Michelle Pfeiffer is one of Hollywood’s most iconic leading ladies of all time, but her dramatic life could be a movie on its own.
The ageless actress, 64, gained her breakout role in Brian De Palma’s classic gangster flick Scarface (1983), and she went on to dominate the film industry for the next two decades.
She scorched screens with her killer Catwoman transformation in Batman Returns (1992), and starred in Oscar-winning hits like The Age of Innocence (1993), which saw her team up with decorated director Scorcese once more.
However, fans might be surprised to discover she started out on a very different career path before getting her big break on the screen.
To celebrate Michelle Pfeiffer’s 64th birthday, Daily Star have dug into the wild life of one of Hollywood’s greatest of all time.
Sex symbol
(Image: Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)
It’s no secret that Michelle Pfeiffer is a global sex symbol, but these days she’s still as glamorous as ever.
She ruled the 80s and 90s with her high-glamour looks and lush blonde locks, and fans will find it hard to forget Catwoman’s glossy red lip and bombshell curves.
However, she’s also learned not to dwell too much on the ageing process.
She told People: “I certainly see that I’ve changed. just try not to dwell on it. Ageing happens to every single one of us. Once you accept that it unburdens you.”
(Image: Bei/REX/Shutterstock)
Last year, she revealed her secret to staying young, fit and healthy during a chat with ITV’s Lorraine Kelly.
She said: “It’s simple! Eat well, exercise and get lots of sleep. We’re always looking for that magic bullet and they don’t exist and you know when I’m not working, I’m giving myself a little more leeway.
“We’re always looking for that magic bullet and they don’t exist and you know when I’m not working, I’m giving myself a little more leeway. That’s really it. So that’s the big secret: there’s no secret!”
Career U-turn
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Before entering the acting world, a younger Michelle was on a very different career path.
Earning her stripes in the service industry during college, she worked as a supermarket check-out girl.
The American actress also trained as a court stenographer, whose role is to record the proceedings in a courtroom, but she soon decided to ditch the courts for the cameras.
In Hello! she said: “I thought, ‘This isn’t right. What do you want to do with your life?'”
“Brainwashing” cult
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Michelle’s life was turned upside down when she was taken in by a couple who ran a vegetarian and metaphysics cult.
The then-starlet was only 20-years old and taking acting classes in Los Angeles when she met the couple, who helped her quit drinking, smoking and doing recreational drugs.
However, things escalated when they allegedly began to take control over her whole life, and Michelle admitted to giving the group tons of money.
She told the Sunday Telegraph: “They were very controlling. I wasn’t living with them, but I was there a lot and they were always telling me I needed to come more. They worked with weights and put people on diets. Their thing was vegetarianism. I had to pay for all the time I was there, so it was financially very draining”.
She added: “I was brainwashed … I gave them an enormous amount of money”.
Co-star affair
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It’s been widely reported that Michelle had an off-screen affair with John Malkovich, who was her co-star in the film Dangerous Liaisons.
The pair played on-screen lovers in the film, but it seems their chemistry was reflected in a real-life entanglement.
Malkovich was married to late actress Glenne Headly at the time, and they later divorced, but he never pursued a relationship with Michelle despite the affair.
Speaking candidly about meeting Michelle, John said: “It’s hard to believe Michelle Pfeiffer ever said hello to me.”
It’s not known how the affair ended, but both John and Michelle found romance in other people.
Finding love
(Image: Getty Images)
Before Pfeiffer found love with TV writer and producer David E. Kelley, she was married to fellow actor Peter Horton.
Michelle and Peter had met in an acting class and later tied the knot in 1981, but the relationship didn’t work so they decided to split up in 1988 and divorced two years later.
Pfeiffer went on to have a three-year romance with Friends star Fisher Stevens, who was her co-star in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of Twelfth Night.
However, she finally found Mr Right in David, and they married in 1993.
The pair have worked together on numerous occasions, such as when she played the lead character in To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday, which Kelley wrote the screenplay for.
In 1993, they adopted a daughter called Claudia and welcomed their son John Henry Kelley II a year later.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
