Why Julia Roberts wouldn't star in 'Pretty Woman' today
- - Why Julia Roberts wouldn't star in 'Pretty Woman' today
Edward Segarra, USA TODAYJanuary 6, 2026 at 10:48 AM
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"Pretty Woman" may be a rom-com classic, but has the beloved movie aged well for its star, Julia Roberts?
The Oscar-winning actress, who earned her Hollywood breakthrough with the offbeat 1990 romantic comedy, reflected on the film's legacy in an interview with Deadline published Tuesday, Jan. 6.
Roberts, then 23, starred as Vivian Ward, a sex worker who unexpectedly finds herself in a whirlwind romance with businessman Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) after being hired as his escort.
The film, written by J.F. Lawton, was originally titled "3,000" and initially conceived as a cautionary tale about class and prostitution in Los Angeles. However, after the original movie company folded, Buena Vista Pictures (now Walt Disney Studios) and director Garry Marshall took over and reformatted the gritty film as a romantic comedy.
Julia Roberts, right, and Richard Gere appear in a scene from the 1990 romantic comedy "Pretty Woman."
When asked if she would play the role today, Roberts told Deadline it would be "impossible," explaining, "I have too many years of the weight of the world inside of me now that I wouldn't be able to kind of levitate in a movie like that.
"I mean, not weight of the world, like, negative, but just all the things that we learn, all the things that we put in our pockets along the lane," Roberts, now 58, continued. "It would be impossible to play someone who was really innocent, in a way. I mean, it's a funny thing to say about a hooker, but I do think that there was an innocence to her. I guess it's just being young."
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"Pretty Woman" was a smash hit for Roberts upon its release. The film grossed $178.5 million worldwide and earned Roberts a Golden Globe for best actress in a comedy or musical film, as well as an Academy Award nomination for best actress in a leading role.
But Roberts acknowledged that views on the film, namely the "fairytale" portrayal of Vivian and Edward's romance, have changed, in part due to "cultural shifts."
"Think about all the movies and plays of the '20s and '30s and '40s — you would look at them now and just be like, 'How are people saying these things, doing these things?'" Roberts said. "I think these are the choices that we make as artists, as art appreciators and people that love to read books and go to the theater and yeah, times change, people change, ideas change."
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Roberts is all about innovation, but she has her reservations about artificial intelligence.
"I think it's interesting what AI can do for medicine, things like that. I think that's something that as a world we should be so proud of and interested in," Roberts told Deadline, although she noted she doesn't use the technology in her daily life.
"It's a slippery slope, right?" Roberts added. "Anytime you find that shortcut for something, and at first you go, 'Oh, this is great.' But is it?"
Julia Roberts attends The Gotham Awards at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City on Dec. 1, 2025.
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As for the presence of AI in Hollywood, Roberts said the generative technology ultimately can't replace the human touch in art.
"At the root of every book and play and movie and TV show and essay and article is someone's heart and soul," Roberts said. "And those are not manufacturable."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Julia Roberts weighs in on 'Pretty Woman' legacy, AI
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
