Acting is kind of brutal. — Michelle Pfeiffer

I think all actors have a sadomasochistic streak, because acting is kind of brutal, you know. — Michelle Pfeiffer

One of the things I love most about acting is just disappearing in the role, as much as I can. I think that’s one of the things that intrigued me about it. — Michelle Pfeiffer

I decided I needed something that I could feel as passionate about as acting, and something in which I could completely lose myself. I started painting, and I’m still doing it. — Michelle Pfeiffer

I said, going into acting, ‘I’m never moving to L.A.,’ because it scared me. But there was no way you could build an acting career in Orange County. — Michelle Pfeiffer

I’ve never lost my love for acting. I feel really at home on the movie set. I’m a more balanced person honestly when I’m working. — Michelle Pfeiffer

I know that I want to wait for something that I really feel great about. — Michelle Pfeiffer

If I really want to do something, I’ll go in and do whatever the director feels that he needs me to do. — Michelle Pfeiffer

I feel less pressure to dress youthfully. I’m 50 and everyone knows I’m 50–who are you kidding? Jeans are my uniform. I have about 15 pairs. — Michelle Pfeiffer

Even though I don’t feel I need approval, it’s still important to me to give a good performance. I’m hard on myself. — Michelle Pfeiffer

I do sometimes feel like the paparazzi are really what ran me out of L.A. They’re just giving everyone a bad name. — Michelle Pfeiffer

I’m good at disguising my feelings. — Michelle Pfeiffer

And I’m a really happy person, I enjoy life. I think you see that on people. I think there’s nothing more aging than misery. — Michelle Pfeiffer

There have been people in my life who have told me I have to put myself out there more. But it’s so hard for me to do that. — Michelle Pfeiffer

Being a parent is the hardest thing in the world… the psychological toll it takes on you because these lives are in your hands. I take it very seriously. — Michelle Pfeiffer

Ultimately, I believe the only secret to a happy marriage is choosing the right person. Life is a series of choices, right? — Michelle Pfeiffer

It’s fun to explore areas that are taboo that you’re not allowed to in real life as an actor. — Michelle Pfeiffer

The whole celebrity thing never is normal and I think the fuller your life is, the more you are able to just kind of call a truce with it on a good day. — Michelle Pfeiffer

You know, the more you can meet people from different walks of life, the better it is for you. I think the more you can create situations and experiences that give you new perspective, the better. — Michelle Pfeiffer

When I go to work and when I’m in the public eye, I take much better care of myself. Because when I’m not working, I do indulge more. — Michelle Pfeiffer

I probably would like to do more than I do, because I love working, but I can’t work more than I work because I have to do some facetime with the family, and the work that I do is just all–encompassing. — Michelle Pfeiffer

You’ve got each other’s back. I think if everyone shows up with that attitude, then everybody has a great time, and I think the work is better as well. — Michelle Pfeiffer

There are certain scenes you do in a movie that are like catching a wave, and you leave work feeling elated–almost as though you’ve purged something. That’s rare, but you do live for those moments. — Michelle Pfeiffer

I do find comedy difficult. I don’t know why. Maybe I think about it too much. There’s a tremendous amount of pressure to be funny. — Michelle Pfeiffer

I think that I am a compulsive person, but now I’m learning to put those compulsions into healthy things. — Michelle Pfeiffer

Every time I set up an interview, I say, ‘That’s it, this is my last one. I’ll do this because I committed to doing it, but I’m never doing another one. — Michelle Pfeiffer

I’m always amazed at how consistent people find me and my behavior, when in fact I do feel different all the time. — Michelle Pfeiffer

I’m a perfectionist, so I can drive myself mad–and other people, too. At the same time, I think that’s one of the reasons I’m successful. Because I really care about what I do. — Michelle Pfeiffer

Actually, I think that turning 29 was more difficult, because once I turned 29, I anticipated 30 for the whole year, so by the time 30 came around it really wasn’t that bad. — Michelle Pfeiffer

Somewhere along the line I made the switch and was able to look at the bight side rather than the dark side all the time. Now I look at everything I have and think how lucky I am. — Michelle Pfeiffer

I do think that, at one time, being an actress was the equivalent almost of being a prostitute. It garnered roughly the same respect. That’s changed a lot, thank goodness. — Michelle Pfeiffer