Michelle Pfeiffer: Difference between revisions
TonyTheTiger (talk | contribs) →International success: expand |
|||
(5 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
Line 32: | Line 32: | ||
===Critical acclaim=== |
===Critical acclaim=== |
||
[[File:Michelle Pfeiffer 01.jpg|thumb|Michelle Pfeiffer in 1985|upright]] |
[[File:Michelle Pfeiffer 01.jpg|thumb|Michelle Pfeiffer in 1985|upright]] |
||
Pfeiffer was cast against type, as a murdered gangster's widowed moll on the run, in [[Jonathan Demme]]'s [[mafia]] comedy ''[[Married to the Mob]]'' (1988), opposite [[Matthew Modine]], [[Dean Stockwell]] and [[Mercedes Ruehl]]. For the role of Angela de Marco, she donned a curly brunette wig and a [[Brooklyn]] accent,<ref name="yahoo">{{cite web|url=http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800016613/bio|title=Michelle Pfeiffer biography|work=Yahoo Movies|publisher=Yahoo|accessdate=April 27, 2011}}</ref> and received her first |
Pfeiffer was cast against type, as a murdered gangster's widowed moll on the run, in [[Jonathan Demme]]'s [[mafia]] comedy ''[[Married to the Mob]]'' (1988), opposite [[Matthew Modine]], [[Dean Stockwell]] and [[Mercedes Ruehl]]. For the role of Angela de Marco, she donned a curly brunette wig and a [[Brooklyn]] accent,<ref name="yahoo">{{cite web|url=http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800016613/bio|title=Michelle Pfeiffer biography|work=Yahoo Movies|publisher=Yahoo|accessdate=April 27, 2011}}</ref> and received her first [[Golden Globe Award]] nomination during a streak that would reach six consecutive years with either a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama|Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama]] or a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]] nomination.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://movies.msn.com/celebrities/celebrity-awards-and-nominations/michelle-pfeiffer/?ipp=15&startingItem=31|title=Michelle Pfeiffer – awards and nominations|work=MSN Movies|publisher=Microsoft Corporation|accessdate=April 27, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/member/29761|title=Michelle Pfeiffer|work=Golden Globe Awards|publisher=Hollywood Foreign Press Association|accessdate=July 11, 2011}}</ref> Pfeiffer then appeared as chic restauranteuse Jo Ann Vallenari in ''[[Tequila Sunrise (film)|Tequila Sunrise]]'' (1988) opposite [[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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pfeiffertheface.com/M_1988_CT.htm |title=Tequila Sunrise: Michelle Pfeiffer |accessdate=October 23, 2008}}</ref> |
||
At Demme's personal recommendation,<ref name="thompson"/> Pfeiffer joined the cast of [[Stephen Frears]]'s ''[[Dangerous Liaisons]]'' (1988) alongside [[Glenn Close]] and [[John Malkovich]], playing the virtuous victim of seduction, Madame Marie de Tourvel. Her performance won her widespread acclaim; 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."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/dangerousliaisonsrhinson_a0a8d4.htm |title='Dangerous Liaisons' |work=The Washington Post |date= January 13, 1989|accessdate=October 23, 2008}}</ref> She won the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/nominations/?year=1989|title=Past winners and nominees – Film nominations 1989|work=BAFTA's Official Site|publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts|accessdate=April 28, 2011}}</ref> and received a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/61st-winners.html|title=61st Academy Awards winners|work=Academy Awards' Official Site|publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|accessdate=April 28, 2011}}</ref> |
At Demme's personal recommendation,<ref name="thompson"/> Pfeiffer joined the cast of [[Stephen Frears]]'s ''[[Dangerous Liaisons]]'' (1988) alongside [[Glenn Close]] and [[John Malkovich]], playing the virtuous victim of seduction, Madame Marie de Tourvel. Her performance won her widespread acclaim; 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."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/dangerousliaisonsrhinson_a0a8d4.htm |title='Dangerous Liaisons' |work=The Washington Post |date= January 13, 1989|accessdate=October 23, 2008}}</ref> She won the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/nominations/?year=1989|title=Past winners and nominees – Film nominations 1989|work=BAFTA's Official Site|publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts|accessdate=April 28, 2011}}</ref> and received a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/61st-winners.html|title=61st Academy Awards winners|work=Academy Awards' Official Site|publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|accessdate=April 28, 2011}}</ref> |
||
Line 42: | Line 42: | ||
===International success=== |
===International success=== |
||
[[File:Michelle Pfeiffer 1990.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Pfeiffer at the [[Academy Awards]], 1990]] |
[[File:Michelle Pfeiffer 1990.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Pfeiffer at the [[Academy Awards]], 1990]] |
||
Pfeiffer continued to build on her A-list status in Hollywood, accepting and also turning down many varied, high-profile roles like the 1990 ''[[Pretty Woman]]'', which earned [[Julia Roberts]] an Academy Award nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Leading Actress]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/pretty-woman-20th-anniversary-re-release|title=Pretty Woman: 20th anniversary re-release|work=Total Film|publisher=Future Publishing Limited|date=January 25, 2010|accessdate=July 20, 2011}}</ref> She took the part of the soviet book editor Katya Orlova in the [[The Russia House (film)|1990 film adaptation]] of [[John le Carré]]'s ''[[The Russia House]]'', opposite [[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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/88799/The-Russia-House/articles.html|first=Richard|last=Smith|title=The Russia House|work=Turner Classic Movies|publisher=Time Warner Company|accessdate=April 28, 2011}}</ref> Pfeiffer then landed the role of damaged waitress Frankie in [[Garry Marshall]]'s ''[[Frankie and Johnny (1991 film)|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;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/people/bc/1999/05/25/pfeiffer/index1.html |title=Salon Brilliant Careers #124; The dazzling versatility of Michelle Pfeiffer |publisher=Salon.com |accessdate=October 23, 2008}}</ref> [[Kathy Bates]], the original Frankie on Broadway, also expressed disappointment over the producers' choice.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=IOkCAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA40&dq=Kathy%20Bates%20michelle%20pfeiffer%20frankie%20and%20johnny&pg=PA40#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Frankie and Johnny brings outrageous romance to a wounded city|first=David|last=Denby|work=New York Magazine|publisher=Published by New York Media, LLC|accessdate=May 1, 2011|issn=0028-7369|volume=24|number=37}}</ref> Pfeiffer herself stated that she took the role because it "wasn't what people would expect of [her]."<ref>{{cite episode |title=Michelle Pfeiffer |series=Inside the Actors Studio |serieslink=Inside the Actors Studio |airdate=2007-08-06 |season=13 |number=16}}</ref> Pfeiffer was once again nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama for her performance. At the beginning of the decade, she turned down the roles of [[Clarice Starling]], in ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence of the Lambs]]'' and, because of its intensive sexual scenes, the one of [[Catherine Tramell]] in ''[[Basic Instinct]]'', that ultimately went to [[Sharon Stone]].<ref name="Egan"/><ref>{{Cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/15/movies/film-basic-instinct-the-suspect-is-attractive-and-may-be-fatal.html?pagewanted=all | title='Basic Instinct': The suspect is attractive, and may be fatal |work=The New York Times|publisher=The New York Times Company| date=March 15, 1992| accessdate=July 20, 2011| first=Bernard | last=Weinraub}}</ref> |
Pfeiffer continued to build on her A-list status in Hollywood, accepting and also turning down many varied, high-profile roles like the 1990 ''[[Pretty Woman]]'', which earned [[Julia Roberts]] an Academy Award nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Leading Actress]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/pretty-woman-20th-anniversary-re-release|title=Pretty Woman: 20th anniversary re-release|work=Total Film|publisher=Future Publishing Limited|date=January 25, 2010|accessdate=July 20, 2011}}</ref> She took the part of the soviet book editor Katya Orlova in the [[The Russia House (film)|1990 film adaptation]] of [[John le Carré]]'s ''[[The Russia House]]'', opposite [[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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/88799/The-Russia-House/articles.html|first=Richard|last=Smith|title=The Russia House|work=Turner Classic Movies|publisher=Time Warner Company|accessdate=April 28, 2011}}</ref> Pfeiffer then landed the role of damaged waitress Frankie in [[Garry Marshall]]'s ''[[Frankie and Johnny (1991 film)|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;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/people/bc/1999/05/25/pfeiffer/index1.html |title=Salon Brilliant Careers #124; The dazzling versatility of Michelle Pfeiffer |publisher=Salon.com |accessdate=October 23, 2008}}</ref> [[Kathy Bates]], the original Frankie on Broadway, also expressed disappointment over the producers' choice.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=IOkCAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA40&dq=Kathy%20Bates%20michelle%20pfeiffer%20frankie%20and%20johnny&pg=PA40#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Frankie and Johnny brings outrageous romance to a wounded city|first=David|last=Denby|work=New York Magazine|publisher=Published by New York Media, LLC|accessdate=May 1, 2011|issn=0028-7369|volume=24|number=37}}</ref> Pfeiffer herself stated that she took the role because it "wasn't what people would expect of [her]."<ref>{{cite episode |title=Michelle Pfeiffer |series=Inside the Actors Studio |serieslink=Inside the Actors Studio |airdate=2007-08-06 |season=13 |number=16}}</ref> Pfeiffer was once again nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama for her performance. At the beginning of the decade, she turned down the roles of [[Clarice Starling]] (for which [[Jodie Foster]] won Academy Award for Best Actress), in ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence of the Lambs]]'' and, because of its intensive sexual scenes, the one of [[Catherine Tramell]] in ''[[Basic Instinct]]'', that ultimately went to [[Sharon Stone]] and earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama nomination.<ref name="Egan"/><ref>{{Cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/15/movies/film-basic-instinct-the-suspect-is-attractive-and-may-be-fatal.html?pagewanted=all | title='Basic Instinct': The suspect is attractive, and may be fatal |work=The New York Times|publisher=The New York Times Company| date=March 15, 1992| accessdate=July 20, 2011| first=Bernard | last=Weinraub}}</ref> |
||
Pfeiffer earned an Academy Award nomination for Actress in a Leading Role and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for her performance as Lurene Hallett in the nostalgic independent drama ''[[Love Field (film)|Love Field]]'' (1992). The award would go to [[Emma Thompson]] for her role in ''[[Howards End (film)|Howards End]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/oscarlegacy/1990-1999/65nominees.html|title=65th Academy Awards winners|work=Academy Awards' Official Site|publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|accessdate=July 13, 2011}}</ref> The film that had been temporarily shelved by the financially-troubled [[Orion Pictures]]. It was finally released in late 1992, in time for Oscar consideration. The ''[[New York Times]]'' review wrote of Pfeiffer as "again demonstrating that she is as subtle and surprising as she is beautiful."<ref name="twelfth">Rich, Frank. [http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E0CE4DD1431F932A25751C1A964958260 "Review/Theater; Night of Stars, and Also Shakespeare."] ''New York Times''. July 10, 1989.</ref> For her portrayal of the eccentric [[Dallas]] housewife, she won the [[Silver Bear for Best Actress|Silver Bear]] Best Actress award at the [[43rd Berlin International Film Festival|Berlin Film Festival]].<ref name=lovef>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/work/love-field-30289/awards|title=Love Field – Awards|work=AllMovie- Awards|publisher=Rovi Company|accessdate=April 28, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Berlinale 1993">{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1993/03_preistr_ger_1993/03_Preistraeger_1993.html |title=Berlinale: 1993 Prize Winners |accessdate=June 1, 2011 |work=berlinale.de}}</ref> |
Pfeiffer earned an Academy Award nomination for Actress in a Leading Role and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for her performance as Lurene Hallett in the nostalgic independent drama ''[[Love Field (film)|Love Field]]'' (1992). The award would go to [[Emma Thompson]] for her role in ''[[Howards End (film)|Howards End]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/oscarlegacy/1990-1999/65nominees.html|title=65th Academy Awards winners|work=Academy Awards' Official Site|publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|accessdate=July 13, 2011}}</ref> The film that had been temporarily shelved by the financially-troubled [[Orion Pictures]]. It was finally released in late 1992, in time for Oscar consideration. The ''[[New York Times]]'' review wrote of Pfeiffer as "again demonstrating that she is as subtle and surprising as she is beautiful."<ref name="twelfth">Rich, Frank. [http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E0CE4DD1431F932A25751C1A964958260 "Review/Theater; Night of Stars, and Also Shakespeare."] ''New York Times''. July 10, 1989.</ref> For her portrayal of the eccentric [[Dallas]] housewife, she won the [[Silver Bear for Best Actress|Silver Bear]] Best Actress award at the [[43rd Berlin International Film Festival|Berlin Film Festival]].<ref name=lovef>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/work/love-field-30289/awards|title=Love Field – Awards|work=AllMovie- Awards|publisher=Rovi Company|accessdate=April 28, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Berlinale 1993">{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1993/03_preistr_ger_1993/03_Preistraeger_1993.html |title=Berlinale: 1993 Prize Winners |accessdate=June 1, 2011 |work=berlinale.de}}</ref> |
||
Line 52: | Line 52: | ||
Pfeiffer's subsequent career choices have met with varying degrees of success. After ''[[The Age of Innocence (film)|The Age of Innocence]]'', she played the role of Laura Alden opposite [[Jack Nicholson]] in ''[[Wolf (film)|Wolf]]'' (1994), a [[horror film]] that garnered a mixed critical reception.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/1053942-wolf/|title=Wolf Movie Reviews, Pictures|work=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> The ''New York Times'' wrote: "Ms. Pfeiffer's role is underwritten, but her performance is expert enough to make even diffidence compelling".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D02EFDE143DF934A25755C0A962958260|title=Wolf (1994) Review/Film; Wolf Bites Man; Man Sheds His Civilized Coat|first=Janet|last=Maslin|work=The New York Times|date=June 17, 1994|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> The movie engrossed US$65 million (equivalent to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|65.000.000|1994|r=1}}}} million) in the domestic box office and US$131 million worldwide (equivalent to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|131.000.000|1994|r=1}}}} million).<ref>{{cite web|title=Wolf at Box Office Mojo|url=http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=wolf.htm|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=IMDb Company|date=February 10, 2009|accessdate=July 3, 2011}}</ref> Her next role was that of high school teacher and former [[United States Marine Corps|US Marine]] [[LouAnne Johnson]] in the surprise box office hit ''[[Dangerous Minds]]'' (1995).<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=nTgDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA64&dq=Dangerous%20Minds%20Michelle%20Pfeiffer&pg=PA64#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Movies to See|work=Jet|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|issn=0021-5996|volume=88|number=15|date=August 21, 1995|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> She appeared as her character in the music video for the soundtrack's lead single, '[[Gangsta's Paradise]]' by [[Coolio]] (featuring [[L.V. (singer)|L.V.]]), which was used by the producer [[Jerry Bruckheimer]] for television advertising. A 60-second version was aired on music channels, while a 30-second cut was aired in the rest of the networks.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=xw0EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA56&dq=Dangerous%20Minds%20Michelle%20Pfeiffer&pg=PA56#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Pfeiffer in 'Paradise'; Geto Boy Burns Bob Dole|work=Billboard|issn=0006-2510|volume=107|number=35|date=September 2, 1995|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> The song won the 1996 [[Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance]],<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=GDgDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA32&dq=Gangsta's%20Paradise%20grammy%20award&pg=PA34#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Big Winners at 38th Grammy Awards Ceremony in Los Angeles|work=Jet|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|issn=0021-5996|volume=89|number=18|date=March 18, 1996|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> and the video won the [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video]].<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=YzkDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA62&dq=Gangsta's%20Paradise%20mtv%20award&pg=PA62#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Rap star Coolio, Fugees with win at MTV Awards|work=Jet|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|issn=0021-5996|volume=90|number=19|date=Sep 23, 1996|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> |
Pfeiffer's subsequent career choices have met with varying degrees of success. After ''[[The Age of Innocence (film)|The Age of Innocence]]'', she played the role of Laura Alden opposite [[Jack Nicholson]] in ''[[Wolf (film)|Wolf]]'' (1994), a [[horror film]] that garnered a mixed critical reception.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/1053942-wolf/|title=Wolf Movie Reviews, Pictures|work=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> The ''New York Times'' wrote: "Ms. Pfeiffer's role is underwritten, but her performance is expert enough to make even diffidence compelling".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D02EFDE143DF934A25755C0A962958260|title=Wolf (1994) Review/Film; Wolf Bites Man; Man Sheds His Civilized Coat|first=Janet|last=Maslin|work=The New York Times|date=June 17, 1994|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> The movie engrossed US$65 million (equivalent to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|65.000.000|1994|r=1}}}} million) in the domestic box office and US$131 million worldwide (equivalent to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|131.000.000|1994|r=1}}}} million).<ref>{{cite web|title=Wolf at Box Office Mojo|url=http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=wolf.htm|work=Box Office Mojo|publisher=IMDb Company|date=February 10, 2009|accessdate=July 3, 2011}}</ref> Her next role was that of high school teacher and former [[United States Marine Corps|US Marine]] [[LouAnne Johnson]] in the surprise box office hit ''[[Dangerous Minds]]'' (1995).<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=nTgDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA64&dq=Dangerous%20Minds%20Michelle%20Pfeiffer&pg=PA64#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Movies to See|work=Jet|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|issn=0021-5996|volume=88|number=15|date=August 21, 1995|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> She appeared as her character in the music video for the soundtrack's lead single, '[[Gangsta's Paradise]]' by [[Coolio]] (featuring [[L.V. (singer)|L.V.]]), which was used by the producer [[Jerry Bruckheimer]] for television advertising. A 60-second version was aired on music channels, while a 30-second cut was aired in the rest of the networks.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=xw0EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA56&dq=Dangerous%20Minds%20Michelle%20Pfeiffer&pg=PA56#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Pfeiffer in 'Paradise'; Geto Boy Burns Bob Dole|work=Billboard|issn=0006-2510|volume=107|number=35|date=September 2, 1995|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> The song won the 1996 [[Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance]],<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=GDgDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA32&dq=Gangsta's%20Paradise%20grammy%20award&pg=PA34#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Big Winners at 38th Grammy Awards Ceremony in Los Angeles|work=Jet|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|issn=0021-5996|volume=89|number=18|date=March 18, 1996|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> and the video won the [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video]].<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=YzkDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA62&dq=Gangsta's%20Paradise%20mtv%20award&pg=PA62#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Rap star Coolio, Fugees with win at MTV Awards|work=Jet|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|issn=0021-5996|volume=90|number=19|date=Sep 23, 1996|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> |
||
In 1996, she turned down the role of [[Eva Perón]] in the biopic ''[[Evita (film)|Evita]]'', which went to [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.turner.com/this-month/article/87982|0/Evita.html|title=Evita (1996)|work=Turner Classic Movies|publisher=Time Warner Company|accessdate=July 21, 2011}}</ref> |
In 1996, she turned down the role of [[Eva Perón]] in the biopic ''[[Evita (film)|Evita]]'', which went to [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]] and earned her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.turner.com/this-month/article/87982|0/Evita.html|title=Evita (1996)|work=Turner Classic Movies|publisher=Time Warner Company|accessdate=July 21, 2011}}</ref> Pfeiffer then portrayed Sally Atwater in the romantic drama ''[[Up Close & Personal]]'' (1996) opposite [[Robert Redford]]; the film's screenplay, co-written by husband and wife team [[John Gregory Dunne]] and [[Joan Didion]], was intended to be a biographical account of the career of news anchor [[Jessica Savitch]], but the final version had almost nothing to do with Savitch's life, leading Dunne to write an exposé of his eight-year battle with the Hollywood producers, ''[[Monster: Living Off the Big Screen]]''.<ref>[http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,286973,00.html Up Close and Personal | Book Review | Entertainment Weekly<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
||
She took the role of Gillian Lewis in ''[[To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday]]'' (1996), which was adapted by her husband David Kelley from [[Michael Brady]]'s play of the same same<ref>{{cite web|url=http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E04E7DF1331F93BA25753C1A960958260|title=To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (1996)|first=Janet|last=Maslin|work=The New York Times|publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=July 17, 2011|date=October 18, 1996}}</ref> She served as an executive producer and starred as the divorced single mother architect Melanie Parke in the romantic comedy ''[[One Fine Day (film)|One Fine Day]]'' (1996) opposite [[George Clooney]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://allmovie.com/work/one-fine-day-136612|title=One Fine Day|work=AllMovie|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> Subsequent performances included Rose Cook Lewis in the film adaptation of [[Jane Smiley]]'s [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning novel ''[[A Thousand Acres (film)|A Thousand Acres]]'' (1997) with [[Jessica Lange]] and [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/thousand_acres/ |title=A Thousand Acres Movie Reviews, Pictures |work=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> Beth Cappadora in ''[[The Deep End of the Ocean (film)|The Deep End of the Ocean]]'' (1998) about a married couple who found their son who was kidnapped nine years ago,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/deependoftheoceanhowe.htm |first=Desson |last=Howe|title='The Deep End of the Ocean' (PG-13) |publisher=The Washington Post Company|work=The Washington Post|date=March 12, 1999|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> [[Titania]] the Queen of the Fairies in ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999 film)|A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' (1999) with [[Kevin Kline]], [[Rupert Everett]] and [[Stanley Tucci]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/library/film/051499dream-film-review.html |first=Janet |last=Maslin |title='A Midsummer Night's Dream': A 'Dream' of Foolish Mortals |work=The New York Times|date=May 14, 1999|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> and Katie Jordan in [[Rob Reiner]]'s comedy-drama ''[[The Story of Us]]'' (1999) opposite [[Bruce Willis]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://allmovie.com/work/the-story-of-us-180987|title=The Story of Us|work=AllMovie|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> |
She took the role of Gillian Lewis in ''[[To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday]]'' (1996), which was adapted by her husband David Kelley from [[Michael Brady]]'s play of the same same<ref>{{cite web|url=http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E04E7DF1331F93BA25753C1A960958260|title=To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (1996)|first=Janet|last=Maslin|work=The New York Times|publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=July 17, 2011|date=October 18, 1996}}</ref> She served as an executive producer and starred as the divorced single mother architect Melanie Parke in the romantic comedy ''[[One Fine Day (film)|One Fine Day]]'' (1996) opposite [[George Clooney]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://allmovie.com/work/one-fine-day-136612|title=One Fine Day|work=AllMovie|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> Subsequent performances included Rose Cook Lewis in the film adaptation of [[Jane Smiley]]'s [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning novel ''[[A Thousand Acres (film)|A Thousand Acres]]'' (1997) with [[Jessica Lange]] and [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/thousand_acres/ |title=A Thousand Acres Movie Reviews, Pictures |work=Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> Beth Cappadora in ''[[The Deep End of the Ocean (film)|The Deep End of the Ocean]]'' (1998) about a married couple who found their son who was kidnapped nine years ago,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/deependoftheoceanhowe.htm |first=Desson |last=Howe|title='The Deep End of the Ocean' (PG-13) |publisher=The Washington Post Company|work=The Washington Post|date=March 12, 1999|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> [[Titania]] the Queen of the Fairies in ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999 film)|A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' (1999) with [[Kevin Kline]], [[Rupert Everett]] and [[Stanley Tucci]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/library/film/051499dream-film-review.html |first=Janet |last=Maslin |title='A Midsummer Night's Dream': A 'Dream' of Foolish Mortals |work=The New York Times|date=May 14, 1999|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> and Katie Jordan in [[Rob Reiner]]'s comedy-drama ''[[The Story of Us]]'' (1999) opposite [[Bruce Willis]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://allmovie.com/work/the-story-of-us-180987|title=The Story of Us|work=AllMovie|accessdate=May 1, 2011}}</ref> |
Revision as of 19:53, 22 July 2011
Michelle Pfeiffer | |
---|---|
Born | Michelle Marie Pfeiffer April 29, 1958 Santa Ana, California, U.S. |
Occupation(s) | Actress, singer |
Years active | 1978–present |
Spouse(s) | Peter Horton (1981–1988) David E. Kelley (1993–present) |
Children | Daughter and son |
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (/[invalid input: 'icon']ˈfaɪfər/;[1] born April 29, 1958) is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface (1983). Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work. She received six consecutive nominations in the Golden Globe Awards, she won in 1990 the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama for The Fabulous Baker Boys. She received the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Dangerous Liaisons, and the Silver Bear for Best Actress for Love Field; each of these films also resulted in a nomination for an Academy Award.
Pfeiffer received public attention after winning the 1978 Miss Orange County Beauty Pageant. Subsequently, she portrayed bit part roles in television series, such as Fantasy Island and Delta House, that led to her first movie appearance in 1980. She rose to prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s with critically acclaimed performances in the films Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Married to the Mob (1988), The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), The Russia House (1990), Frankie and Johnny (1991), Love Field (1992), Batman Returns (1992), and The Age of Innocence (1993).
Pfeiffer has been married twice. She married her first husband, Peter Horton in 1980, they divorced eight years later. She met producer David E. Kelley in 1993 in a blind date, and they married in November of the same year. Pfeiffer has a daughter, Claudia who she adopted in 1993, and a son with David Kelley, John who was born in 1994. She has been ranked number one in People Magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People in 1990 and 1999, and in the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World list six times.
Early life
Pfeiffer was born in Santa Ana, California, the second of four children of Richard Pfeiffer, a heating and air-conditioning contractor,[2] and Donna (née Taverna), a homemaker. She has one elder brother, Rick, and two younger sisters, Dedee Pfeiffer, a television and film actress,[3] and Lori Pfeiffer.[4] Her father was of Dutch, German, and Irish descent, and her mother was of Swiss and Swedish ancestry.[5] The family moved to Midway City, where Pfeiffer spent her childhood.[6] She attended Fountain Valley High School, with moderate qualifications she graduated within three years, in 1978.[7] She worked as a check-out girl at Vons supermarket, and attended Golden West College.[8] After a short stint training to be a court stenographer, she decided upon an acting career.[9] She won the Miss Orange County beauty pageant in 1978, and participated in Miss California the same year in the sixth position.[10] Following her participation in the pageants, she took bit part roles in television series and movies.[11]
Film career
First television and film appearances
Winning Miss Orange County beauty pageant afforded Pfeiffer the chance to have an agent, early acting appearances included television roles in Fantasy Island,[7] Delta House and BAD Cats, and small film roles in Falling in Love Again (1980) with Susannah York, The Hollywood Knights (1980) opposite Tony Danza, and Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen (1981), none of which met with much critical or box office success. About her early portrayals, she later stated: "I needed to learn how to act, in the meantime, I was playing bimbos and cashing in on my looks."[7] Pfeiffer appeared in 1983 as well in a television commercial for Lux.[12]. She took acting lessons at the Beverly Hills Playhouse,[13] and appeared in three further television movies – Callie and Son (1981) with Lindsay Wagner, The Children Nobody Wanted (1981), and a remake of Splendor in the Grass (as Ginny) – before landing her first major film role as Stephanie Zinone in Grease 2 (1982), the sequel to the smash-hit musical Grease (1978).[14] The film was a critical and commercial failure, although Pfeiffer herself received some positive attention, notably from the New York Times, which said "although she is a relative screen newcomer, Miss Pfeiffer manages to look much more insouciant and comfortable than anyone else in the cast."[15] Despite escaping the critical mauling, Pfeiffer's agent later admitted that her association with the film meant that "she couldn't get any jobs. Nobody wanted to hire her."[14]
Mainstream attention
Director Brian De Palma, having seen Grease 2, refused to audition Pfeiffer for Scarface (1983), but relented upon the producer's insistence. She was cast as cocaine-addicted trophy wife Elvira Hancock.[2] The film was considered excessively violent by most critics, but became a commercial hit and gained a large cult following in subsequent years.[16] 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..."[17] 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."[18]
Following Scarface, she accepted the roles of Isabeau d'Anjou in Richard Donner's fantasy film Ladyhawke (1985) opposite Rutger Hauer and Matthew Broderick, Diana in John Landis' comedy Into the Night (1985) opposite Jeff Goldblum, Faith Healy in Alan Alda's Sweet Liberty (1986) opposite 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, which grossed $63,766,510 domestically (equivalent to $171 million in 2024 dollars [19]),[20] as Sukie Ridgemont in the 1987 adaptation of John Updike's novel The Witches of Eastwick, alongside Jack Nicholson, Cher and Susan Sarandon.
Critical acclaim
Pfeiffer was cast against type, as a murdered gangster's widowed moll on the run, in Jonathan Demme's mafia comedy Married to the Mob (1988), opposite Matthew Modine, Dean Stockwell and Mercedes Ruehl. For the role of Angela de Marco, she donned a curly brunette wig and a Brooklyn accent,[4] and received her first Golden Globe Award nomination during a streak that would reach six consecutive years with either a Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama or a Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy nomination.[21][22] Pfeiffer then appeared as chic restauranteuse Jo Ann Vallenari in Tequila Sunrise (1988) opposite 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.[23]
At Demme's personal recommendation,[14] Pfeiffer joined the cast of Stephen Frears's Dangerous Liaisons (1988) alongside Glenn Close and John Malkovich, playing the virtuous victim of seduction, Madame Marie de Tourvel. Her performance won her widespread acclaim; 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."[24] She won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role[25] and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.[26]
Pfeiffer then accepted the role of Susie Diamond, a hard-edged former call girl turned lounge singer, in The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), which co-starred Jeff Bridges and Beau Bridges as the eponymous Baker Boys. She underwent intensive voice training for the role for fourth months, and performed all of her character's vocals.[27] The film was a modest success, grossing $18,428,904 domestically (equivalent to $45.3 million in 2024 dollars [19]),[28] but Pfeiffer's portrayal of Susie drew big raves from critics. Janet Maslin, from The New York Times, wrote of the performance "[...]she proves to be electrifyingly right. Introducing Ms. Pfeiffer's furiously hard-boiled, devastatingly gorgeous Susie into the Bakers' world affects the film the way a match might affect a fuse"[29] while Roger Ebert compared her to Rita Hayworth in Gilda and Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot, and described the film as "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."[30] Variety singled out her performance of 'Makin' Whoopee', writing that Pfeiffer "hits the spot in the film's certain-to-be-remembered highlight... crawling all over a piano in a blazing red dress. She's dynamite."[31] During the 1989–1990 awards season, Pfeiffer dominated the Best Actress category at every major awards ceremony, winning awards 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 Award for Best Actress and the Chicago Film Critics Association. At the Academy Awards, she was favored to win the Best Actress Oscar,[32] but the award went to Jessica Tandy for Driving Miss Daisy in what was considered a surprise upset.[33] The only other major acting award for which she was nominated that she did not take home for The Fabulous Baker Boys was the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, which also went to Tandy.[34]
She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 6, 2007. The star is located at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard.[35]
International success
Pfeiffer continued to build on her A-list status in Hollywood, accepting and also turning down many varied, high-profile roles like the 1990 Pretty Woman, which earned Julia Roberts an Academy Award nomination for Best Leading Actress.[36] She took the part of the soviet book editor Katya Orlova in the 1990 film adaptation of John le Carré's The Russia House, opposite 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.[37] 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;[38] Kathy Bates, the original Frankie on Broadway, also expressed disappointment over the producers' choice.[39] Pfeiffer herself stated that she took the role because it "wasn't what people would expect of [her]."[40] Pfeiffer was once again nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama for her performance. At the beginning of the decade, she turned down the roles of Clarice Starling (for which Jodie Foster won Academy Award for Best Actress), in The Silence of the Lambs and, because of its intensive sexual scenes, the one of Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct, that ultimately went to Sharon Stone and earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama nomination.[7][41]
Pfeiffer earned an Academy Award nomination for Actress in a Leading Role and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for her performance as Lurene Hallett in the nostalgic independent drama Love Field (1992). The award would go to Emma Thompson for her role in Howards End.[42] The film that had been temporarily shelved by the financially-troubled Orion Pictures. It was finally released in late 1992, in time for Oscar consideration. The New York Times review wrote of Pfeiffer as "again demonstrating that she is as subtle and surprising as she is beautiful."[43] For her portrayal of the eccentric Dallas housewife, she won the Silver Bear Best Actress award at the Berlin Film Festival.[44][45]
Pfeiffer took the role of Catwoman (Selina Kyle) in Tim Burton's Batman Returns (1992) opposite Michael Keaton and Danny DeVito. For the role of Catwoman, she trained in martial arts and kickboxing; one co-star stated that "Michelle had four stunt doubles – but she did all her own whippin'."[14] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone praised her for giving the "feminist avenger a tough core of intelligence and wit" and called her a "classic dazzler."[46] Premiere retrospectively lauded her performance: "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."[47] The movie met a big office success, grossing over $103 million worldwide (equivalent to $223.6 million).[48]
The following year, she played Countess Ellen Olenska in Martin Scorsese's film adaptation of Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence (1993) opposite Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder, receiving the Elvira Notari Prize at the Venice Film Festival, and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture.[49] That same year she was awarded the Women in Film Los Angeles' Crystal Award for outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry.[50]
Pfeiffer's subsequent career choices have met with varying degrees of success. After The Age of Innocence, she played the role of Laura Alden opposite Jack Nicholson in Wolf (1994), a horror film that garnered a mixed critical reception.[51] The New York Times wrote: "Ms. Pfeiffer's role is underwritten, but her performance is expert enough to make even diffidence compelling".[52] The movie engrossed US$65 million (equivalent to $133.6 million) in the domestic box office and US$131 million worldwide (equivalent to $269.3 million).[53] Her next role was that of high school teacher and former US Marine LouAnne Johnson in the surprise box office hit Dangerous Minds (1995).[54] She appeared as her character in the music video for the soundtrack's lead single, 'Gangsta's Paradise' by Coolio (featuring L.V.), which was used by the producer Jerry Bruckheimer for television advertising. A 60-second version was aired on music channels, while a 30-second cut was aired in the rest of the networks.[55] The song won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance,[56] and the video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video.[57]
In 1996, she turned down the role of Eva Perón in the biopic Evita, which went to Madonna and earned her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.[58] Pfeiffer then portrayed Sally Atwater in the romantic drama Up Close & Personal (1996) opposite Robert Redford; the film's screenplay, co-written by husband and wife team John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion, was intended to be a biographical account of the career of news anchor Jessica Savitch, but the final version had almost nothing to do with Savitch's life, leading Dunne to write an exposé of his eight-year battle with the Hollywood producers, Monster: Living Off the Big Screen.[59]
She took the role of Gillian Lewis in To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (1996), which was adapted by her husband David Kelley from Michael Brady's play of the same same[60] She served as an executive producer and starred as the divorced single mother architect Melanie Parke in the romantic comedy One Fine Day (1996) opposite George Clooney,[61] 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,[62] Beth Cappadora in The Deep End of the Ocean (1998) about a married couple who found their son who was kidnapped nine years ago,[63] Titania the Queen of the Fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999) with Kevin Kline, Rupert Everett and Stanley Tucci,[64] and Katie Jordan in Rob Reiner's comedy-drama The Story of Us (1999) opposite Bruce Willis.[65]
During the 1990s, Pfeiffer attracted comment in the media for her beauty. In 1990, she appeared on the cover of People magazine's first 50 Most Beautiful People In The World issue. She was again featured on the cover of the annual issue in 1999, having made the "Most Beautiful" list a record six times during the decade (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1999). Pfeiffer is the first celebrity to have appeared on the cover of the annual issue twice, and the only person to be featured on the cover twice during the 1990s.[66]
The Hitchcockian thriller What Lies Beneath (2000) with Harrison Ford, was a commercial success, opening number one at the box office in July 2000.[67] She then accepted the role of highly-strung lawyer Rita Harrison in I Am Sam (2001) opposite Sean Penn.[68] The movie received unfavorable critics,[69] The Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote: "Pfeiffer, apparently stymied by the bland clichés that prop up her screechy role, delivers her flattest, phoniest performance ever".[70]
For her performance as murderous artist Ingrid Magnussen in White Oleander (2002), alongside Alison Lohman in her film début, Renée Zellweger and Robin Wright Penn, Pfeiffer garnered a substantial amount of critical praise. 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."[71] 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."[72] 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.
Pfeiffer also did voice work in two animated films during this period, voicing Tzipporah in The Prince of Egypt (1998), in which she introduced the Academy Award–winning song, 'When You Believe', and Eris in Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003).
Return to film
After a four-year hiatus, during which she remained largely out of the public eye to devote time to her husband and children,[73] she turned down the role of the White Witch in the 2005 fantasy film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.[74] Pfeiffer returned to the screen in 2007 with villainous roles in two major summer blockbusters, as Velma Von Tussle in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Hairspray (2007) with John Travolta and Christopher Walken,[75] and as ancient witch Lamia in fantasy adventure Stardust (2007) opposite Claire Danes and Robert De Niro.[76]
Pfeiffer then accepted the roles of Rosie in Amy Heckerling's I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007) with Paul Rudd and Saoirse Ronan,[77] and Linda in Personal Effects (2009), which she starred opposite Ashton Kutcher and Kathy Bates, and was premiered at Iowa City's Englert Theatre.[78] Her next film, an adaptation of Colette's Chéri (2009), reunited her with the director (Stephen Frears) and screenwriter (Christopher Hampton) of Dangerous Liaisons (1988), a film for which all three were nominees for (and, in Hampton's case, recipient of) an Academy Award. Pfeiffer played the role of Léa de Lonval opposite Rupert Friend in the title role, with Kathy Bates as his mother. Chéri premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2009, and received a nomination for the Golden Bear award.[79] 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."[80] 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."[81] 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."[82]
Theater
In 1989, Pfeiffer made her stage debut in the role of Olivia in Twelfth Night, a New York Shakespeare Festival production staged in Central Park. Other film actors appearing in the play included Jeff Goldblum as Malvolio and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Viola.[83] Frank Rich's review in the New York Times was extremely critical of the production, stating "Ms. Pfeiffer offers an object lesson in how gifted stars with young careers can be misused by those more interested in exploiting their celebrity status than in furthering their artistic development."[43] Rich praised Pfeiffer's performance in what was then her most recent film, the screwball comedy Married to the Mob, but stating it was "unfortunate that the actress has been asked to make both her stage and Shakespearean comic debut in a role chained to melancholy and mourning."[43]
Personal life
At the start of her career, Pfeiffer met actor Peter Horton at an acting class taught by Milton Katselas in Los Angeles.[2] They married in Santa Monica when Pfeiffer was 22, and it was on their honeymoon that she discovered she had won the lead role in Grease 2.[84] Horton directed Pfeiffer in a 1985 ABC TV special, One Too Many, in which she played the high school girlfriend of an alcoholic student (Val Kilmer);[85] and in 1987, the real-life couple then played an on-screen couple in the 'Hospital' segment of John Landis's comedy skit compilation, Amazon Women on the Moon. However, they 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.[2]
In between her marriages to Horton and Kelley, Pfeiffer had a three-year relationship with actor/producer Fisher Stevens. They met when Pfeiffer was starring in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of Twelfth Night, in which Stevens had the part of Sir Andrew Aguecheek.[86][87]
In 1993, Pfeiffer was set up on a blind date with television writer and producer David E. Kelley, who took her to the movies to see Bram Stoker's Dracula the following week, and they began dating seriously.[88] They married on November 13, 1993. Since then, she has made an 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.[89] Pfeiffer and Kelley have two children, a daughter named Claudia and a son named John. Pfeiffer, who was by her own admission desperate to start a family, had entered into private adoption proceedings before she met Kelley.[90] Claudia, the biracial baby girl she adopted was born in March 1993.[91] She was christened Claudia Rose in November 1993, the same day that Pfeiffer and Kelley were married.[92] In August 1994, Pfeiffer gave birth to a son, John Henry.[88]
Having being a smoker for ten years and having a niece who suffered from leukemia for ten years, she decided to support the American Cancer Society.[93] Her charity work also includes her support for the Humane Society.[2]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1978 | Fantasy Island | Athena | Episode: "The Island of Lost Women/The Flight of Great Yellow Bird" |
1979 | Delta House | The Bombshell | 2 episodes ("Hoover and the Bomb", "The Legacy") |
1979 | The Solitary Man | Tricia | |
1979 | CHiPs | Jobina | Episode: "The Watch Commander" |
1980 | Enos | Joy | 1 episode |
1980 | B.A.D. Cats | Samantha "Sunshine" Jensen | |
1981 | Fantasy Island | Deborah Dare | Episode: "Elizabeth's Baby/The Artist and the Lady" |
1981 | Callie & Son | Sue Lynn Bordeaux | credited as Michele Pfeiffer |
1981 | Splendor in the Grass | Ginny Stamper | |
1981 | The Children Nobody Wanted | Jennifer Williams | |
1985 | One Too Many | Annie | ABC Afterschool Special |
1987 | Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Natica Jackson | Natica Jackson | |
1993 | The Simpsons | Mindy Simmons | Episode: "The Last Temptation of Homer" |
1993 | Picket Fences | Client | Episode: "Freezer Burn" |
1996 | Muppets Tonight | Herself | 1 episode |
References
- ^ "See Inogolo:pronunciation of Michelle Pfeiffer". Inogolo. Inogolo. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e "Michelle Pfeiffer Biography". Talk Talk. Tiscali UK Limited trading. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ "DeDee Pfeiffer - Movie and Film Biography and Filmography". AllRovi. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|publihser=
ignored (|publisher=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Michelle Pfeiffer biography". Yahoo Movies. Yahoo. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
- ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer – Pfeiffer: 'I'm A Multi-Cultural Mutt'". Contact Music. Contactmusic.com Ltd. February 1, 2008. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
- ^ Epting, Chris (2011). Orange County: Then & Now. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738581156. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Egan, Tim (August 6, 1995). "Michelle Pfeiffer, Sensuous to Sensible". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
- ^ Tierney, Tom (2002). Glamorous Movie Stars of the Eighties Paper Dolls. Courier Dover Publications. ISBN 9780486421919.
- ^ "See Inogolo:pronunciation of Michelle Pfeiffer". Hello Magazine. HELLO Ltd. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
- ^ "Burbank Gal is Chosen as State Titlist". Merced-Sun Star. The McClatchy Company. Associated Press. April 17, 1978. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
- ^ Erickson, Steve (November 2002]). "Beauty and the Beast". Los Angeles Magazine. 47 (11). Emmis Communications. ISSN 1522-9149. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
{{cite journal}}
: Check date values in:|year=
(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Weekly review (1186). Weekly Review Ltd: 96. 1983.
{{cite journal}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ "Alumni videos: Beverly Hills Playhouse". Beverly Hills Playhouse's Official Site. Beverly Hills Playhouse. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Thompson, Douglas (1995). Pfeiffer: Beyond the Age of Innocence. Warner Futura. ISBN 978-0751510300.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (June 11, 1982). "Grease 2 (1982) More Grease". New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
- ^ Gottdiener, Mark (April 25, 2011). New forms of consumption: consumers, culture, and commodification. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780847695706.
{{cite book}}
: Check date values in:|year=
/|date=
mismatch (help) - ^ Corlis, Richard (December 5, 1983). "Say Good Night to the Bad Guy". Time Magazine. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ Dunne, Dominick (1984). "Blonde Ambition". Vanity Fair. 47 (3). Condé Nast Publications: 58.
{{cite journal}}
:|access-date=
requires|url=
(help); More than one of|work=
and|journal=
specified (help) - ^ 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.
- ^ "The Witches of Eastwick". BoxOfficeMojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
- ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer – awards and nominations". MSN Movies. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
- ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer". Golden Globe Awards. Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
- ^ "Tequila Sunrise: Michelle Pfeiffer". Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ "'Dangerous Liaisons'". The Washington Post. January 13, 1989. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ "Past winners and nominees – Film nominations 1989". BAFTA's Official Site. British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
- ^ "61st Academy Awards winners". Academy Awards' Official Site. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
- ^ "150 Greatest movie performances of all time". TotalFilm.com. Amazon.com. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
- ^ "The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)". BoxOfficeMojo. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
- ^ "Movie Review – 'The Fabulous Baker Boys'". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. October 13, 1988. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
- ^ "The Fabulous Baker Boys :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews". Rogerebert.suntimes.com. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ "The Fabulous Baker Boys Review – Read Variety's Analysis Of The Movie The Fabulous Baker Boys". Variety. January 1, 1989. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ "Oscar News". Emanuellevy.com. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ "Biggest Oscar upset: Peter O'Toole will win, after all". Los Angeles Times. February 21, 2007. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ "Actress in a Leading Role 1990". British Academy of Film and Television Arts' Official Site. British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
- ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer – Hollywood Walk of Fame". Hollywood Walk of Fame's Official Site. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
- ^ "Pretty Woman: 20th anniversary re-release". Total Film. Future Publishing Limited. January 25, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
- ^ Smith, Richard. "The Russia House". Turner Classic Movies. Time Warner Company. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
- ^ "Salon Brilliant Careers #124; The dazzling versatility of Michelle Pfeiffer". Salon.com. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ Denby, David. "Frankie and Johnny brings outrageous romance to a wounded city". New York Magazine. 24 (37). Published by New York Media, LLC. ISSN 0028-7369. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer". Inside the Actors Studio. Season 13. Episode 16. August 6, 2007.
{{cite episode}}
: Unknown parameter|serieslink=
ignored (|series-link=
suggested) (help) - ^ Weinraub, Bernard (March 15, 1992). "'Basic Instinct': The suspect is attractive, and may be fatal". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
- ^ "65th Academy Awards winners". Academy Awards' Official Site. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
- ^ a b c Rich, Frank. "Review/Theater; Night of Stars, and Also Shakespeare." New York Times. July 10, 1989.
- ^ "Love Field – Awards". AllMovie- Awards. Rovi Company. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
- ^ a b "Berlinale: 1993 Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
- ^ "Batman Returns : Review : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. 1992. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ "The Best and Worst Batman Villains". Premiere Magazine. Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ "Batman Returns at Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. IMDb Company. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
- ^ "Pfeiffer spices up award show". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 28, 2011.
- ^ Galbraith, Jane (June 14, 1993). "Pfeiffer spices up award show". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
- ^ "Wolf Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Wolf at Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. IMDb Company. February 10, 2009. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
- ^ "Movies to See". Jet. 88 (15). Johnson Publishing Company. August 21, 1995. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ "Pfeiffer in 'Paradise'; Geto Boy Burns Bob Dole". Billboard. 107 (35). September 2, 1995. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ "Big Winners at 38th Grammy Awards Ceremony in Los Angeles". Jet. 89 (18). Johnson Publishing Company. March 18, 1996. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ "Rap star Coolio, Fugees with win at MTV Awards". Jet. 90 (19). Johnson Publishing Company. September 23, 1996. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ "Evita (1996)". Turner Classic Movies. Time Warner Company. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
{{cite web}}
: Text "0/Evita.html" ignored (help) - ^ Up Close and Personal | Book Review | Entertainment Weekly
- ^ Maslin, Janet (October 18, 1996). "To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (1996)". The New York Times. The New York Times. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
- ^ "One Fine Day". AllMovie. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ "A Thousand Acres Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ Howe, Desson (March 12, 1999). "'The Deep End of the Ocean' (PG-13)". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (May 14, 1999). "'A Midsummer Night's Dream': A 'Dream' of Foolish Mortals". The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ "The Story of Us". AllMovie. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ "The Unstoppable Michelle Pfeiffer – Most Beautiful, Michelle Pfeiffer". People. Time, Inc. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ "What Lies Beneath". The Numbers.com. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved October 24, 2008.
- ^ "I Am Sam". AllMovie. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ "I Am Sam". Metacritic. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ "'I am Sam' wallows in melodramatic mush". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Hearst Communications Inc. January 24, 2002. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
{{cite news}}
:|first=
missing|last=
(help) - ^ Holden, Stephen (October 11, 2002). "Slowly, A Princess Turns Into An Urchin". New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ Kenneth Turan (October 11, 2002). "Artful 'Oleander' needs more compelling voice". Tribune Company. Retrieved June 29, 2008.
- ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer's Eternal Beauty, No "Stardust" Needed – CBS News". CBS News. CBS Interactive Inc. October 4, 2007. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ Swildon, Tilda (February 17, 2008). "White Witch shares her love potion with two men". The Sunday Times. Times Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
- ^ "Hairspray". AllMusic. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ "Stardust". AllMovie. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ Schwartz, Missy (February 8, 2008). "Would You Dump This Woman?". Entertainment Weekly. No. #977. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ Meredith, Luke (December 12, 2008). "2011 Movie preview: 'No strings attached'". USA Today. Gannett Company, Inc. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
- ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer beweist in Chéru Mut zur Falte". Die Welt (in German). Axel Springer AG. February 10, 2009. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
- ^ Dalton, Stephen (February 11, 2009). "Chéri review". Times. London. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (June 24, 2009). "Chéri review". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
- ^ Turan, Kenneth (June 26, 2009). "Chéri review". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
- ^ Simon, John (July 24, 1989). "Some have papp thurst upon them". New York Magazine. 22 (29). New York Media LLC. ISSN 0028-7369. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- ^ Brown, Mick (April 20, 2009). "Michelle Pfeiffer: interview". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
- ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer: interview". Turner Classic Movies. Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
{{cite web}}
: Text "0/Val-Kilmer/" ignored (help) - ^ Michael A. Lipton. "The Two Lives of Catwoman - Couples, Batman Returns, Fisher Stevens, Michelle Pfeiffer : People.com". People. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ Smith, Emily (2011). The Michelle Pfeiffer Handbook. Emereo Pty Limited. ISBN 9781743040140. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
- ^ a b "What lies beneath: Michelle Pfeiffer spills her dinner down her top on Italian date night with her husband". The Daily Mail. CBS Interactive Inc. October 4, 2007. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer biography and filmography". Tribune.ca. Tribute Entertainment Media Group. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ "HELLO!". Hello. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ Pringle, Gill (Friday 13, 2007). "Michelle Pfeiffer: The former beauty queen is back after a five-year brea". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "Michelle Pfeiffer Biography". Tiscali.co.uk. October 23, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
- ^ "Star Portrait: Michelle Pfeiffer". GQ Magazine (in German). Nast Digital Network. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
External links
- Ill-formatted IPAc-en transclusions
- 1958 births
- Actors from California
- American film actors
- American voice actors
- BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress
- Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film) winners
- People from Orange County, California
- American beauty pageant winners
- American people of Swiss descent
- American people of German descent
- American people of Swedish descent
- American people of Dutch descent
- American people of Irish descent
- Living people