Being a veteran of stage and artier screen drama who made a name for himself through acclaimed films like Days of Heaven and American Gigolo, Pretty Woman wasn’t exactly Richard Gere’s type of movie. Known for making Julia Roberts a movie star, the rom-com was one of the biggest hits of the ’90s, and even after three decades, it remains one of the most beloved movies the genre has to offer.
But unlike fans, who look back fondly at the movie that made Roberts an icon, Gere has no affection for it whatsoever and even expressed that the silly rom-com is not even worth remembering.
Pretty Woman Is Not Worth Remembering For Richard Gere
Considering it was a far cry from his usual works, Richard Gere hated working on Pretty Woman and wouldn’t have taken the gig if it wasn’t for Julia Roberts and late director Garry Marshall. Gere hated the fact that it glamorized greedy bankers and hated his character Edward Lewis as he didn’t find the part of the well-dressed Wall Streeter multidimensional. And being a “pretty intense” guy himself, molding into the lighthearted nature of the character wasn’t particularly easy.
But despite his revolt against the movie itself, the actor expressed that the silly rom-com isn’t even worth remembering, stating, “I’ve forgotten it”. Gere told Woman’s Day (via The Washington Post),
“People ask me about that movie but I’ve forgotten it. That was a silly romantic comedy… It made those guys seem dashing, which was wrong. Thankfully, today, we are all more skeptical of those guys.”
Fortunately, this wasn’t the last of Garry Marshall, Julia Roberts, and Richard Gere’s collab, as in ’99 the trio would once again unite for Runaway Bride, another hit rom-com that fans keep on revisiting.
Richard Gere’s Edward Died Shortly After Pretty Woman Said Julia Roberts
Revisiting the movie that made her a movie star, Julia Roberts shared her thoughts on what the characters of Pretty Women would be up to these days. And to Gere’s delight, the character that he despised playing is most probably dead per Roberts, who explained Richard Gere’s character Edward died peacefully after the movie. She told CBS Mornings,
“I think he (Edward) passed away peacefully in his sleep from a heart attack, smiling. And now she runs his business,”
Ironically, before Disney swooped in, the initial draft by J.F. Lawton for Pretty Woman was darker and grittier, a commentary on class and economic imbalance, which seems like Gere’s cup of tea.
Pretty Woman is available to rent on Apple TV.
