Al Pacino Almost Rejected Her: How This Iconic Actress Nearly Missed Her Breakout Role 43 Years Ago!

In the gangster film classic “Scarface,” directed by Brian De Palma (with one scene directed by Steven Spielberg), Michelle Pfeiffer portrays Elvira Hancock, the wife of Tony Montana (Al Pacino). This role, which debuted in 1984, would catapult her career, though originally, she was not intended to cast. The reason? Pacino simply deemed the actress “terrible” and did not want her in the film!

“Al will confirm it, he didn’t want me for the part,” Michelle Pfeiffer shared in the SmartLess podcast hosted by Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Indeed, her auditions had failed. The actress, who spoke of her “fear,” honestly stated, “It was getting worse and at the end, I was terrible.”

Michelle Pfeiffer bore no grudge against Al Pacino. “To him, I was just bad,” she stated. “Eventually, Brian De Palma came to me and said, ‘You know, this is just not working.’ And I was sorry about that because he really wanted me for the role.”

“I Show Up and I Don’t Care Anymore”

For Michelle Pfeiffer, Scarface seemed like a missed opportunity, and she moved on. Yet, a small miracle happened. “I was very disappointed and at the same time relieved it was over,” she recounted. “But a month later, I get a phone call: they want me to try out one more time. So, I show up and I don’t care anymore, knowing I won’t get the part.”

Michelle Pfeiffer, who seemed out of the running for Scarface, surprisingly got back in the game. She joined Brian De Palma and Al Pacino to perform the scene where she explodes in anger at a restaurant. Perhaps because she felt no pressure anymore? Regardless, her performance was impressive!

“I Ended Up Cutting Al’s Finger, or Something Like That”

“During the scene, I knocked over the dishes. Glasses tipped over, becoming sharp,” remembered Michelle Pfeiffer. “There was blood everywhere. Everyone rushed towards me to see where I had cut myself. But I wasn’t cut. I had cut Al’s finger, or something like that.”

After this rather bloody trial, Al Pacino was finally convinced (quite literally to the bone!) that Michelle Pfeiffer was perfect for the role of Elvira. “I think that was the day he thought, ‘Yes, she’s quite good,'” the actress concluded, clearly proud of herself.

Trailer for “Scarface”: