Michelle Pfeiffer

About Michelle Pfeiffer

Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress and producer born in Santa Ana, California, on April 29, 1958. Raised in Midway City, she attended Fountain Valley High School, graduating early in 1976. She briefly pursued an education at Golden West College to train as a court stenographer while working as a checkout girl at Vons supermarket, but she soon pivoted to acting after winning the Miss Orange County beauty pageant in 1978 and securing a talent agent. 

Her television and film biography began with brief television appearances on series like "Delta House" in 1979 and "B.A.D. Cats" in 1980 before making her feature film debut in "The Hollywood Knights" in 1980. She landed her first leading role in the musical sequel "Grease 2" in 1982, but it was her breakthrough performance as Elvira Hancock in the crime epic "Scarface" in 1983 that catapulted her to stardom. She built a highly versatile career through acclaimed roles in "Ladyhawke" in 1985, "The Witches of Eastwick" in 1987, and "Married to the Mob" in 1988. Pfeiffer earned back-to-back Academy Award nominations for her performances in the historical drama "Dangerous Liaisons" in 1988 and the romantic drama "The Fabulous Baker Boys" in 1989. She achieved iconic pop culture status portraying Catwoman in "Batman Returns" in 1992, followed by a third Oscar nomination for "Love Field" in 1992. Her subsequent major films included "The Age of Innocence" in 1993, "Dangerous Minds" in 1995, and "What Lies Beneath" in 2000. Following occasional sabbaticals to prioritize home life, she returned to the screen in the musical "Hairspray" in 2007, earned an Emmy nomination for the HBO television movie "The Wizard of Lies" in 2017, appeared in "Mother!" in 2017, and joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Janet Van Dyne in "Ant-Man and the Wasp" in 2018. She is also slated to headline the drama series "The Madison". 

Personal information regarding her family includes her marriage to her first husband, actor Peter Horton, from 1981 until their split in 1988. In March 1993, she entered into private adoption proceedings to welcome her daughter, Claudia Rose. Later that year, on November 13, 1993, she married prolific television writer and producer David E. Kelley, who officially adopted Claudia. The couple then welcomed their biological son, John Henry Kelley, in August 1994. Dedicated to providing her children with a grounded upbringing, Pfeiffer raised them away from the Hollywood culture in rural California and recently revealed that she became a first-time grandmother. 

Throughout her multi-decade career, Pfeiffer has maintained a famously reserved and private stance toward the public eye. A notable quote regarding the pressures of her celebrity status highlights her perspective on the industry: "I act for free, but I demand a huge salary as compensation for all the annoyance of being a public personality. In that sense, I earn every dime I make." Reflecting on her approach to roles and the ongoing evolution of her craft, she has also noted, "I still think I'm going to be found out, that I don't really know what I'm doing."