actress - Comedy/Romance, One Fine
Day, 1997
- Blockbuster Entertainment: Favorite Actress - Drama, Dangerous Minds,
1996
- Hasty Pudding Theatricals: Woman of the Year, 1995
- ShoWest: Female Star of the Year, 1994
- Berlin International Film Festival: Silver Berlin Bear - Best Actress,
Love Field, 1993
- Women in Film Crystal: Crystal Award, 1993
- BAFTA: Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Dangerous Liaisons, 1990
- Chicago Film Critics Association: Best Actress, The Fabulous Baker Boys,
1990
- Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -
Drama, The Fabulous Baker Boys, 1990
- National Society of Film Critics: Best Actress, The Fabulous Baker Boys,
1990
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association: Best Actress, The Fabulous Baker
Boys, 1989
- National Board of Review: Best Actress, The Fabulous Baker Boys, 1989
- New York Film Critics Circle: Best Actress, The Fabulous Baker Boys,
1989
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