Michelle Pfeiffer reveals why she turned down The Silence of the Lambs

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

The Silence of the Lambs is one of the most celebrated films of all-time and despite its serial killer subject matter, the film would go on to become a huge winner at the Academy Awards. The Silence of the Lambs swept all the major categories including Best Picture, Best Director (Jonathan Demme), Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Actress (Jodie Foster), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Ted Tally). Jodie Foster made Clarice Starling one of her signature roles but director Jonathan Demme originally wanted Michelle Pfeiffer for the role after working with the actress in 1988's Married to the Mob. Demme, unfortunately, passed away in 2017 from complications from esophageal cancer and heart disease and Pfeiffer is revealing that she regrets not working with him again for a second time on The Silence of the Lambs and she details why turned down the role of Clarice Starling in the film.

During a chat with "The New Yorker", Pfeiffer admits that when she read the script, which is based on Thomas Harris' novel of the same name, she found the subject matter a bit too much take on at the time:

"With The Silence of the Lambs, I was trepidatious. There was such evil in that film. The thing I most regret is missing the opportunity to do another film with Jonathan [Demme]. It was that evil won in the end, that at the end of that film evil ruled out. I was uncomfortable with that ending. I didn't want to put that out into the world."

It looks like Pfeiffer took issue that the film ends essentially with evil winning. Anthony Hopkins' Dr. Hannibal Lecter ends up escaping from his cell and disappearing. By the end of the film, he contacts Clarice Starling at her FBI graduation party to congratulate her and before he hands up, he mentions that he is "having an old friend for dinner." For all of those familiar with Hannibal Lecter and The Silence of the Lambs, that dinner was not going to be a casual meal if you catch my drift. It's a chilling ending and suitable for the film itself but I could see how Pfeiffer may have been turned off by it.

Pfeiffer goes on to detail that she does regret not working with Jonathan Demme again before his passing. She says she had great fun working with Demme on Married to the Mob and goes on to say "It's so sad to me that he's no longer with us. First of all, he is the nicest person, he is funny, and not only is he really funny but he's the easiest person to make laugh, so we just laugh all the time."

Even if Pfeiffer has any regrets about not doing The Silence of the Lambs, it's not as if her career has suffered for it. Pfeiffer has worked steadily and her performances have earned her acclaim and several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, and three Academy Award nominations. Plus she's still the best live-action Catwoman to hit the big screen so let's put some respect on that fact too.

Could YOU see Michelle Pfeiffer playing Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs?