Michelle Pfeiffer Says She Passed on SILENCE OF THE LAMBS Because it Was Too Evil

Before Jodie Foster took on the role of Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, Michelle Pfeiffer was wanted for the role. While Foster gave an incredible performance in the film, as a fan of Pfeiffer, it would have been interesting to see what her take on the character would have been.

So, why didn’t she want to do the movie? Because it was way too evil. During a recent interview with The New Yorker, the actress explained:

"With The Silence of the Lambs, I was trepidatious. There was such evil in that film. The thing I most regret is missing the opportunity to do another film with Jonathan. It was that evil won in the end, that at the end of that film evil ruled out. I was uncomfortable with that ending. I didn't want to put that out into the world."

At the end of the film Starling does manage to take down the killer "Buffalo Bill," but on the other hand, Hannibal Lecter escaped and wreaked bloody havoc. It was quite a disturbing ending. I can appreciate Pfeiffer’s reasoning for not wanting to make the movie, but I still would have liked to see her take on Clarice.

Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster both won an Oscar for their performances in the film. The director of the film, Jonathan Demme passed away in 2017.