Michelle Pfeiffer

Few contemporary actresses capture the glamour of old Hollywood, but this ethereal beauty is one of the exceptions. After winning a local California beauty contest, Pfeiffer began popping up on TV before making the leap to big-time film star. Although she suffered through a few notorious bombs early on (Grease 2, Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen), Pfeiffer's career picked up momentum in the mid-'80s as she proved she was more than just a pretty face by acting opposite some of the most respected names in the business (Al Pacino in Scarface, Jack Nicholson in The Witches of Eastwick). In 1988, she showcased her versatility with three diverse turns in a trio of distinctly different films: the ubiquitous woman caught between two men in the action flick Tequila Sunrise; a Mafia widow trying to start over in the comedy Married to the Mob; and a chaste 18th-century do-gooder targeted by a lothario in Dangerous Liaisons, a devastating performance that earned Pfeiffer her first Oscar nod. Now an A-lister, Pfeiffer was careful not to pigeonhole herself, appearing in romantic comedies (One Fine Day), blockbusters (a delicious turn as Catwoman in Batman Returns), musicals (The Fabulous Baker Boys, which earned her a second Academy Award nomination) and myriad dramas, including a charming performance as Jackie O.'s No. 1 fan in Love Field, which netted her a third Oscar nod. As the '90s wore on, Pfeiffer slowed down, taking time off to focus on her children with TV writer/producer David E. Kelley, and appearing only occasionally on the big screen, but making an impression every time (White Oleander, The Deep End of the Ocean). After lending her voice to the animated Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, Pfeiffer took a four-year hiatus from acting. But she returned full-force in 2007, starring in Amy Heckerling's romantic comedy I Could Never Be Your Woman, and subsequently anchoring the fantasy adaptation Stardust and the period drama Chéri. ~ Rovi