Michelle Pfeiffer Opens Up About Aging, 'The Family' Role With De Niro

Actress Michelle Pfeiffer said she has come to terms with aging and no longer feels the pressure of being a Hollywood "sex symbol" as she returns to the big screen in "The Family."

Pfeiffer told Ladies Homes Journal for its October issue that growing old as an actress can take an emotional toll.   

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"Having to watch yourself age on a giant movie screen is simply not natural. It can wreak havoc on your psyche," Pfeiffer said. "Once you get over a certain hump there actually is less pressure (to look a certain way). You can begin to look great for your age. You don't have to look young anymore. I've moved over to that other side — I'm 55, which is a little too close to 60, but looking great for my age is OK now."

Pfeiffer and producer husband David E. Kelley live in San Francisco, and chose to ditch Hollywood years ago to raise their children, Claudia Rose, now 20, and John, 19.

"The toughest thing for me has been balancing being a working mom. I learned early on that you can have it all but you can't do it all," she said. "I sacrificed some things in my work to be a better parent — but I also sacrificed some parenting in order to do what I love."

Now that her children are older, Pfeiffer took a few movie roles. She is starring opposite Robert De Niro in the film "The Family," which hit theaters Friday. Pfeiffer plays the wife of De Niro, who plays a Brooklyn mobster. Their family has been forced to move to Normandy, France, under the witness protection program.

Even with her successful career, Pfeiffer said she still has moments of self-doubt whenever she takes on a new project.

"I still think I'm going to be fired in the first week of every new job I take," Pfeiffer said. "Always. In fact, before I even start a movie, I'll try to get myself fired or think of a reason I should quit. I guess it's fear of failure."

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