American screen actress seen in five consecutive critical, if not commercial hit films, “The Witches of Eastwick” (1987), “Married To The Mob” (1988) “Tequila Sunrise” (1988), “Dangerous Liaisons” (1988), which was Oscar nominated, and “The Fabulous Baker Boys” (1989). In “Batman Returns” (1992), she played Catwoman.
Pfeiffer’s performances in a variety of film genres have consistently earned acclaim and several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, and three Academy Award nominations.
The second child and eldest of three girls, Pfeiffer grew up in Midway City, California where her dad had an air-conditioner-heating business. She worked from the time she was 14 in stores, offices and markets. A sunburned, golden California beach girl, she was rebellious at home and absent at school, spending a good part of her youth getting into trouble. Nonetheless, she graduated with honors. By 19, she was working at a Von’s supermarket in El Toro, California when she had her epiphany. While listening to a customer complain about the cantaloupe, she knew with certainty, that what she wanted to do was act. When she won the Miss Orange County beauty pageant, she moved to Hollywood to appear in commercials and hire her first agent.
While getting bit parts, Pfeiffer got into a vegetarian-metaphysical cult for a while until she met actor Peter Horton in 1980. He helped her out of the cult and they married in 1981. They separated in 1988 and divorced two years later. Cool and elegant, shy, not glitzy and an avid reader, she avoids the Hollywood whirl. In 1989 her beau was six-year younger actor Fisher Stevens for three years.
In the Spring of 1993, she adopted a biracial daughter, Claudia Rose, bringing her home in March. At the time she was making the picture “Wolf,” and she began seeing TV producer David Kelley. They were both known for being low-key. When a friend asked David what Michelle was like, he replied, “Quiet.” “Then,” the friend asked, “Who talks?” They married in November 1993 and Pfeiffer swears that their son, John Henry, was conceived on their wedding night. He was born on 12 August 1994, “after midnight”. Pfeiffer is a hands-on mother, driving the kids to their school, the park or zoo, or taking them on the set with her whenever possible.
Link to Wikipedia biography