A checkout and a cantaloupe: The moment Michelle Pfeiffer decided to become an actor
From the moment Michelle Pfeiffer first acted, it always appeared that she was destined to become a beacon of brilliance in the ever-changing world of Hollywood. Her versatility and talent made the Californian star one of the most bankable performers of the 1980s and 1990s, and she was rightfully recognised with three Academy Award nominations.
Whether playing Catwoman in Batman Returns or delivering a drug-addicted character in Brian De Palma’s Scarface, Pfeiffer simply embodied her roles, giving them an air of authenticity and believability that so many of her contemporary actors could only ever dream of possessing. Effortlessly, Pfeiffer became one of the most alluring and brilliant stars of her generation, but her career might never have always panned out that way.
During an interview with The New Yorker, Pfeiffer explained how she first decided to become an actor and noted how it all happened when she was working at a Vons supermarket store selling a woman a cantaloupe, which is hardly the usual way that young people decided their future, particularly in the world of showbusiness.
“It is the way it happened!” Pfeiffer said. “That was a good job, actually. It was a well-paying job. I just wasn’t happy with what I was doing. Even when I was a kid, I would go out into the garage, and I’d find my dad’s tools, and I’d find an old block of wood and some nails and some duct tape, and I would create things. I could stay out all day by myself. I made a pair of shoes out of duct tape and cardboard. I was very, very pleased with those shoes.”
Pfeiffer admitted that she was always happiest when she was creating something, so working at Vons did not seem to be the right career for her. She also noted that she wasn’t even particularly good at it. Things came to a head when a customer started moaning to the future star about the price of a melon when a bulb lit up in Pfeiffer’s head.
She said, “I just thought, ‘OK, if you could be doing anything right now, what would it be? Anything in the world.’ Just boom, snap, and it was acting. I surprised myself because I hadn’t really thought about it until I took an acting class in high school just to get credits, really. I fell in love with the people, who I always thought were kind of odd from afar.”
