People Magazine | July 31, 2000

10 Wonder Women

They’ve Got Something to Shout About. In Their 30s—and Beyond—These Fair Ladies Are Centered, Serene and Sensational
Michelle Pfeiffer
In the past year, Michelle Pfeiffer has romped in the woods with Kevin Kline (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and made love on a kitchen table with Bruce Willis (The Story of Us). In this month’s thriller What Lies Beneath, she casts a seductive spell over Harrison Ford, who says that Pfeiffer is “every bit as beautiful without any artifice as when she’s lit and carefully photographed.” Not bad for a 42-year-old mother of two. Pfeiffer wasn’t at all bothered being shadowed by 26-year-old lookalike Amber Valletta in What Lies Beneath. “Michelle’s very confident,” says the film’s costumer Susie DeSanto. “So having Amber around didn’t undermine her the way it might have undermined other actresses her age.” It helps, of course, that the 5’6″ Pfeiffer has what her favorite designer Giorgio Armani calls a “natural radiance,” enhanced by daily treadmill workouts and weight training. “My assistant was amazed that there’s not a bit of cellulite on her!” says Story of Us costumer Shay Cunliffe. Married for six years to Ally McBeal creator David E. Kelley, 44, Pfeiffer recently announced that she’s taking a respite from acting to spend more time with her family. No one doubts that her return will be seamless. “Being sexy is something a woman just has,” says rap star Coolio, who made a music video with Pfeiffer for her film Dangerous Minds. “She’s got it.”