Apparently, Gere used to walk around the set a lot when they started filming Pretty Woman. It got to the point where the director even had to have a word with him and actually ask him to please stay still!
Funnily enough, director Garry Marshall supposedly said, “No, no, no. Richard. In this movie, one of you moves. And one of you doesn’t. Guess which one you are?”
Box Office Hit
Far from its original storyline, "Pretty Woman" has become the top-grossing R-rated film ever to be produced by Disney. It ranked third among the highest-grossing films in 1990, generating $463.4 million at the box office, and holds the highest sales in tickets among romantic comedy films in the US.
The movie broke records and made Julia Roberts famous, opening up many more doors for her.
Southern Accents
There are scenes in the movie where Julia Roberts’ Southern twang becomes considerably noticeable, and this got the attention of the director. When Vivian was at the elevator and exclaimed, “Well, color me happy,” and such similar scenarios, Garry Marshall knew he had to do something about it, so he added bits of details in the script that would cover it.
The story now says Vivian originally comes from the state of Georgia (like Julia Roberts herself, who was born in Smyrna, Georgia) and moved to Los Angeles, where she met Edward.
Meg Ryan Almost Played Vivian
Both Disney and Garry Marshall wanted Meg Ryan to play the role of Vivian. The director thought she was perfect for the part, but when offered, Ryan turned it down. Let's not forget that the year was 1990, and Meg Ryan was still enjoying the worldwide success that came with the beloved film "When Harry Met Sally."
Apparently, Ryan didn't want to damage the "good girl" image that the famous rom-com helped her establish, and so declined to star in "Pretty Woman." Ryan went on to become the "it" girl of the 90s, starring in major films like "You've Got Mail," "Sleepless in Seattle," and "City of Angels." We're happy she did because we can't imagine anyone other than Julia Roberts as the beautiful Vivian.
Kristin Davis, Sandra Bullock, and Sarah Jessica Parker Turned Down the Role
It's not so farfetched to imagine the beautiful "Sex and the City" girls, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kristin Davis, playing Vivian in "Pretty Woman," isn't it? Well, they almost did! And so did Sandra Bullock! Apparently, Parker, Bullock, and Davis were sought out by the director, but after reading the script, they turned it down.
You have to remember that, as we mentioned above, the original script was much darker than what ended up on the screen. Back in the 90s, when these women were cementing their reputation as big Hollywood actresses, no one wanted to be seen as a working girl in a debut role. Guess the joke was on them since "Pretty Woman" ended up becoming a 90s classic. Not to mention the box office success it had. Sorry, ladies.