“Pretty Woman” is essentially the grown-up version of Cinderella, and it’s one of the most well-known rom-coms around the world. The movie isn’t just about love — it’s about Hollywood dreams, and this relatable theme turned it into an instant classic. If you’re a “Pretty Woman” fan, take a look at the film’s most surprising hidden secrets, as well as behind-the-scene whispers.
The title was meant to be different
The original title of the movie was supposed to be “$3000” which was the number that Vivian and Edward agreed on. Fortunately, the writers and producers of the movie decided that “Pretty Woman” was a much catchier choice.
The multi-talented Richard Gere
It turns out that Gere isn’t just a foxy salt-and-pepper actor with some incredible acting chops. Another one of his talents is that he can play the piano quite brilliantly. The music played on the piano scene by Gere was actually created by the actor himself — no stunt double is necessary.
Julia Roberts gives a straight answer
When she took part in an interview with the Guardian, the interviewer asked Julia Roberts if she thought the film “Pretty Woman” glorified the act of prostitution. Roberts handled the interview with grace, wit, and a sense of humor.
She responded, “What are you going to do? You can’t please everyone. That movie was a fairy tale. We did everything but put a glass slipper on. And I’ll tell you something else: for $3,000 a weekend, Richard Gere got a bargain.”
Demi Moore could have been Kit Deluca
Along with Julia Roberts, one of the most popular actresses of the time was Demi Moore. Demi was originally offered the role of Kit Deluca, but she declined the offer immediately without offering an explanation. Later on, Laura San Giacomo got the role, and it was clearly meant for her. We wonder if Demi has any regrets on this one!
Who was Laura San Giacomo?
The actress had worked with director Gary Marshall in the past and trusted the brunette beauty for the role right away. In one of her interviews, this is evident from her quote: “I remember him giving me room to fill moments, giving a direction, and then shouting rolling, no time to think too much, really demonstrating to me how much trust he had in what I would come up with on the spot.”
It was meant to be a darker movie
Rather than the fun romantic comedy that was the final product, the original concept of the movie was intended to show the dark side of business escorts in LA at a time when urban danger and substance addiction ran rampant. Instead, the producers decided to make things a little lighter.
A completely different ending
To the surprise of many, the shooting of “Pretty Woman” started without an ending being written. As a result, lots of improvisation happened on set. In one alternative ending, Vivian was meant to overdose rather than get a happy ending. This was a very controversial discussion that happened behind the scenes, but the scene where Vivian describes her desire to be like a princess rescued from a tower ended up sticking.
Movie mistakes
Errors are common in movies, and “Pretty Woman” is no exception. One of the biggest ones is when Vivian takes off Edward’s tie, leaving the room afterward for a moment. When she returns just a second later, his tie is magically intact.
Another error happened when Vivian ate a croissant in one scene. But in an instant, it turned into a tiny pancake.
The famous red dress
As many viewers remember, Vivian wore a famous red dress to the opera that she was smoldering in. Originally, the dress was intended to be black, but costume designer Marilyn Vance was convinced that a red dress would be more breathtaking, and she was correct. Still, she created three dresses for that scene, and the red one won the top spot.
A familiar storyline?
The storyline of “Pretty Woman” was the exact same as in an opera called “La Traviata,” where a prostitute falls for a rich man. Funnily enough, this opera was the one that Edward and Vivian went to see in the movie when she wore that famous red dress.
Who almost stole Richard Gere’s role?
Although the cast ended up being perfect, Gere had some competition with other actors who wanted the role, including Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Christopher Reeve. After the auditions, the casting director chose Richard Gere. Still, Al Pacino almost got the role but claimed to be too busy.
A sweet and romantic note
When he was trying to figure out whether he wanted the role of Edward or Not, Gere was on the phone with a producer who offered the gig. At the time, Gere was talking to Julia, and after she passed him a written note that said, “Please Say Yes,” he gave in and accepted.
Making Julia laugh
The director did everything he could to get the perfect scene, including tickling Julia Roberts’ feet to make her laugh. In the scene where she’s watching “I Love Lucy,” he did this to make her laugh more naturally, and since the actress was very ticklish, it worked!
The bubble bath scene
During the bubble bath scene, Julia stuck her head underwater, and director Gary Marshall had everyone run off the set as a prank so Julia would be by herself when her head popped up again. Another fun fact: the bath had so many bubbles due to detergent, and they used so much that Julia’s hair dye started to bleed. They had to re-dye it the same day!
Body doubles on the poster
Editing photos was popular, even in the 1990s. On the “Pretty Woman” poster, they gave Gere black hair, and gave Julia Roberts an entirely new body. The body belongs to her double, Shelley Michelle. Julia’s head was just superimposed on it.
