Michelle Pfeiffer is currently promoting French Exit, which looks like a quirky little movie about a formerly rich Manhattan widow who moves to Paris to be terrible and vaguely not-rich. Michelle took time off from her career for many years to raise her kids, but once they went off to college, Michelle has been working in a steady stream of projects. She’s 62 years old, which kind of startled me when I realized that. For some reason I thought she was in her 50s? So, does Michelle look “worked on” to you? I think she has the look of someone like Robin Wright – someone who invests in her skincare and someone who isn’t above an odd Botox injection. Michelle claims that she doesn’t really have a “secret” to ageing either:
Michelle Pfeiffer keeps her beauty routine simple. Appearing on the U.K. chat show “Lorraine”, the “French Exit” star talked about how she maintains her youthful complexion at the age of 62.
“It’s what nobody really wants to hear — you have to eat right, you have to exercise, you have to sleep,” she said. “We’re always looking for that cheating magical bullet but it’s not right. When I’m not working, when I’m giving myself leeway, when I’m not eating good, I’m having too much wine, when I’m not on camera, I look like it, that’s really it. So that’s the big secret – there’s no secret!”
Pfeiffer also talked about her role in “French Exit” and working with a cat on the film. “It was one of the first concerns that I had. I loved the script, I was very intrigued by this character, but it was one of those I didn’t know how I was going to handle it,” she said. “One of my first questions was, ‘Right, what about this cat?’ and I don’t think [the director had] thought about it.”
But things worked out well: “Who would have thought a cat could be trained. There were two cats they rotated, one was sweeter than the other but I kind of fell in love with them.”
I agree with her that the “secrets” are things which everyone already knows: drink water, stay out of the sun, exercise, have a good diet, sleep, etc. But we should also normalize the whole “it’s genetic too” conversation. Michelle was always going to age well – her bone structure and her genes do much of the heavy lifting. Why get a facelift when you have those cheekbones? That being said, I do think she gets some Botox here and there (she doesn’t go overboard) and I genuinely believe that when she knows she’s not going to be on camera, she’s eating cheeseburgers and drinking wine.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
She had work done and it’s all I see.
Agreed. For sure.
Does her nose look flatter or have I forgotten what she looked like?
She admitted to getting her eyes done around her 50th birthday.
I agree; I could see the work in that picture with AJ……it is way too obvious; she is not overdoing it like Demi Moore is
Yeah, I see fillers for sure, and some kind of eye work. But I think the work she got done was pretty good by LA standards. She looks worked on, but not to a Real Housewife level.
She looks good. The work she’s had done looks natural. I read somewhere that the doctor who did her work is actually in San Francisco, which would make sense – she and David lived in Woodside for years. I think that’s the secret – avoid LA surgeons at all costs – unless you want to look like a RHOBH (over-done and plastic).
I see it too and what I want to know is – why none of them admit it? I’m assuming all of it is legal (unless there’ are procedures that mere mortals aren’t privy to), so WHY is it that none of the celebrities ever say that they use surgery and injections? Only a few admitted they have had Botox and even then, most of them retract by saying “never again… I didn’t look myself… it looked bad… never again.”
Will they be breaking some kind of non-disclosure agreement by openly adding their doctors’ work to the list of their self-care?
Because they are selling the myth that they are naturally that attractive and that they can maintain their looks as they age through health and wellness. Plastic surgery is one of those things in society where we all know it happens, but there is still a taboo associated with doing it. I think in the age of social media and reality tv, there is a lot more openness about it, but actors still buy into that old school Hollywood mentality that being open about getting work done hurts their credibility and bankability.
If you see her high school yearbook she has a pig nose, now she has one of the most refine noses in Hollywood.
Is use to see her at my place in Palo Alto
I’ve read up on her diets over the years in interviews. She’s taking in so much nutrition steadily that many people only ingest once the trendy/new powder form comes out.
Yes, genetics 100% play a huge role, but you cannot understate the value of water, a healthy diet, skin care and a fitness routine. You need it all to age well.
It’s been said by so many… how you look on the outside can be a measurement of how healthy you are on the inside.
I think that last statement is classist and pretty gross, Wiglet.
Genuinely curious- how was Wiglet’s statement classist or gross?
I think it’s a fair statement.
I mean, I don’t know if it’s gross, but when you are wealthy, yes, to a degree you can buy what people term “health”.
Also, the idea of “health” varies from person to person, people use that term to project a LOT of their own viewpoints about other peoples’ bodies, not all of them fairly.
Wiglet’s statement is ok if it’s between people like you and me. But thin white blonde celebrities with access to everything they could ever wish for, who get tons of plastic surgery and work done and proclaim “health on the inside is most important” – not so much.
Me-thinks theres a magical scalpel though.
MF had a facelift very young. It was shocking. It was pre-internet. A few years ago, she told interviewers she was vegan. Awhile later, she bragged about being paleo. MF, at some point, also took 2-3 years off her age. I remember her being slightly older than me, when Grease 2 came out, and I’m 64. I remember her being slightly older than her husband when she married him. Of course. David Kelley is 64. Anyway, she’s had a neck lift and so has AJ. Nobody has a sharp jawline at 64. See how smooth her skin is, up to a certain point under her face? Like AJ’s, and Angie is 20 years younger than Michelle. I would bet that MF’s plastic surgeon is going to start a lower facelift at that point on her neck. By doing scalpel work on one part of the face/ neck/browline, the doctor can tweak that part without disturbing the work in other areas. Also, Michelle has had fat or fillers to plump her cheeks because her skin lacks cushioning which happens with age. Her plastic surgeon and her dermatologist are the absolute best. (I have had a breast lift without implants and the skin is smooth below my neck and down to the breasts. It was gnarly before. On my face, I have had peels, electric lifting, and I do ultrasonic facials at home). Don’t forget, Michelle lived in Hawaii during the time her kids were growing up. Avoiding the sun is difficult there. Diet, sleep? It helps but Michelle Pfeiffer is fooling no one.
She raised her kids in Woodside, a very expensive woodsy community in the Bay Area near Stanford. I saw her once at my nail salon and she was scary skinny. Not sure if they still live there, I know her daughter went to a private all girls school in Palo Alto. Wouldn’t it be refreshing if actresses her age just said, yeah I’ve done this and this and this and not have to be embarrassed about it?
@sumod01 I am also old enough to remember she was older than David E Kelley as well. I forgot that till you mentioned it.
@Anne – I posted above before seeing your comment. I saw her and her family in Woodside once. I was mountain biking in the area, which is gorgeous, btw. And yes, it would be refreshing if actresses and people in the public eye would own up to the work they’ve had done. Usually, it’s obvious anyway.
@ANNE CALL
Yes and anyone who is scary skinny does not have a face this plump and fresh looking. As an example, I commented a week or so ago that Gillian Anderson is looking gaunt (see full length ball gown photo in the GG winners post) and she’s 15 yrs younger than Michelle. She’s probably had to work done so she still looks okay for now but she should be careful. As for Michelle, she has definitely had work done.
I once heard about 25 years ago that there’s a South American saying: “when you get older you have to choose between your face and your butt.” I chose my face and I don’t regret it. I hate those 20 extra pounds but I’m much happier when I look in the mirror.
100% agreement to what Kaiser stated. She has genetics on her side, her lifestyle was/is helping and she gets assistance from doctors. So yes, she can age well and make it look like it’s all natural. BUT, one can see where there is work done.
I was also coming to thank Kaiser for mentioning genetics. I didn’t look as stunning as she did in Scarface when I was 20 years old because I don’t have her amazing bone structure, so it’s unreasonable to think I will look as good as her at 60. It’s like having a headstart at a race.
…be rich?
Yep. No money related stress, time and leisure to exercise… I look 5 years younger after a 3 weeks holiday, I can only imagine what I’d be if I lived my whole life sleeping, swimming, and playing tennis.
Yup. When she and Kelley married, he was already legit legit and legit wealthy as a result.
Anyone who thinks she is aging with just good genetics and diet… I have a bridge to sell you.
No matter how good someone’s genetics are, they will see a downward motion of the face as they age and a loss of volume in various areas. Her lips, cheeks, mid face and tear trough a have not lost any volume at all. That’s not natural aging. She also has no imperfections in her skin except a few strategically maintained lines. She also had a nose job very early on.
I hate that celebrities perpetuate this myth. Newsflash: having access to a consistent routine of excellently done fillers, Botox, lasers, peels, threads, mini lifts, etc. makes you just as unattainable for the average person as superhuman genetics. At least admitting it is honest though.
I agree. Just admit you had work done. It’s not like we don’t know anyway.
Agree with you completely. I have a college pal who was in Grease 2 with her. If I ask him MF’s age, (he’s 65), I bet he’ll say 64-66.
Yeah, the work she got is quite noticeable even. It’s good, not too extreme, but she’s clearly nipped and tucked. I don’t begrudge her that, we all desire to look young, but I find it so… unfair towards people who think everyone can and should look like that at a certain age.
I love that picture with her and Angelina, two gorgeous women.
They are both gorgeous but Angelina’s dress in the photo is horrific!!
Oh wow. I was just thinking how much I love it.
Google the pics, it’s actually an elaborate top worn over pants… the outfit was worn in Cannes and Angelina was clearly taking a risk from her usual monochrome and simple looks…she actually looks GORGEOUS in it. This thumbnail does the outfit no justice
She’s definitely had stuff done. Patricia Heaton (ugh…) I think let it slip years and years ago that she used her plastic surgeon. Michelle looks ok, tho…just enough not too much. Agree with Kaiser. It’s noticeable but not in a shocking way.
Anyone know who Michelle’s/Patricia’s doctor is?
Yep – I just found it. I don’t remember where I heard/read this, but I bookmarked the webpage once I found out who did Michelle’s work. Dr. Issa Eshima in San Francisco. I remember asking around when I lived in the Bay Area and he is $$$$$ (more expensive than Dr. Fischer in Beverly Hills, rumored to be between $75K-100K and he is really known for breast jobs, not facelifts, but that’s who did Kris K’s first facelift and does a lot of the other celebs faces). I’m going to have to cash in my 401K, but if he can keep Michelle and Patricia looking as good as they do, I’ll beg, borrow and steal to have him do my work. Ha ha!
Thanks Jax01!
I believe she’s had work done because she looks amazing, but it was done well and it’s not obvious (to me). I’ve often thought her plastic surgeon must be excellent because she looks good, not plastic
I wish celebrities would just admit they’ve had stuff done.
I so agree with you. I think people would respect that more than saying you eat well. Joan Rivers and Jane Fonda were honest about their face lifts.
She’s very fit, which helps; good lighting also helps. She has fine lines around her eyes, natural. Her forehead is a bit shiny, so a bit of Botox, but not much, as she is still able to use her eyebrows. She has had all the time and money to live a life free of much anxiety and full of good food, fine living. She’s not a big drinker or smoker. I don’t have trouble with any of it.
Cheek implants, a little botox, rhinoplasty years ago, probably a lower facelift to tighten up the jawline and smooth out the neck. Probably never tanned. The picture with Jolie looks like she had some recent botox. Pretty good work but the best work is Cruise, Jolie.
Yeahhhhh you gotta wonder if she regrets that nose job. She definitely had it like 40 years ago and it’s….not great
I’m not the biggest fan at all of the work Tom Cruise has had done, he looked extremely chipmunk cheeked for a few years there.
Cruise looks weird. Sort of embalmed.
I think the best work was done for Julianne Moore.
Pfeiffer’s list is incomplete, here is what is missing: FIND A GOOD PLASTIC SURGEON AND DON’T DO TOO MANY PROCEDURES. Being rich and living in a nice house in a quiet part of town is very helpful, too.
It’s that “don’t do too many procedures” that is key, I think. People really do begin to enter waxwork territory after a certain point.
Also I think “being rich” is a huge helper here.
Money! you need it to eat healthy (it is expensive), buy quality products, take care of sun, paid beauty treatments, etc. And of course genes, but without money no matter how good your genes or intentions are, you will aged fast and be notice. So, it is not the same for the beautiful Michelle than for a woman without money that needs to work hard in jobs that demands sun exposition or intense physical demands.
She has very, VERY much has had work done. She’s extremely stretched.
Looks like a face lift and neck lift to me.
She has had a lot of work done. It also helps when you are rich. You don’t have the worries & stresses the ordinary person has, those things take a toll on your body.
If you watch the trailer to her movie, it is very clear that she has had work done. It’s quite tragic actually.
She does look considerably older than 62 in that trailer. Her appearance seems to suit the storyline, though.
Why are women constantly being asked this question?
When was the last time a 62 year old man was asked how he maintains his youthful appearance?
Agreed
They usually don’t get asked like that because most of them look like a wet catcher’s mitt. 62 year old men that DO look youthful are few and far between and do get asked that. George Clooney gets asked. Rob Lowe gets asked. The fact that I can’t even think of any men who are actually in their 60’s that look youthful at all basically shows my point.
Really? Interesting.
“a wet catcher’s mitt” 🤣🤣
God this is getting exhausting. She looks great. Isn’t that enough? We all know that you need to take care of yourself and how. That includes more invasive treatments if you want to look a certain way after a certain point. Also, menopause can do a number on us ladies. HRT is can be very helpful and I’m going to be asking for it when the time comes. All of this requires time and money. There are really no secrets here. Aging is a privilege and I would love it if we could focus on that.
ITA.
Drinking water actually doesn’t improve your skin. It’s one of those myths circulated by celebrities and social media influencers; the science doesn’t bear it out. If you’re severely dehydrated – as in ‘lost in the desert for a few days- dehydrated – it will affect your skin, and your skin will improve when you consume water.
But under normal circumstances, consuming more than the amount that feels natural and comfortable to drink in a day won’t plump, smooth, moisturize or brighten skin.
If you have dry skin, it’s because there’s not enough oil or lipids in the skin to trap the moisture in, which is why to moisturize we apply balms, creams and lotions.
It’s also rarely necessary to force yourself to drink more than you’re naturally inclined too. You get a lot of water from food and other beverages like tea or coffee.
It’s not “what feels natural.” A feeling isn’t science.
The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is: About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men. About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women. That’s science.
I followed those science ‘tips’ for 3 weeks and always ended up being bloated, as water retention is very bad in my lower part of the body. My skin didn’t look better or I felt better in any way drinking that amount of water, quite the opposite….
She doesn’t look a lot younger than her age though. Which is fine by me by the way. I also appreciate the bare arms. One of the most frustrating things I see older women around me do is covering up their arms because they hit a certain age.
I’m her age & if I had her arms, I’d bare them, too. But…I don’t.
I always covered my arms because they are quite big and always was ashamed of bearing them…. now I have chicken wings, which makes them really look awful.
I ain’t mad at her but it helps a LOT to have access to the best foods, probably a personal chef, trainer, top notch dermatologists and aestheticians, all the latest beauty treatments and products (there is a LOT you can do before going under the scalpel). I have no doubt she’s doing them ALL.
He face is “fuller” than it was when she was younger. You don’t gain facial volume as you age, not without putting on more weight (and it doesn’t look like she’s gained any/enough to explain the face.)
I find it kind of annoying that women are always asked about their diet/skincare/beauty routine in interviews. Men never are. Even when men go on silly chat shows and morning shows or have a light hearted (as opposed to serious/hard-hitting) interview in magazines, they’re not asked about how they keep themselves looking young or how they’re fighting or embracing aging. Don’t we have other things that was can ask women actresses and singers that are still light-hearted, that will still give a little insight into their private lives, and that other people can relate to besides what skincare products they use, and what their diet is, and how they exercise, and if they’ve had any procedures done? Can we not ask them about their hobbies, where they like to travel, what they’re reading/watching/listening to, the trajectory of their work and where they’d like to go from here? I feel like men are asked more about their careers, the work they did previously and how the roles they play have changed and why, and what they see themselves doing in the future, whereas women are asked to comment on how they looked previously, how they look now, why/how they look that way, and what they’re going to do to either maintain or change their look in the future.
Came to say I read the book & thought it was wonderful. It’s a lot more complicated than “formerly rich widow moves to France to be terrible and less not-rich.” It’s very poignant & while I would not have imagined Michelle Pfeiffer in the part, I’ll give it a watch & see. The book’s narrator is the widow’s son, who moves with her.
She’s had work but it looks good to me. I can see it, but it’s good work.
She looks great but I think she did have work done. Her younger sister Deedee is on Big Sky. You can tell she didn’t have work done. So compare and contrast. DNA doesn’t lie.
She’s had work done. I saw her in a supporting role at least five years ago, and I could see the aging in her face. She’s had more refreshening since then. It’s like Julia Roberts. I saw her in Eat, Pray, Love, and she looked older then than now. She looked good then, but it was the first time I had seen her looking older in the face. But over the years she started getting “refreshed,” and looks better than ever and most certainly more refreshed than in Eat, Pray, Love. Refreshed in a good way. She doesn’t looked pulled tight or chipmunk cheeks. She looks fantastic and glows. The same with Michelle Pfeiffer.
It’s called “mini-lifts” over the years. She’s had them, and she looks great. But I call bullshit on all this eat well and stay out of the sun. It’s called take care of yourself and visit a great dermatologist & plastic surgeon. There’s no shame in that.
Saw Michelle on the Golden Globes, either pre-show or during and it looked like she could barely move her lips, weird. I think she’s had lots of work done so spare me the ‘natural’ advice, sis.
I despise her response. Yes genetics, yes good lifestyle, but COME THE F ON. Even a tiny bit of filler here and there works wonders, and she’s clearly had more than a dash of filler. It’s just so incredibly disingenuous to pretend there’s ‘no secret’ and everyone who doesn’t look miraculously youthful is at fault for wanting to cheat it and not maintaining a simple healthy lifestyle. I really wish these people could be properly called out. There must be so many women who read their drivel responses and believe it.
She’s hot. I wouldn’t go for a 62 year old man… But Michelle Pfeiffer I mean c’mon, it would be glorious just to be in the same room as those cheekbones.
It’s pretty clear she’s had some filler and injectables but I do believe genetics and lifestyle come into play. And also I can appreciate the amount of willpower it takes to be fit and healthy despite her wealth obviously being a bonus. Just because you are wealthy doesn’t mean it’s easy to turn down yummy foods or exercise two hours a day, she is human after all.
I really like Michelle, but she has had work done. It’s disingenuous of her to say that it all comes down to good habits. All of those preventatives will slow the process—especially getting enough sleep—but I’ve never gotten so much sleep that my lips looked like that!
The secret to still looking 42 at 62 is absolutely NOT thanks to eating well, sleeping well, and exercising. I love Michelle Pfeiffer, but her response is perpetuating an awful narrative that only women who look “young” are healthy and active — that women who look their age must be drinking wine, smoking, eating burgers, and sitting on their couch all day.
Pfeiffer looks 20 years younger because (1) she’s had many subtle surgeries and procedures over the years to tighten and smooth her skin (sorry, but it’s impossible to get to 62 without some sagging around your jaw line); (2) she’s incredibly wealthy, and for most of her adult life has not had to stress about money, has only had to work a few weeks a year, and has staff who handle the mundane stuff of daily life for her (housekeeper, personal assistant), giving her plenty of time to focus on exercise and health; and (3) she has good genes (but that’s probably only played a very small part).