Michelle Pfeiffer has recounted feeling "humiliated" during her audition for her breakthrough role as Stephanie Zinone in the 1982 musical "Grease 2." The actress shared her experience in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly.
Pfeiffer explained that she had "zero expectations of landing this part" and was sent to the audition by her agents primarily "for the experience." The audition was a large "cattle call" with numerous actors, dancers, and singers, and the thin walls meant that other hopefuls could hear each other's performances. Pfeiffer noted that she was not a strong singer or dancer at the time and was taking voice classes to improve her stage presence.
During the dance portion of the audition, which involved participants lining up and performing choreographed moves, Pfeiffer felt increasingly self-conscious. She described how she "kept moving further to the back," eventually ending up in the last row, and admitted she "stumbled my way through because I couldn’t remember the choreography."
"I left with my tail between my legs, feeling so humiliated," Pfeiffer recalled. However, an assistant, believed to be for director Pat Birch, approached her outside the audition room. After Pfeiffer expressed her embarrassment, the assistant relayed that the director wanted her to return the following day.
Pfeiffer ultimately secured the lead role of Stephanie Zinone, the head of the Pink Ladies, a role that marked a significant turning point in her career. The film, a sequel to the popular "Grease," inverted the original's premise, with Pfeiffer playing the tough girl who falls for a good boy.
While Pfeiffer's performance in "Cool Rider" is still fondly remembered by fans, her career soon reached greater heights. She went on to star alongside Al Pacino in "Scarface" and later earned three consecutive Academy Award nominations for her roles in "Married to the Mob," "Dangerous Liaisons," and "The Fabulous Baker Boys."