“I Think I Just Said Yes.” Thanks to Julia Roberts' 3 Words to Richard Gere, Pretty Woman Was Such a Huge Success
It only took 3 words from Julia Roberts for Pretty Woman to get all the missing pieces needed for the success of this romantic comedy.
Pretty Woman was a surprising success, becoming a cult romantic comedy that captivated audiences around the world. The duo of Richard Gere and Julia Roberts were perfect for the story and largely determined the success of the production directed by Garry Marshall.
The person to whom this film owes a lot is Julia Roberts herself, who not only played one of the leading roles, but also convinced Gere with just three words to accept the role in the 1990 film. The actress met with him before Gere was cast.
The actor on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon talked about how the director introduced them to each other and left them alone to talk to each other. In turn, he later called to see how things were going – at which point Roberts pulled an ace out of her sleeve, and Gere accepted the role.
But I remember Julia came to see me in New York and he said, “Richard, Julia is – she's good.” So, she came to Nwe York and she is sitting in my office. Garry introduced us and he left. And he called back like 45 minutes later. So, I’m talking to Garry, and she’s on the other side of the desk, and she’s writing something on one of my post-its there in the middle of it. And then she turns around and puts it. And I read it. It says, “Please say yes.” So I said, “Garry, I think I just said yes.”
That much and getting to know Julia Roberts was enough for Richard Gere to join the project. The rest, however, is history. The actors formed an unforgettable duo on screen, which, directed by Marshall, ensured the success of this seemingly small production, making it a huge hit.
It's hard to say whether this would have worked if Roberts hadn't persuaded Gere to accept the role in Pretty Woman.
More:“They Were Angry.” Iconic Scene from Top Gun Almost Got Director Tony Scott Fired