Michelle Pfeiffer Net Worth

What is Michelle Pfeiffer's net worth and salary?

Michelle Pfeiffer is an American actress who has a net worth of $250 million. That is a combined net worth with her husband of more than two decades, television super-producer David E. Kelley.

Michelle Pfeiffer's career began in the late 1970s with minor television roles, but she quickly rose to prominence in the 1980s with breakout roles in films like "Scarface" (1983), where she portrayed Elvira Hancock, a performance that solidified her as a talented actress. Pfeiffer's versatility and charisma led her to a variety of roles in different genres, ranging from drama to romantic comedies. Her portrayal of Catwoman in "Batman Returns" (1992) is particularly noteworthy, earning her critical acclaim and solidifying her status as a Hollywood icon.

Throughout her career, Pfeiffer has been recognized for her exceptional talent, receiving multiple award nominations, including three Academy Award nominations for her roles in "Dangerous Liaisons" (1988), "The Fabulous Baker Boys" (1989), and "Love Field" (1992). Her performance in "The Fabulous Baker Boys," where she starred opposite Jeff Bridges, is often cited as one of her best, showcasing her ability to blend sensuality and strength.

Pfeiffer's career has also been marked by her ability to successfully navigate the transition from leading lady to character actress, with impressive performances in films like "Hairspray" (2007) and "Mother!" (2017).

As an actress, Michelle is known for appearing in movies such as "Scarface," "Dangerous Minds," "Batman Returns," and "Dangerous Liaisons." She has been nominated for three Oscars during her career to date.

Michelle's husband, David E. Kelley, is one of just a handful of producers in history who have created shows for all four major American television networks: ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. His shows include:

• Picket Fences
• Chicago Hope
• The Practice
• Ally McBeal
• Boston Public
• Big Little Lies
• The Lincoln Lawyer
• Goliath
• Big Sky

Notable Salaries

• Michelle earned $3 million for her role in 1991's "Frankie and Johnny," which co-starred Al Pacino. They previously starred together in 1983's "Scarface."
• She earned $3 million in 1992 to star as Catwoman in "Batman Returns."
• In 1995, she earned $6 million for her Academy Award-nominated performance in "Dangerous Minds."
• In 1999, she earned a career-high $12 million for "The Deep End of the Ocean." That's the same as around $19 million after adjusting for inflation.
• In 2000, Michelle earned $10 million for "What Lies Beneath."

Early Life

Michelle Pfeiffer was born on April 29, 1958, in Santa Ana, California, and raised in nearby Midway City. She is the second of four children and grew up in a working-class household. Before finding her calling in acting, Pfeiffer studied to become a court reporter and briefly attended Golden West College. While working as a cashier at a supermarket, she began entering beauty pageants, eventually winning the Miss Orange County title in 1978. This led her to pursue acting more seriously.

One of Pfeiffer's earliest television appearances was in an episode of the anthology series "Fantasy Island" in 1978. Though she was undeniably striking, Pfeiffer made a point early in her career not to rely on her looks alone. Even as she rose to global stardom in the decades that followed, she remained famously private and understated, rarely indulging in the trappings of Hollywood celebrity. Her reluctance to chase fame only added to her mystique.

Success

Michelle Pfeiffer made her film debut in the 1980 teen comedy "The Hollywood Knights," but it was her role as Elvira Hancock in Brian De Palma's "Scarface" (1983) that launched her into the spotlight. Playing the icy, troubled trophy wife opposite Al Pacino, Pfeiffer's performance stood out and helped her break free from early typecasting. Her combination of natural screen presence, poise, and depth quickly earned her more complex roles across a range of genres.

By the late 1980s, Pfeiffer had become one of the most respected actresses of her generation. She received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the cunning Madame de Tourvel in "Dangerous Liaisons" (1988). She followed that with two more Oscar nominations: Best Actress for her sultry performance as lounge singer Susie Diamond in "The Fabulous Baker Boys" (1989), and again for her role in the civil rights-era drama "Love Field" (1992). In 1989, she won a Golden Globe Award for "The Fabulous Baker Boys," further cementing her status as a dramatic heavyweight.

Her range and versatility were further showcased through memorable performances in films such as "The Witches of Eastwick" (1987), "Married to the Mob" (1988), "The Age of Innocence" (1993), "Wolf" (1994), and "Dangerous Minds" (1995), in which she played an ex-Marine turned inner-city schoolteacher. Her turn as Catwoman in Tim Burton's "Batman Returns" (1992) became iconic, earning praise for its complexity, physicality, and dark humor.

Pfeiffer's later roles included parts in "What Lies Beneath" (2000), "I Am Sam" (2001), and "Hairspray" (2007), which marked her return to film after a five-year break. She continued to balance mainstream and independent projects, maintaining her reputation as one of the industry's most consistent and compelling performers.

In 2017, Pfeiffer earned an Emmy nomination for her role as Ruth Madoff in HBO's "The Wizard of Lies," opposite Robert De Niro. The following year, she entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Janet Van Dyne in "Ant-Man and the Wasp," reprising the role in "Avengers: Endgame" (2019) and later in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" (2023).

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Personal Life

In the early 1980s, she dated actor Peter Horton, best known for his role on the TV series "Thirtysomething." The couple married in 1981 and remained together throughout much of the decade. Pfeiffer later referred to the marriage as a learning experience, noting that their respective careers and youth contributed to their eventual split. They divorced amicably in 1988.

After her divorce from Horton, Pfeiffer was in a three-year relationship with actor and producer Fisher Stevens. They met while she was performing in a New York theater production and dated from 1989 to 1992. Though the relationship ended, both have spoken respectfully of each other in the years since.

Michelle has been married to television producer David E. Kelley since 1993. They were set up on a blind date in January 1993 by a mutual friend. At the time, Michelle had been attempting to adopt a child. As it happened, she was approved to adopt a girl in March 1993, just two months into dating David. He didn't seem to mind and soon proposed marriage. They married in November 1993, at which time David legally adopted the baby girl as well. In August 1994, the couple welcomed a naturally born son.

David is an extremely successful television producer. He created and produced Boston Legal, Boston Public, Ally McBeal, The Practice, Picket Fences, Big Little Lies, Goliath, and Chicago Hope.

(Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

Real Estate

Michelle and David own a vast and impressive real estate portfolio that spans the globe. For at least a decade, they have owned a 340-acre coastal estate in a remote wilderness area of British Columbia. They reportedly spent more than $35 million to acquire the property and build a large cabin retreat. The property is so remote that it does not even have a postal code. It is only accessible by boat. They listed this property for sale in October 2017 for $28 million.

In 2004 and 2008, they spent a total of $20.6 million to acquire two parcels in the San Francisco suburb of Woodside, for a total of 8.7 acres. The property features a 6,300 square-foot home. After listing this property for $29 million in 2018, they finally unloaded it for $22 million in January 2020.

In 2016, they spent $8.15 million on a home in the Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles. In September 2018, they bought the house next door for $7.7 million, for a total of $15.85 million. In January 2020, they sold the first-purchased property for $9.1 million to Texas businessman Jim Crane, owner of the Astros. At the same time, the second-purchased home was listed for a price tag of $8.35 million. The price was dropped to $7.3 million a year later.

In February of 2020, Michelle and David paid $22.25 million for a lavish estate in the Pacific Palisades. They listed the home for sale on July 9, 2021, and reportedly sold it within two weeks at asking for $25 million.

In November 2023, Michelle and David paid $10.6 million for yet another home in the Pacific Palisades.

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