Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jun 28

Michelle Pfeiffer Says 1982 'Grease 2' Audition Humiliated Her Before Winning Lead Role

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jun 28

Michelle Pfeiffer Says 1982 'Grease 2' Audition Humiliated Her Before Winning Lead Role

Q: How did a 'humiliating' audition accidentally launch Michelle Pfeiffer's legendary Hollywood career?

Michelle Pfeiffer’s career was effectively launched by an audition she thought had gone terribly wrong: her tryout for the 1982 film *Grease 2* unexpectedly won her the lead role and gave her the visibility that opened bigger doors. Pfeiffer said she went into the Paramount audition with “zero expectations,” sent by her agents mainly for experience. She was not a trained singer or dancer, and the audition felt especially brutal because it was a “cattle call” with thin walls, so others could hear her struggling. She recalled forgetting choreography, moving to the back line, and leaving “with my tail between my legs,” feeling “humiliated.” What changed was that director Pat Birch saw something in her despite the rough performance. As Pfeiffer was leaving, Birch’s assistant ran after her to say the director wanted her back. She ultimately won the starring role of Stephanie Zinone in *Grease 2*, her first major film lead after smaller TV appearances such as *CHiPs* and *Fantasy Island*. Although *Grease 2* was not a major hit, it put Pfeiffer on Hollywood’s radar. That exposure helped lead to *Scarface*, widely seen as her breakthrough, and then to a run of acclaimed performances in films including *The Witches of Eastwick* and *Dangerous Liaisons*. She later earned three consecutive Academy Award nominations. So the “humiliating” audition launched her career precisely because, despite her own doubts, it revealed enough screen presence for filmmakers to take a chance on her.

Q: What did Helen Mirren reveal about director Taylor Sheridan that convinced Michelle Pfeiffer to join his new show?

Helen Mirren told Michelle Pfeiffer that Taylor Sheridan’s productions were exceptional and that working with him was a joy. According to Pfeiffer, Mirren said Sheridan’s scripts were “great,” the productions were “perfect” — or among the best-run she had ever worked on — and that she was “having the time of her life.” That endorsement carried extra weight because Pfeiffer viewed Mirren as someone who is candid and hard to impress. Mirren also spoke warmly about the overall experience, including loving Montana, where Sheridan’s world is often based. Pfeiffer said that glowing recommendation was what persuaded her to take a “leap of faith” and join Sheridan’s new series, “The Madison.”

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 28

Michelle Pfeiffer said her audition for 1982's "Grease 2" left her feeling "humiliated," even though it ended with her winning the lead role of Stephanie Zinone.
68-year-old Pfeiffer told Entertainment Weekly she entered with "zero expectations" and struggled through a crowded audition where other hopefuls could hear her reading and singing, despite not being a trained singer or dancer.
The low point came during the dance test, when she said she kept drifting to the back row and stumbled through choreography she could not remember before leaving embarrassed.
A director's assistant then ran after her on the Paramount lot to ask her back the next day, a callback that led to her breakout role and the performance of "Cool Rider" that many fans still remember.
Pfeiffer, who later earned 3 straight Oscar nominations, is now promoting recent projects including "The Madison," where she said she finally shared more screen time with Kurt Russell.