Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (born April 29, 1958) is a three-time Academy Award-nominated and internationally known American actress. In a career spanning more than 25 years, she has starred in films such as Scarface, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Batman Returns, Hairspray, Stardust and Grease 2 .Pfeiffer was born in Santa Ana, California to Donna (née Taverna), a homemaker, and Richard Pfeiffer, a heating and air conditioning contractor.She was raised in Midway City, Orange County, California, about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Pfeiffer is the second of four siblings: an older brother, Rick Pfeiffer, and two younger sisters, Dedee Pfeiffer (b. 1964, also an actress) and Lori Pfeiffer (b. 1965). Pfeiffer attended Fountain Valley High School, graduating in 1976. She briefly pursued a career as a court reporter at local Golden West Community College before dropping out to pursue a career in acting. In 1978, Pfeiffer entered and won the Miss Orange County beauty pageant, and then entered the statewide competition for Miss California USA. Although unsuccessful in winning the title, the young Pfeiffer acquired an agent, who helped her secure TV commercial parts and small movie and television roles before making her mark in Hollywood.
In 1981 Pfeiffer married Thirtysomething actor Peter Horton, but they divorced in 1988 at the height of her career. She has been romantically linked with actors Val Kilmer, John Malkovich, Michael Keaton and Fisher Stevens. In 1993 Pfeiffer married writer-producer David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal, The Practice, Boston Public, and Boston Legal).
Earlier that year, before meeting Kelley, Pfeiffer adopted a daughter, Claudia Rose, who was then adopted by Kelley following their marriage. The adopted baby was the daughter of a African-American nurse living in New York, who already had four children. At the time of the adoption, there were rumours that money was exchanged for the baby, but Michelle has vigorously denied these claims stating that the adoption was private. In 1994 Pfeiffer gave birth to a son, John Henry. Pfeiffer and Kelley divide their time between homes in Los Angeles and Northern California.
In an August 2006 In Style interview (her first in many years), Pfeiffer discussed her return to making movies, stating that she is "a better mother if I also work... It empowers them [her children] without me hovering, making everyone feel inadequate". Pfeiffer discussed plastic surgery, stating that she hopes she is "courageous enough to age gracefully". Pfeiffer also referred to her beauty as a "curse", as she believes that it often stunted her ability to get serious roles and eclipsed her acting ability.
