Michelle Pfeiffer

American actress
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Quick Facts
Born:
April 29, 1957, Santa Ana, California, U.S. (age 67)
Also Known As:
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer
Notable Family Members:
spouse David E. Kelley
Married To:
David E. Kelley (1993–present)
Peter Horton (1981–1988)
Movies/Tv Shows (Acted In):
"Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" (2019)
"Avengers: Endgame" (2019)
"Ant-Man and the Wasp" (2018)
"Murder on the Orient Express" (2017)
"Mother!" (2017)
"Where Is Kyra?" (2017)
"The Family" (2013)
"People Like Us" (2012)
"Dark Shadows" (2012)
"New Year's Eve" (2011)
"Personal Effects" (2009)
"Chéri" (2009)
"Stardust" (2007)
"Hairspray" (2007)
"I Could Never Be Your Woman" (2007)
"Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas" (2003)
"White Oleander" (2002)
"I Am Sam" (2001)
"What Lies Beneath" (2000)
"The Story of Us" (1999)
"A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1999)
"The Deep End of the Ocean" (1999)
"The Prince of Egypt" (1998)
"A Thousand Acres" (1997)
"One Fine Day" (1996)
"To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday" (1996)
"Up Close & Personal" (1996)
"Dangerous Minds" (1995)
"Wolf" (1994)
"The Simpsons" (1993)
"The Age of Innocence" (1993)
"Love Field" (1992)
"Batman Returns" (1992)
"Frankie and Johnny" (1991)
"The Russia House" (1990)
"The Fabulous Baker Boys" (1989)
"Dangerous Liaisons" (1988)
"Tequila Sunrise" (1988)
"Married to the Mob" (1988)
"Great Performances" (1987)
"Amazon Women on the Moon" (1987)
"The Witches of Eastwick" (1987)
"Sweet Liberty" (1986)
"ABC Afterschool Specials" (1985)
"Ladyhawke" (1985)
"Into the Night" (1985)
"Scarface" (1983)
"Grease 2" (1982)
"Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen" (1981)
"Fantasy Island" (1978–1981)
"B.A.D. Cats" (1980)
"Falling in Love Again" (1980)
"Enos" (1980)
"The Hollywood Knights" (1980)
"CHiPs" (1979)
"Delta House" (1979)

Michelle Pfeiffer (born April 29, 1957, Santa Ana, California, U.S.) is an American actress, noted for her beauty and air of vulnerability. She consistently chose challenging roles throughout her decades-long career that earned her critical and popular acclaim.

Pfeiffer made her movie debut in 1980 and attracted attention for her performances in Grease 2 (1982) and Scarface (1983). After winning acclaim for her work in The Witches of Eastwick (1987), she became a major star. In 1989 she received an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of a married woman pursued by a scheming playboy in the 18th-century drama Dangerous Liaisons (1988). Pfeiffer also earned Oscar nominations for her work in The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) and Love Field (1992).

In 1992 Pfeiffer was cast as Catwoman in Batman Returns. She subsequently appeared in such notable films as The Age of Innocence (1993), Dangerous Minds (1995), What Lies Beneath (2000), Hairspray (2007), and Dark Shadows (2012). After starring in the crime drama The Family (2013), Pfeiffer took a break from acting, but she returned with a myriad of films in 2017. That year she appeared in The Wizard of Lies, an HBO TV movie about Ponzi-scheme operator Bernie Madoff; Mother!, a psychological thriller in which she played a character simply named Woman; Where Is Kyra?, a drama about a divorcée enduring an economic crisis; and Murder on the Orient Express, portraying a flirtatious widow.

USA 2006 - 78th Annual Academy Awards. Closeup of giant Oscar statue at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, film movie hollywood
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Pfeiffer later appeared as the comic book character Janet Van Dyne in the movies Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). She also joined the cast of Disney’s Maleficent for the 2019 sequel. The following year she starred in French Exit, about a penniless socialite who moves to Paris with her son. Pfeiffer then returned to TV, playing Betty Ford in the debut season (2022) of The First Lady, an anthology series about U.S. first ladies.

Pfeiffer married writer and producer David E. Kelley in 1993.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.