Michelle Pfeiffer has nailed her Catwoman role in Michael Keaton’s Batman Returns which still remains a fresh memory in our minds. She not only gave a dynamic screen presence in her tight suit but also perfectly executed the role of the woman behind her mask, Selina Kyle.
She remains an iconic character that Pfeiffer portrayed however fans might not know that she was not the first option to play the tight costume role. It originally belonged to Annette Bening!
Michelle Pfeiffer Was Devasted When Annette Bening Was Cast for Catwoman Role
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 65-year-old actress, Michelle Pfeiffer opened up about being “obsessed” with the anti-hero character. While she was willing to do hard work for her role, she was devasted when she got to know that another actress, Annette Bening was signed for her Catwoman/Selina Kyle role.
“As a young girl, I was completely obsessed with Catwoman. When I heard that Tim [Burton]was making the film and Catwoman had already been cast, I was devastated.”
She talked about almost missing the role however Bening dropped out due to her pregnancy. Eventually, the role went to Ant-Man and the Wasp star.
“At the time, it was Annette Bening. Then she became pregnant. The rest is history. I remember telling Tim halfway through the script that I’d do the film, that’s how excited I was.”
The film director had to look for a last-minute replacement which is why the Wolf star came to the scene. She was extremely interested in the actress serving the best Catwoman role in the character’s history as per fans.
Michelle Pfeiffer Trained for Her Catwoman Role
The actress further told the outlet about dedicating her time to her role by mastering the art of whip and kickboxing. It is well versed to fans that her role in Michael Keaton’s film demanded good whipping skills which she attained through hard work.
She even had to face some consequences for being an amateur in training when she almost hurt her training partner.
“I trained for months with the whip master. On our first day together, I caught his face with the whip and it drew blood. It completely shattered me.”
Despite the obstacles, she eventually learned her required skills. She further asserted about being nervous on the first day of filming however lights affected her performance. The staff had to rework the lighting for her to complete her sequence.
The film grossed over $266.8 million worldwide breaking several box-office records. It has been considered as one of the best films in the Batman franchise.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
