It was equally hard to find a male lead actor to play Edward Lewis’ role. Richard Gere wasn’t impressed with the character, and others thought it wasn’t interesting enough to showcase their talents. It was turned down by many actors, and Gere was on the verge of making the same decision.
Any so-so actor in a fancy suit could be Edward, he thought, but what made him change his mind?
Dye Job
Julia Roberts looked nice and cool in the extra bubbly tub, and that’s because they didn’t use regular bubble bath for it. After a few times, Roberts had to submerge in the water for the scene, her red hair dye started to fade.
The detergent was strong and very bubbly, and after the shoot, her hair had to be re-dyed again for losing much of its redness.
Comic Relief
Vivian Ward was waiting in the room as the hotel manager spoke on the phone, but Roberts saw it as an opportunity to improvise and insert some comedy. As she waited, she kept blowing her nose, which worked with the audience, but she regrets it now.
She doesn’t think the acting was funny now and even thinks it's gross and unnatural to her. But that’s what fans love about Vivian. Who cares about a prim version of her?
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.