Numerous actresses turned down the iconic role of Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman, including Molly Ringwald, who found the story "icky," Daryl Hannah, who felt it was "degrading to women," Michelle Pfeiffer, who disliked the script's tone, and Meg Ryan, who simply said no. Other actresses considered or who passed included Karen Allen, Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly, Diane Lane, Valeria Golino, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kim Basinger, Melanie Griffith, Sharon Stone, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Patricia Arquette.
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.
Julia Roberts and Richard Gere are more than just onscreen lovers — they're good friends! The two actors starred as romantic interests in the '90s romantic comedies Pretty Woman and Runaway Bride — both directed by the late Garry Marshall — and have stayed in touch over the years.
Drew Barrymore, Patricia Arquette, Brooke Shields, Uma Thurman, and Kristin Davis also auditioned for the role of Vivian. Meg Ryan, who was the studio and Marshall's top choice, also turned it down.
Hughes actually tried to cast Ringwald and McCarthy as the film's leads, though both turned down the roles. Ringwald told The Atlantic, "I declined because I felt like the script wasn't strong enough and was too derivative of the other films I'd already made with John."
Several actresses turned down the lead role in Pretty Woman, most notably Molly Ringwald, who found the story "icky," along with Meg Ryan, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Diane Lane, while director Garry Marshall also initially had trouble casting because many stars were hesitant about the premise of a prostitute hired by a businessman.
The Most Beautiful Actresses of All Time
Revealing mistakes
When she rolls over, the line of an elastic band is visible across her stomach, revealing that Julia Roberts (or her body double) changed from briefs to the fancy underwear just before the scene.
Pretty Woman (1990) In the film, Edward gives Vivian a stunning diamond and ruby necklace to wear out to dinner. When he presents it to her, he jokingly snaps her hand with the box. This was actually a scene improvised by Gere, and Roberts's reaction was totally spontaneous.
Winger, known for her intensity, reportedly clashed with Gere's more laid-back approach. She once described him as a "brick wall" to act with. These off-screen tensions may have even fueled the film's emotional core, adding a layer of realism to their on-screen romance.
Julia Roberts and George Clooney have a friendship for the ages! The pair first met in 2000, before they teamed up for Ocean's Eleven, and have since worked on a total of six movies together, most recently Ticket to Paradise. "We became instant friends," Roberts told Jimmy Kimmel of meeting Clooney for the first time.
Actor Richard Gere was hospitalized with pneumonia in February 2023 while on vacation in Mexico, though he quickly recovered after treatment with antibiotics and was released from the hospital the next day, according to reports from his wife, Alejandra Gere. The illness was part of a larger family sickness that had been ongoing for weeks, affecting everyone, with Gere and his youngest son getting pneumonia and others dealing with respiratory infections.
Several actresses turned down the lead role in Pretty Woman, most notably Molly Ringwald, who found the story "icky," along with Meg Ryan, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Diane Lane, while director Garry Marshall also initially had trouble casting because many stars were hesitant about the premise of a prostitute hired by a businessman.
Off-camera, Selleck and San Giacomo grew genuinely close. He admired her grit and emotional courage; she found in him a calming presence and a protective brotherly warmth. Cast and crew often said you could feel their respect in every scene — it lifted the film beyond a simple Western.
And if for the whole world, Richard Gere is a famous sex symbol, then for him, Alejandra is the only woman who changed his life and gave him the happiness to know true love. Richard Gere is not afraid to talk about his happiness - it overwhelms him completely.
Did you know that, when filming The Pelican Brief, Denzel Washington declined the opportunity to kiss Julia Roberts because he didn't want to offend moviegoers who'd have issues with seeing interracial relationships?
A jury consisting of 1,500 film artists, critics, and historians selected "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn", spoken by Clark Gable as Rhett Butler in the 1939 American Civil War epic Gone with the Wind, as the most memorable American movie quotation of all time.
Yes, Julia Roberts used a body double, Shelley Michelle, for the iconic movie poster and for some of the more revealing shots in Pretty Woman, where her head was superimposed onto Michelle's body, though Roberts herself performed many scenes. Michelle was used for the physically demanding or revealing scenes, like the poster shot with the thigh-high boots, and even for scenes like the initial bathtub scene where Roberts' hair color was stripped by the water, according to Vogue and other sources.
There's no single "most seductive actress" as it's subjective, but popular choices often cited in magazines and online lists include Scarlett Johansson, Megan Fox, Jessica Alba, and Angelina Jolie, alongside classic figures like Elizabeth Taylor, with recent stars like Ana de Armas also gaining prominence, often based on magazine rankings (like FHM, Esquire) and audience polls.
Naturally beautiful actresses
It was one of Gable's final films, as he died of a heart attack two years later, in November 1960, at the age of 59. Day always spoke of her co-star with great affection. Describing his unique personality, she said he was “as masculine as any man I've ever known”.
Brando was simply annoyed at Leigh's typically British manners and stuffiness. The two acting giants eventually became friends as the shoot progressed. Brando's dead-on perfect imitations of Leigh's then-husband Laurence Olivier's Henry V did much to break the ice between the two.
When One Direction guest starred on iCarly back in 2012, there was a kiss scene written between Harry Styles and Miranda Cosgrove. But in a move that had people talking behind the scenes, Harry turned it down because Niall Horan had a crush on Miranda at the time.