Pretty Woman’s lead role went to various actresses before Julia Roberts ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
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After this, Julia Roberts snagged the role to launch her to global fame. It was a classic mix of talent, timing, and, let’s be honest, some seriously quirky Hollywood decisions.
Let’s start with Molly Ringwald. The teen queen of the 1980s (The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink) turned down Vivian because she felt “something icky about it.” She candidly told The Guardian that even back then, she sensed a story vibe that just didn’t sit right. Ringwald’s hesitation paved the way for others to test their luck—and face similar hurdles.
So who else tried to snag the role of Vivian? Let’s just say Disney and Garry Marshall, the director behind Pretty Woman, had some ambitious picks. Karen Allen was first in the mix. Then came Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly, and even Diane Lane. But each time, it just didn’t work out. Diane Lane almost got cast after costume fittings, but scheduling conflicts messed that up. Winona Ryder was deemed “too young.” The original script was also darker back then, which didn’t help.
Notably, Michelle Pfeiffer also said a hard pass, saying the script had the wrong “tone.” Meanwhile, Daryl Hannah refused the role, calling it “degrading to women.” Valeria Golino didn’t make the cut due to her thick Italian accent. Then there were names like Meg Ryan, Patricia Arquette, and Uma Thurman, who all auditioned but ultimately passed on Vivian Ward. Hollywood was playing Tetris with casting decisions, trying to fit the right actress into the role, but nothing clicked.
In the end, it was Julia Roberts, a then-unknown actress fresh from Mystic Pizza and the upcoming Steel Magnolias, who finally got the golden ticket to play Vivian. She was only 21 at the time, but her chemistry with Richard Gere, who played Edward Lewis, made Pretty Woman a hit for the ages. J. F. Lawton, the screenwriter, even suggested that the film’s famous happy ending was born out of the undeniable on-screen magic between Gere and Roberts.
Box office magic followed. The film earned a whopping $285 million worldwide, making Roberts a household name almost overnight. Her performance didn’t just make her famous—it made her an Oscar-nominated powerhouse, later securing her iconic roles in Erin Brockovich, where she became the first woman to earn a $20 million paycheck. Talk about a career glow-up.
Interestingly, while Roberts shot to stardom, Garry Marshall saw Pretty Woman as more than just a rom-com. It became a Hollywood phenomenon that highlighted how star power, script changes, and timing intersect in unpredictable ways. Each actress who passed on Vivian left a quirky, untold trail of Hollywood decisions that ultimately led to Roberts defining the role.
Even now, it’s a fascinating reminder of Hollywood’s unpredictability. Many actresses rejected the part not just because of the story but because of its tone, potential exploitation themes, and where they were in their careers. And, of course, it showcases the reality of Hollywood casting roulette—where chemistry, stories, and a bit of gut instinct decide who wears the star-making role.
So, while Molly Ringwald, Diane Lane, and others never got to be Vivian Ward, Julia Roberts made that role hers—and in doing so, reshaped rom-com history. Pretty Woman became a cultural touchstone, turning a quirky casting challenge into a career-launching moment for Roberts. Hollywood magic, after all, is about taking risks, defying odds, and trusting that sometimes, everything just… clicks.
