Michelle Pfeiffer addresses viral comments about quitting movies

Michelle Pfeiffer is clearing up the misunderstanding that she's stepping away from acting in films.

The 68-year-old actress, famed for her early roles in Grease 2 and Scarface, has more recently been focusing on television projects, including two acclaimed shows Margo’s Got Money Troubles and The Madison that earned her an Emmy nomination. 

Recently, she joked at an industry event that she never wants to star in another movie, which then sparked speculation that she was retiring from film work altogether.

“I never want to star in another movie, I swear to God. I only want to do ensemble pieces. It’s so much more fun, I love it so much,” she told fellow nominees.

Pfeiffer has now shut down the rumour, clarifying this week during The Tonight Show that her comment was meant playfully and misunderstood.

“No, I mean, it’s the most ridiculous thing,” she said. “They’re always saying that I’m retiring. Where does it say that I’m retiring? No, no. All I said was that I really love working with an ensemble cast.”

She insisted that her comment was taken out of context, something she suspected that very moment. “I knew the minute it came out of my mouth,” she added.

The actress doubled down on still wanting to continue acting in films, noting that she's recently worked on several ensemble-based television projects.

“I said something about ‘I never want to star in another movie,’ and they took that out of context. Of course I want to star in another movie, but I’ve done three ensemble pieces [recently]. I did Oh. What. Fun. and The Madison and then Margo.”

Margo's Got Money Troubles, created by her husband, shows Pfeiffer play the mother of a young woman navigating financial struggles, starring alongside Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman. In another series, The Madison, she plays the head of a family who relocates after facing a personal tragedy.