10 Insane Skills Actors Learned For Movie Roles
7. Michelle Pfeiffer Learned How To Use A Whip (Batman Returns)
From a handy survival skill... to a skill that isn't handy in the slightest. Unless you're into some seriously weird stuff.
While Michelle Pfeiffer thankfully didn't go too method when transforming herself into Catwoman for Tim Burton's 1992 Batman sequel (licking her own butt, playing with balls of string, etc), she did fully commit herself to one particular aspect of her character's skillset: namely, Selina Kyle's proficiency with a whip.
According to the movie's weapons master and stunt choreographer Anthony De Longis, Pfeiffer became extremely confident when using a whip, so much so that she actually ended up doing all her own whip work, and even managed to pull off a few improvised moves that made it into the film.
For proof of how good Pfeiffer got with a whip, look at the scene in the film where she throws it around Christopher Walken's neck and pulls him in. According to De Longis, the actress did this for real, with no insert shots or cutaways required.
Now let's see Tom Cruise do that.