Michelle Pfeiffer’s Big Secret

Being an A-list celebrity comes with baggage. It’s not easy feeling the whole world watch your every move. Knowing that people are judging you based on your looks, what you’re wearing, and your personal choices. Michelle Pfeiffer is no exception to this phenomenon.

You probably can’t even remember the first time you saw her because it seems like she’s been on your screens forever. Whether it was being catwoman in the famous Batman movie franchise, a musical like Hairspray, or a classic like Scarface, she has always been captivating.

Being an A-lister like Michelle means that people see her as a role model. Unlike other famous beauties, Michelle has always taken this responsibility seriously. She’s never been the type to get caught up in scandals or set a bad example for her fans.

As with any female celebrity, people love to look for flaws. But Michelle Pfeiffer is one of the few Hollywood actresses that opted not to get plastic surgery. Instead, she is aging gracefully and very –shockingly– slowly. Naturally, everyone is asking: what’s her secret?

Curious? Lucky for you, Michelle opened up to us and revealed her secret to a youthful look and how she dramatically slows down the aging process. Can’t wait to hear more? Read on:

Urbanette Magazine: You have this incredible glow about you, Michelle. Your skin is so healthy-looking and much younger than your years. I’m sure our readers want to know –what’s your secret?

Michelle Pfeiffer: Thank you! I definitely think it’s because I’m vegan. Eating a vegan diet — it’s just so much healthier — and you avoid a lot of toxins that could age your skin and your body. I really noticed a difference in my skin not too long after switching to fully vegan. And I needed to eat are fruits and vegetables to stay lean. It’s all about vanity, honestly. [She laughs.] The older I’ve gotten, the more it’s occurred to me that I’m doing it in order to live longer, though the vanity component will always be there.

Urbanette: The general public’s perception is that going vegan is not an easy feat. That’s why when someone goes vegan, the question many wonder is “why’d they do it?” I know you’re loving the benefits and have lots of reasons to stay on a vegan diet, but what was the initial inspiration behind it?

Michelle: I was watching CNN, and ‘The Last Heart Attack’ came on. I watched Bill Clinton talk about the last heart attack he had and learned that Clinton is a foodie. He’s a smart guy, so I’m thinking, ” if Bill Clinton loves the book by Dr. Esselstyn, there must be something that makes him stick to it.” He isn’t going to do something unless that there’s science behind it. So I got the book and I just felt like the science behind it was irrefutable. I couldn’t avoid the truth in it. My father died from cancer, and the older you get there’s a lot of disease. You see people dying from chronic disease and terminal illnesses. Anyway, science is always changing, but this one seems to stick.

Urbanette: I’m sorry to hear about your father having had cancer. I had it too, which was part of my process for going vegan. It’s a very anti-cancer diet. It seems like nowadays so many people get it — young people, too.

Michelle: So you know — there’s just too much cancer. I just feel like if there’s anything that I can do to lend my support, I’m happy to do it. I’m an active participant in Cedar Sinai’s Pink Party. The founder is an old friend of mine and I know her from the old neighborhood and met her thirteen years ago when she first opened her shop. And over the years, I’ve seen this pink party grow from a neighborhood thing to one of Cedar Sinai’s biggest cancer fundraisers. We both have someone very close to us with ovarian cancer. 

Urbanette: Let’s go back to the vegan diet. Was sticking to it hard for you initially?

Michelle: Maybe for the first few weeks, but I love the vegan diet because I love carbs. I’ve never really loved animal protein in terms of animal meat. I only ate it because I used to think it was good for me. 

Continue for more of this fascinating interview…

Urbanette: You’ve mentioned that you were once part of a cult that practiced breatharianism. Is going vegan giving you flashbacks of that kind of lifestyle?

Michelle: It dawned on me that I was a member of a cult while I was researching for a role that I played years back. I was young and new in Hollywood and was involved with this couple that claimed to be physical trainers. They put me on a diet that nobody could adhere to. They were very controlling. I wasn’t living with them but I was there a lot and they were always telling me I needed to come more. I had to pay for all the time I was there so it was financially very draining. They believe that people in their highest state were breatharian. They believed that we don’t need food and water to nourish us, only the sun.

Urbanette: It’s great that you got out of it.

Michelle: My first husband, Peter Horton, helped me overcome it.

Urbanette: Everyone is applauding you for aging gracefully and you’re one of the few female actresses who haven’t gotten plastic surgery. What is your stand on this?

Michelle: Sometimes I think about it, sometimes I don’t. It really depends on how well I’m lit. It depends on my makeup and all kinds of things.

Urbanette: So you are considering it? What are your thoughts on it?

Michelle: I’m not saying that I won’t have plastic surgery at some point. I think that it’s harder and harder the older you get to say never. Especially being in the public eye. It doesn’t really matter, I think that if people actually want to do something here or there, who cares? If it makes them feel a little bit better about themselves… What I object to is too much. And really bad plastic surgery. When I think it becomes a distraction and when people don’t look like themselves anymore. As long as it doesn’t overtake them.

Urbanette: What is your advice for people who are considering going vegan?

Michelle: I would say, do what I did. I just told myself one day that I’m going to do it and I’m going to give myself eight weeks. And that I’m not going to commit on this for a lifetime because it’s psychologically huge for people to wrap their minds around it. And I’m just going to see how I feel, I’m going to test my blood again and see if there’s anything. Giving it that long you sort of get over the fact of feeling how big and difficult it is at the beginning. And if you really give yourself long enough to start feeling differently and sort of see the benefits then it will be great.

Read more: 5 Reasons I Love Being a Vegan and Fighting the Good Fight at Woodstock Animal Sanctuary