Michelle Pfeiffer 'cried herself to sleep' while filming Scarface as she was scared of working with Al Pacino
Michelle Pfeiffer 'cried herself to sleep' while filming Scarface because she was 'scared' of working with Al Pacino.
Pfeiffer, who was just 25 at the time of the film's release, took on what would go on to be one of the most iconic supporting roles in cinematic history.
However, it's clear that the young blossoming star had a whole lot more than just your average stage fright when working on set with the Hollywood hall-of-famer.
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The hit 1983 crime-drama, directed by Brian De Palma, followed the likes of Tony Montana (Pacino) and his close friend Manny, played by Steven Bauer, who work together to build a tyrannical drug empire in Miami.
However, as Tony's power begins to grow, so does his ego, his enemies and his own paranoia begins to plague the exact kingdom he worked so tirelessly at creating.
Known for its cracking storyline, brutal violence and providing Pacino with one of his finest roles to date - it's no wonder that Scarface is arguably hailed as one of the best gangster dramas of all time, up there with Goodfellas, the Godfather franchise and The Departed.
To this day, the legacy of the flick remains with a handful of Pacino's key catchphrases still making their rounds.
From 'the eyes, chico, they never lie' all the way through to one of the most iconic quotes in film history, 'say hello to my little friend' - it's clear that Pacino well and truly cemented himself as a living legend in the biz.
But, he couldn't have done it all alone.
Starring alongside Pacino was Pfeiffer who played Tony's love interest, Elvira Hancock, in what would go on to become her breakthrough role.
However, it seems that not everything that glitters is gold given how terrified the Catwoman actor was of her co-star.
Speaking on an episode of The Skinny Confidential podcast, Pfeiffer revealed: "I cried myself to sleep almost every night on Scarface.
"It was obviously a huge deal for me."
Disclosing that Pacino originally 'wanted someone else' to be cast for the role which Pfeiffer said was understandable given her only other big acting gig was on Grease 2.
"Then, like a month later, they [the casting agents] called me back for a screen test," she recalled.
Her feelings, at that point, were 'mixed' because she was, on the one hand, 'happy to be out of [her] misery' but also sad for another reason.
"I was being tortured," she revealed.
When asked what exactly she was so scared of, Pfeiffer responded: "Would you be scared to work with Al Pacino?"
She went on to say her biggest fear with Pacino was that she was 'going to be bad', before adding: "I had such a lack of hope that I would ever get this part."
Looking back on the fateful day she auditioned, Pfeiffer said: "I was so chill. I mean, I just walked in and I did a really good screen test and that's how I got the part."
Topics: Celebrity, TV and Film, Al Pacino
Rhiannon Ingle