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Michelle Pfeiffer has revealed a surprising moment from the making of Scarface that may have sealed her place in film history: she accidentally cut Al Pacino’s hand during a screen test. That bloody mishap helped convince Pacino that she was right for the role of Elvira, even though he initially disagreed.
A tough first impression
When Pfeiffer first auditioned for Scarface, she wasn’t exactly the favorite. Director Brian De Palma was convinced she fit the part, but Al Pacino, already cast as the infamous Tony Montana, didn’t think she was the right match. “Al will admit this—he didn’t really want me for the part,” Pfeiffer recalled during an episode of the SmartLess podcast.
At the time, she was still relatively unknown. Coming off a few modest roles, she didn’t have the kind of résumé that usually lands the female lead in a major Hollywood production. But she trusted that her early auditions had gone well. Over two months, though, something shifted—her confidence gave way to nerves, and each subsequent performance felt weaker to her. De Palma eventually broke the news: “It’s just not gonna work out.” Her response? A calm “I know, man. I’m sorry.” She thought it was the end of the road.
The game-changing screen test
Then came an unexpected second chance: a screen test. It was the restaurant scene, one of the most iconic in the film, where Elvira lashes out, on the edge of breaking down. Thinking she had nothing to lose, Pfeiffer walked into the test with a light heart—and that ended up making all the difference. “It was the best performance I gave for the film,” she said. To read Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton face off in 2026’s Apex trailer
And then came the moment no one could have scripted. In the intensity of the scene, Pfeiffer angrily swiped everything off the table: dishes, glasses, chaos. When it was over, blood was everywhere. At first, everyone assumed she had cut herself. But it turned out she’d sliced open Pacino’s hand. “I cut Al,” she said. That incident, strangely enough, may have changed the actor’s mind. “I think that was the day he was like, ‘Yeah, yeah. I think she’s not bad.’”
As a viewer, knowing this behind-the-scenes moment gives the scene even more rawness. Her rage felt heartbreakingly real. And now we know — it kind of was.
Understanding Elvira’s place in Scarface
Elvira Hancock is more than just Tony Montana’s arm candy. She’s trapped in her own downward spiral, disillusioned by wealth and numbed by drugs. Pfeiffer’s performance brought elegance, coldness, and decay to the character — a balance not easy to achieve. Watching that role today, it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing her.
Some context for those less familiar:
- Scarface was released in 1983, directed by Brian De Palma and written by Oliver Stone.
- Tony Montana, played by Pacino, is a Cuban immigrant who rises to power in Miami’s drug underworld.
- Elvira is the girlfriend of Tony’s boss before becoming Tony’s wife — and one of the first indicators of his self-destructive path.
- The film was divisive at the time but has gone on to become a cult classic.
I’ve always felt that Pfeiffer in Scarface was one of those roles that sneaks up on you. She doesn’t have the loudest lines or biggest scenes, but she haunts the film. Knowing how much she had to fight to win that place only deepens my respect for what she did. To read Ranking Shyamalan’s Hits: Which Film Defines His Legacy?
Stories like these remind us how much of filmmaking lies in the unpredictable — a cut finger, a second chance, and a moment of raw truth that changes everything.
