Michelle Pfeiffer: A Biography

by Bruce Crowther

For many years, Hollywood gave the best roles in the best movies to men, and women were merely objects, useful to have around but dispensable when the action started. But, gradually, the quality of roles began to improve and in the past dozen years a number of remarkable actresses have emerged to show audiences world-wide what they have been missing. The list is long, and it includes Michelle Pfeiffer. After playing small roles in television and a handful of undistinguished films, Michelle Pfeiffer soon made an impact. A hard-working, intelligent actress, she has consistently impressed with a succession of fine film performances which include "The Russia House", "Batman Returns", "Frankie and Johnny" and "Love Field" (for which she was nominated for an Oscar in 1993). Her co-stars have included some of the leading actors of the day, among them Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Michael Caine, Mel Gibson, Sean Connery and Daniel Day Lewis In this biography, Bruce Crowther examines the career of this exceptional young actress, discussing all her film roles. He also takes a long look at the difficulties faced by someone who is young and beautiful and involved in an industry which has all too often abused youth and beauty.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Bruce Crowther began writing fiction in the 1970s with novels such as "Island of Gold" and "The Rose Medallion," the latter of which was was serialized by the BBC in 1981. His work includes some 25 crime novels, often using the pseudonym James Grant but he has also published one novel as Michael Ansara.

Writing under his real name, Bruce Crowther, he has written 16 non-fiction books, mainly focusing on cinema and popular music; his 1989 book, "Film Noir: Reflections in a Dark Mirror", was nominated for an Edgar Award. He is also a frequent contributor to the magazine "Jazz Journal."

A few years ago, he returned to crime fiction, and have published several new novels including "Dead Man Running", "Dark Echoes", "Penitence", "Harlem Nocturne", "All Cut Up", "Harlem Madness", "Shadows Of The Night", "Harlem Blues", "The Girl in the Green Hat", "Lies Kill", "The Cave".