had wanted a more famous actor to play the elder Baker, but Jeff lobbied for him. After sharing the script with him and insisting that he read it, Beau was worried that the studio's resistance to cast him would threaten Jeff's prospects. Jeff encouraged Beau to show the studio a Polaroid of both brothers performing street theatre when they were teenagers. Beau believes the photograph solidified his casting. Jeff believes acting opposite his brother helped make their characters' relationship and chemistry more convincing to audiences. Because Beau's character is balding in the script, Jeff shaved a bald patch onto the back of Beau's head for the film. The Fabulous Baker Boys was the first and only time Jeff and Beau appeared in the same film. While the film was under Hill's direction, Kloves suggested singer Whitney Houston for the female lead. Although Jeff believes he was the first actor cast in the film, Michelle Pfeiffer claims Kloves originally approached her five years before the film was made, but the studio was not interested in casting her at the time. Kloves clarified that although he had been interested in both Pfeiffer and Jeff from the beginning, Pfeiffer proved difficult to contact at the time, therefore he cast Jeff first in the interim. Without an actress secured for the female lead, both the cast and crew were momentarily concerned about the film's progress. Several actresses were considered for the role of lounge singer Susie Diamond, including Jodie Foster, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Debra Winger. Singer Madonna turned down the role because she found the film "too mushy". Despite liking the script, Pfeiffer was hesitant to commit to another film due to having just recently completed several prestigious projects in a row. She had originally planned to go on hiatus after filming Dangerous Liaisons (1988) until Kloves convinced her otherwise over the course of visiting her at her home for a week. Drawn to the character of Susie, the actress described her as "one of the most alive characters that I've played ... She's a purely emotional creature ... She's not afraid to take risks, and she doesn't lie to herself ... There's a purity in her honesty that I really respect." Kloves recalled that some of his peers were surprised by his choice in Pfeiffer because they doubted her comedic acting abilities, but the director maintains that "she was always funny and