When fans try to rank the most iconic Catwoman actresses, many will put Michelle Pfeiffer’s performance in “Batman Returns” up there with the best of the best. But believe it or not, the role actually wasn’t originally meant for Pfeiffer. Instead, it was Annette Bening who was set to put on the leather catsuit. So, what happened?
Well, in a recent episode of the Happy. Sad. Confused. podcast, Annette Bening was asked about her almost-role in “Batman Returns.” Apparently, she had secured the role, and even went so far as to get the costuming process started to become Catwoman in Tim Burton’s iconic 1992 film. However, she didn’t account for something physiological to happen that would derail everything.
“What happened was, I got pregnant, and yeah, I did [try on the costume],” said Bening. “It was so surprising because I was trying to get pregnant and I had never been pregnant, so I didn’t know how long it was going to take. It didn’t take very long [Laughs].”
She continued, “So, then I was supposed to do [‘Batman Returns’], but I didn’t want to announce my pregnancy. You never want to do that early, for obvious reasons. I was actually measured for my cat suit… I had to call Tim Burton and say, ‘I’m having a baby.’”
Of course, Bening isn’t completely sad to have lost the role. She gained a new child, obviously. Plus, she is fully aware of just how amazing Pfeiffer was in the role of Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman.
“She knocked it out of the park with that whip, wow,” she said.
And we can’t really cry for Bening, can we? Not only did she go on to have a great run in the ‘90s, but her career only kept growing throughout the past few decades. Now, she’s one of the best actresses working today and has earned four Oscar nominations over the years. In fact, she might add to that number thanks to her most recent film, “Nyad.”
You can see the full discussion below: