10 interesting facts about Julia Roberts & Richard Gere’s Pretty Woman(Photo Credit –Prime Video)
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Pretty Woman is a movie ahead of its time. Released back on March 23, 1990, the film has stepped onto its 35th year in 2025, marking a milestone. While Richard Gere played Edward, a wealthy businessman, Vivian portrayed a prostitute in the rom-com. As per the storyline, Edward hires Vivian but falls miserably for her in the process. Since its release, Pretty Woman has been a cult classic in every sense.
But did you know before Julia and Richard got their parts, there were other actors in the race too, including Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, and Sarah Jessica? Yes, that’s right. There are more interesting facts about the movie. As it turned 35 this year, we have listed 10 such fun facts revolving around the film. Scroll ahead to find out.
In a 2015 interview with Vanity Fair, screenwriter J.F. Lawton talked about how the film Pretty Woman was made. He said, “The original script had gone to Sundance, it was prestigious, it was viewed as serious art, so it was allowed to touch into this area of sexuality and money and prostitution and all of that. It gave Hollywood permission to do it, and then [director] Garry [Marshall] was smart enough, because he’s got incredible pop instincts, to say, ‘OK, this is what people want to see — they want to see the fairy tale.’”
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Further explaining the casting of the movie, Lawton added, “They had auditioned Al Pacino, they had auditioned Michelle Pfeiffer, and it would definitely have been a different movie if had it been Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer. It might have been closer to the original script and maybe not have had a happy ending. But the chemistry between Julia and Gere, it is palpable on the screen, it was palpable in auditions. You can’t really see how it could end any other way, because they just light up with each other.”
Did you know the movie name was supposed to be $3000 before it got finalized as Pretty Woman? Yes, that’s right. Apparently, they wanted to have a reference in the name to how much money Edward paid to Vivian while hiring her. But thank God, they changed it to Pretty Woman.
Theme of the movie
It was going to be a dark movie. Initially, the storyline had shown Vivian as a drug addict before Disney came into the picture and got involved in the movie.
Other actresses who auditioned for Vivian
Many actresses took part in the audition for Vivian’s role. As per reports, from Sandra Bullock, Madonna, Drew Barrymore, Kristin Davis to Meg Ryan, and Sarah Jessica Parker – all were in the race. However, they all lost to Julia Roberts who finally became Vivian in Pretty Woman and won millions of hearts.
Did Molly Ringwald turn down the offer?
As per reports, Molly Ringwald was offered Vivian’s role in Pretty Woman. But, she had turned it down at that time. Later, in 2012, during a Reddit Q&A, the actress revealed, “Julia Roberts is what makes that movie. It was her part. Every actor hopes for a part that lets them shine like that.”
Original version didn’t have a happy ending
Yes, that’s true. As per the former studio head of Disney, Jeffrey Katzenberg, the original version of the movie was supposed to be quite dark. In a 2017 interview, Katzenberg shared, “As a script, Pretty Woman was an R-rated movie about a hooker on Hollywood Boulevard. By the way, in the original version — it’s pretty dark — I think she died of an overdose.”
Julia Roberts isn’t Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman’s poster
Did you know that Julia Roberts wasn’t present at the Pretty Woman poster shoot and that her head was actually Photoshopped onto her body double’s boy? Hilarious but true.
It wasn’t supposed to be the red dress
There were a lot of discussions regarding Roberts’ iconic opera dress. Apparently, costume designer Marilyn Vance pushed for the iconic red dress instead of a black one for Vivian at the opera event.
The jewelry box scene
Richard Gere had improvised the jewelry box scene as Marshall told him to wake Julia Roberts up as she was feeling tired. In a conversation with Entertainment Tonight in 2012, Marshall revealed what happened behind that slamming jewelry box scene and said, “I said, ‘Richard, you gotta wake her up a little, so when she reaches for the box, slam it.’ It was a soft box. I would never hurt her. We put it in … and it became like the trademark of the movie.”
Did you know Richard Gere wasn’t impressed with the Pretty Woman script?
Initially, Richard Gere thought the script of the movie was quite dull. He wasn’t very impressed with it and didn’t think it would receive such acclamation. When he was asked if he knew the film would achieve this amount of success, he told once, “It was a silly little script, and when it came to me, the part was a suit. It was like put someone in the suit, basically.”
Richard Gere the piano magician
Did you know the piano piece that Richard Gere played in the movie Pretty Woman was composed by him? Yes, you heard that right. He not only acted in the movie while playing it, he actually composed it himself. How amazing!
Well, these are the 10 interesting facts about Pretty Woman. Happy 35! If you haven’t watched this classic rom-com, stream it on Amazon Prime Video, now.
