Michelle Pfieffer was supposed to be vacuum sealed in her Catwoman costume and the dick in her mouth was real!

Michael Pfieffer in the role of Catwoman Tim Burton’S Batman returns it’s easily one of my favorite superhero casting decisions of all time. She was amazing in that role and it’s crazy to think that Annette Bening was originally chosen! Luckily for Pfieffer, Bening became pregnant and couldn’t take it anymore. In an old interview with Pfeiffer, she talked about this:

“As a kid, I was completely obsessed with Catwoman. When I learned that Tim was making the film and that Catwoman had already been cast, I was devastated. At the time, it was Annette Bening. Then she got pregnant. The rest is history. I remember having I told Tim halfway through the script that I was going to do the movie, that’s how excited I was.”

The actress ended up spending a few months training in whip and kickboxing and ended up doing all of her stunts on film involving the whip! You can watch it below!

Reminder: Michelle Pfeiffer tore the heads off those four mannequins IN ONE TAKE to thunderous applause from the Batman Returns crew! pic.twitter.com/wVqyH4qw6A

— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) February 19, 2021

Pfeiffer even had to be vacuum sealed in her Catwoman costume! As you can imagine, her dress was incredibly uncomfortable to wear, but she was amazing! Pfeiffer revealed the difficulties of wearing the iconic outfit:

“It was the most uncomfortable suit I’ve ever worn. They had to powder me, help me get in, and then vacuum-pack the suit. They painted it with a silicone-based finish to give it its signature shine. I had those claws and was always catching them in my things. The face mask was splitting my face and suffocating me… we had a lot of bugs to work out.”

One of those bugs involved trying to find a way for her to use the bathroom! Despite the discomfort, Pfeiffer accepted the challenge and was fully committed to the role. She was so busy that the scene where she had a bird in her mouth involved a real bird! It wasn’t fake! Burton said in an interview:

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so impressed. She had a live bird in her mouth as the camera was rolling. It took four or five seconds, and then she let it fly away. It was before CG, it was before digital. It was so fast, it feels like it was an effect.”

Pfeiffer added that he never really thought about what the potential danger might be of holding a live bird in his mouth when he did:

“I look back and go, ‘What was I thinking? I could have caught a disease or something from having a live bird in my mouth. It seemed fine at the time. I don’t think the bird was drugged or anything. We shot that scene in one take, I think Tim likes to torture me a bit, he’s like a little brother [or] a brat thing.”

Well, luckily it ended well! Pfeiffer’s dedication to playing her paid off for her, as her portrayal of Catwoman is still regarded as one of the best in cinematic history. She brought a mix of sexiness, strength, and humor to her character, making her a fan favorite of hers.