We all remember Pretty Woman for the incredible romantic comedy that it is, and recently, leading man Richard Gere sat down to share some behind-the-scenes info about the iconic film. In particular, he shared some interesting facts about the piano scene, like how it was the product of improvisation. A Pretty Woman without the piano scene? BIG MISTAKE!
The appeal of Pretty Woman
Pretty Woman, released in 1990, is a romantic comedy directed by Garry Marshall and produced by Arnon Milchan. It stars Julia Roberts as Vivian Ward, a spirited prostitute, and Richard Gere as Edward Lewis, a wealthy businessman. The plot revolves around the unlikely romance between Vivian and Edward after he hires her to accompany him to social events for a week. Their relationship slowly evolves from a business arrangement into a genuine romantic connection, forcing them to challenge what they want in their lives.
It crushed at the box office
The film was a massive commercial success, grossing over $463 million worldwide against a modest budget of $14 million. Roberts’ performance was particularly praised, earning her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress and an Academy Award nomination, which catapulted her to stardom. Over time, Pretty Woman has become one of the most beloved romantic comedies of all time.
Gere recently blushed rewatching the piano scene
Recently, Gere (now 75) sat down with fans at a masterclass hosted at the Venice Film Festival, where he rewatched the steamy piano scene between him and Roberts (now 56). Getting a bit flustered, he joked, “No chemistry. I mean, this actor and this actress, obviously, had no chemistry between them… I haven’t seen that in a long time, too. It was a sexy, sexy scene.”
Remembering the piano scene
In the scene, Edward beautifully plays the piano in the ballroom of the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in the middle of the night. Vivian, who had fallen asleep watching I Love Lucy on the television, finds him there while wearing a bathrobe. As she approaches, Edward asks the staff to leave them alone and sits her on top of the piano. Then, things begin to get intimate between the two characters.
The scene was improvised
As it turns out, the piano scene was actually improvised. “This was never in the script. … We didn’t know how we would use it later. It ended up being integral to the film,” Gere revealed. “We just basically improvised this scene. I just started playing something moody that was about this character’s interior life.” He explained how the idea for the scene came to him after Marshall asked him to imagine what his character would do while staying at a hotel.
Gere tried to add depth to the character
Gere joked that he found himself “playing a character that was almost criminally underwritten. It was basically a suit and a good haircut.” The piano scene is what added a new layer to Edward. He explained how it is in this scene that Vivian “was able to see him in a complete different way. There was a mysterious yearning and maybe a damaged quality to this guy that she didn’t know.”
The film’s success was a surprise
While it may seem obvious to us that Pretty Woman has become one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time, Gere and others involved in the production of the film, including Roberts and Marshall, were shocked at its positive reception. They couldn’t have guessed that the film would reach the heights that it did. “We were having fun making this. The whole time we made the movie, we didn’t know if anyone would ever see this,” he said.
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Well, people did see it, and they loved it!