{"id":2479261,"date":"2026-06-28T14:19:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T14:19:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2479261"},"modified":"2026-06-28T14:19:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T14:19:31","slug":"michelle-pfeiffer-reveals-why-she-felt-humiliated-auditioning-for-her-breakthrough-film-role","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/michelle-pfeiffer-reveals-why-she-felt-humiliated-auditioning-for-her-breakthrough-film-role\/","title":{"rendered":"Michelle Pfeiffer reveals why she felt &#8216;humiliated&#8217; auditioning for her breakthrough film role"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft wp-block-nypost-editor-partner-article-links\">\n<\/aside>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/06\/08\/entertainment\/kurt-russell-says-michelle-pfeiffer-had-difficulties-with-tequila-sunrise-director-robert-towne\/\">Michelle Pfeiffer<\/a>\u00a0has revealed how she landed her first big role in \u201cGrease 2,\u201d and it was an awkward start to a legendary Hollywood career.<\/p>\n<p>During a recent interview with\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/why-michelle-pfeiffer-left-her-grease-2-audition-feeling-humiliated-12007189\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Entertainment Weekly<\/a>, the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/03\/15\/celebrity-news\/the-madison-star-michelle-pfeiffer-67-shares-her-one-daily-habit-that-has-helped-her-age-gracefully\/\">68-year-old actress<\/a> discussed her breakthrough role and why she said that she felt \u201chumiliated\u201d after first auditioning for the part. <\/p>\n<p>She explained that going into the audition, she \u201chad zero expectations of landing this part,\u201d but was sent by her agents \u201cjust for the experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was such a cattle call \u2014 there were actors and dancers and singers everywhere hanging out, coming in and out auditioning, and there were very thin walls,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll the other actors waiting to go in could hear your reading, could hear your singing. I was not a singer. I was taking voice classes to really improve my stage voice at the recommendation of my acting coach. And I certainly was not a dancer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After the singing portion of the audition was over, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/06\/01\/photos\/gotham-television-awards-2026-red-carpet-kerry-washington-michelle-pfeiffer-lili-reinhart-and-more\/\">Pfeiffer<\/a> then had to undergo the dance portion, describing it as what \u201cyou see in the movies,\u201d where people form lines behind each other, with each line taking turns performing in the front row.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Michelle Pfeiffer\u00a0has revealed how she landed her first big role in \u201cGrease 2,\u201d and it was an awkward start to a legendary Hollywood career. <span class=\"credit\">Dave Starbuck\/Future Image\/INSTARimages<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>During a recent interview with\u00a0Entertainment Weekly, the 68-year-old actress discussed her breakthrough role and why she said that she felt \u201chumiliated\u201d after first auditioning for the part.  <span class=\"credit\">\u00a9Paramount\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Pfeiffer explained that going into the audition, she \u201chad zero expectations of landing this part,\u201d but was sent by her agents \u201cjust for the experience.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">\u00a9Paramount\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Pfeiffer lacked confidence in her dancing abilities, and \u201ckept moving further to the back,\u201d eventually ending up in the last row, adding that she \u201cstumbled my way through because I couldn\u2019t remember the choreography.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI left with my tail between my legs, feeling so humiliated,\u201d Pfeiffer said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd somebody\u2019s assistant, I think it was [director] Pat Birch\u2019s assistant, ran after me across the Paramount studio lot. I said something about being really embarrassed, and she said, \u2018Well, you shouldn\u2019t be because she wants you to come back tomorrow.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, Pfeiffer landed the lead role of Stephanie Zinone, the head of the Pink Ladies, in\u00a0the 1982 movie. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Pfeiffer lacked confidence in her dancing abilities, and \u201ckept moving further to the back,\u201d eventually ending up in the last row, adding that she \u201cstumbled my way through because I couldn\u2019t remember the choreography.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">\u00a9Paramount\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Ultimately, Pfeiffer landed the lead role of Stephanie Zinone, the head of the Pink Ladies, in\u00a0the 1982 movie.  <span class=\"credit\">\u00a9Paramount\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As opposed to the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/05\/13\/celebrity-news\/the-real-reason-olivia-newton-john-and-john-travolta-never-dated-exposed-in-new-biography\/\">first film<\/a>, where a good girl falls for a bad boy, the sequel turns the concept upside down, with Pfeiffer playing the bad girl who falls for a good boy.<\/p>\n<p>While Pfeiffer felt less than confident in her singing abilities, many fans of the film still look back fondly on her performance of the song \u201cCool Rider\u201d in the movie.<\/p>\n<p>She later found greater success starring opposite Al Pacino in \u201cScarface,\u201d and later earned three back-to-back\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-sports\/academy-award-winner-brendan-fraser-named-honorary-starter-indianapolis-500#&amp;_intcmp=fnc_search-results_search_main-content_search-results_5_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Academy Award<\/a>\u00a0nominations for her roles in \u201cMarried to the Mob,\u201d \u201cDangerous Liaisons\u201d and \u201cThe Fabulous Baker Boys.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>As opposed to the first film, where a good girl falls for a bad boy, the sequel turns the concept upside down, with Pfeiffer playing the bad girl who falls for a good boy. <span class=\"credit\">\u00a9Paramount\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>More recently, the actress starred in both <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/04\/14\/entertainment\/how-to-watch-michelle-pfeiffer-in-margos-got-money-troubles\/\">\u201cMargo\u2019s Got Money Troubles\u201d<\/a> and Taylor Sheridan\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/05\/20\/entertainment\/michelle-pfeiffer-reveals-brutal-filming-conditions-on-taylor-sheridans-the-madison\/\">\u201cThe Madison.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201c[Taylor] wanted to know who Stacy was before he started writing. I wanted to know who Stacy is before I committed. And so we went back and forth like that for a little while, and it became clear to me I wasn\u2019t going to win this battle,\u201d Pfeiffer told\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/tv\/tv-features\/the-madison-michelle-pfeiffer-kurt-russell-casting-interview-1236542562\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>\u00a0in March. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo I asked <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/05\/28\/world-news\/dame-helen-mirren-80-called-evil-zionist-b-h-in-sick-attack-on-the-street-by-anti-israel-nut\/\">Helen Mirren<\/a> [who previously starred in Sheridan\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/03\/20\/entertainment\/why-taylor-sheridans-the-madison-isnt-a-yellowstone-spinoff\/\">\u201cYellowstone\u201d spin-off<\/a> \u201c1923\u201d] to speak to me about her experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd she just glowed; she couldn\u2019t say enough nice things,\u201d Pfeiffer recalled. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe said the scripts were great, the productions were perfect. She was having the time of her life;\u00a0she loved Montana. So I took a big leap of faith, and I committed. I thought, \u2018Well, the guy has a pretty darn good track record.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source pagesix.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Michelle Pfeiffer\u00a0has revealed how she landed her first big role in \u201cGrease 2,\u201d and it was an awkward start to a legendary Hollywood career. During a recent interview with\u00a0Entertainment Weekly, the 68-year-old actress discussed her breakthrough role and why she said that she felt \u201chumiliated\u201d after first auditioning for the part. She explained that going [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2479262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[387324,364346,21741,403836,307888],"class_list":["post-2479261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-auditions","tag-classic-movies","tag-entertainment","tag-grease","tag-michelle-pfeiffer"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Michelle-Pfeiffer-reveals-why-she-felt-humiliated-auditioning-for-her.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2479261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2479261"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2479261\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2479263,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2479261\/revisions\/2479263"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2479262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2479261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2479261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2479261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}