Iconic actress Michelle Pfeiffer continues to turn heads with her graceful style, her brave movie roles and her clean fragrance line.

Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Shutterstock

Michelle Pfeiffer has always had that rare combination: timeless glamour with a quiet strength. From her breakout performance in Scarface to her luminous turn in The Fabulous Baker Boys, her ability to disappear into characters while maintaining a signature elegance has made her one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons.

More recently, Pfeiffer has been busy beyond acting. Her clean fragrance brand Henry Rose, launched in 2019, isn’t just another celebrity vanity project. It was born from her concerns over what goes into beauty products, especially those applied in the vicinity of children (although hers, daughter Claudia and son John, are both in their 30).

She pushed for ingredient transparency, partnering with International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), and made Henry Rose the first fine fragrance line verified by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and certified Cradle to Cradle Gold, a mark of commitment to safety, sustainability and clarity.

Alongside her business work, Pfeiffer continues to live a life rich with art, family and subtle style. She recently fronted Yves Saint Laurent’s Summer 2025 campaign, continuing her long association with fashion, and lives in Los Angeles.

Coming up, Pfeiffer heads the pack in an implausibly good-looking cast in Oh. What. Fun.—a festive comedy flick directed by Michael Showalter.

Henry Rose has become a kind of passion project for you. What was the spark that made you decide to launch a fragrance business?
It actually began with motherhood. When my children were born, everything changed. I started reading labels, trying to figure out what I was putting on their skin, in our home, in the air. I realized that for as much as I absolutely adore fragrance—it was an invisible part of me that really defined who I was and how I felt every time I stepped out of the house—it had become something I couldn’t trust.

The reality is, so many scents I used to wear as a young actor smelled beautiful in the bottle, but were full of chemicals I couldn’t even pronounce. That felt out of alignment.

I went through years of dead ends—perfumers who wouldn’t share ingredients, brands that were vague or overly mysterious.

Everyone said I was being picky, but I didn’t want a line with my name on it that wasn’t honest. So I gathered a small team, partnered with folks who believed in transparency, and we created five scents that feel personal and clean.

When Henry Rose was verified by the EWG and certified Cradle to Cradle, that was a kind of victory I didn’t expect would feel so emotional.

Let’s shift to fashion. You fronted YSL’s summer campaign recently. How do you think your relationship with fashion has evolved over the years?
I used to think of fashion mostly as costume, almost like a fake persona that you could take on, and that would help you build your outward personality.

Of course back then, at the start, glam was everything: sequins, big shoulders, dramatic makeup. I loved it. However, as I’ve gotten older, fashion has become more personal, and more about comfort, integrity and sustainability. If I can find pieces made responsibly, with good materials, a great cut, and that lasts, that matters more to me now than any trend.

Working with designers whose values mirror that makes a difference. I pulled from vintage Yves Saint Laurent pieces for campaign shoots; sometimes I’ll pair high fashion with something thrifted, just because I like the contrast. And color plays a big role—I often gravitate to classic tones: camel, olive green, deep navy. But then I’ll do something unexpected, like a vivid red lip or warm metallic shoe, just to feel electric.

Tell me about some of your routines or habits that keep you centered, whether in beauty, wellness or daily life.
One habit I love is starting the day slowly. I don’t check my phone right away. I’ll make coffee, maybe a green juice, and walk outside if I can, wherever I am. It could be just a courtyard garden, fields outside a rural shoot, or my backyard. Those quiet minutes before the world takes over feel really sacred to me.

Skin care for me is simple: Less is more. Cleanse gently, moisturize, sunscreen always. And with Henry Rose, because I struggled so much finding fragrance I believed in, it’s become part of my ritual—picking a fragrance in the morning that feels right, something that feels like a memory or creates one.

What else do you do to ensure you are in a good headspace?
I read a lot. Poetry, biographies, letters—something about reading old letters or journals feels intimate and grounding. And I cook. I often memorize a recipe just from watching someone cook; cooking for family is one of those things that reminds me of home, of being human.

Reflecting on acting, what are some of the roles or moments in your career that still surprise you?
Catwoman in Batman Returns still surprises me every time I think about it. The physicality, the costume, the transformation—I remember thinking, “This is unreal … but I’m doing it.” Also Dangerous Liaisons, where I played Madeline; the precision required for that sort of period dialogue, the restraint, the glances rather than monologues—those always felt like exercises in subtlety that stretched me.

You seem really settled and philosophical these days. How would you say your perspective on fame and aging has shifted, compared to when you started?
When I was younger, I was very aware of every camera, every role, every review. I chased perfection. Now, age feels like grace. I care less about being perfect, and more about being present and authentic. The idea of legacy doesn’t scare me. If I’ve been able to move people, to create something beautiful, to do it with honesty, then that feels good.

I’ve also come to accept that what people see is only a surface. There’s makeup, there’s costume, there’s editing. What matters more is what you bring from inside: your kindness, your curiosity, how you treat people. Those things define you more than any headline or cover story ever will.

If you weren’t an actress or business owner, what do you imagine you’d be doing?
I’d probably have tried being a writer—fiction or essay, something that requires solitude and reflection. Or maybe something with preservation or conservation.

I’ve always loved old homes, gardens, architecture—I am very sentimental and I think we should always reflect on the past because every experience from it has formed us into who we are today.

Do you have little indulgences or moments of joy that you sneak into busy days?
Yes, small pleasures are everything. I love vanilla—always vanilla. If there’s a scent that smells like comfort, I’m drawn to it. I’ll take a vanilla bean candle, open windows to let fresh air in, maybe bake something with cinnamon.

Also, old movies. I’ll revisit The Age of Innocence, Grease 2, The Fabulous Baker Boys. I don’t watch them to compare or critique, just to immerse. And music—sometimes I’ll put on vinyl, maybe Nina Simone or Ella Fitzgerald, and it’s like stepping into another era!

Oh. What. Fun. is a Christmas comedy where Claire Clauster, your character, has always been the family’s holiday MVP. How did you relate to Claire’s role as the “holiday anchor,” and was there ever a Christmas when you felt the need to slip away?
Oh, definitely. Claire reminds me so much of the women in my own family—I’ve had Christmases where I watched my mom do it all: the tree, the dinner, the gifts.

I remember one Christmas in my 20s, I literally locked myself in my room for an hour just so I could drink tea in silence. Wild, right? Claire going missing feels like that fantasy of escape mixed with guilt and love. I think that tension is what makes these stories funny and touching.

The movie revolves around family chaos, holiday traditions and what happens when everything goes off-script. Can you remember any such events that happened to you?
Oh yes, many disasters. We always had this tradition of a big holiday dinner at my grandparents’ house, and everyone tried to contribute. My cousin once dropped the turkey. My aunt, bless her, tried to cook a new one and it exploded in the oven. My mother would tell me, “Don’t worry, everyone will laugh about it later,” which really stuck.

Also, my father used to insist we sing Christmas carols all together—piano, violin, voice—even when half of us were tone-deaf. All that warmth and embarrassment, I brought that to Claire. I wanted to convey the love, yes, but also the pressure, the over-expectations, the burnt cookies, the messy wrapping paper. Those human bits are what make it real.

Do we put too much pressure on ourselves at Christmas?
[Laughs] Probably. I mean, it can be a terrifying thing for a lot of people. There’s also all the sentimentality, the memories, the departed friends. It can be a tough time of the year for some people.

In fact, filming it definitely made me think, “Maybe next year I’ll stay somewhere sunny and let someone else handle it all!”

Looking ahead, what kinds of projects excite you now?
I’m drawn to stories that are layered, that surprise. Not always big budget, not always loud—sometimes quiet, character-driven films where silence speaks, where things are felt more than said.

I’d love to work again with younger actors, push creative boundaries, take roles that I maybe wouldn’t have considered earlier in my career. And with Henry Rose, I want to expand the fragrance line, maybe dive into skin care, home scent, sustainable packaging. Things that feel right, not forced.