Princewill Pius
Although playing a prostitute onscreen can lead to acclaim, it was a risky move for Julia Roberts when she was still making her name in Hollywood. In 1991, she admitted to Entertainment Weekly of the star-making role in Pretty Woman. “[W]hen people indicate that I knew what I was getting into, I say, ‘You must be mad!'”
But simply playing a professional companion wasn’t the only risk that Roberts took. To prepare for the part, she spent time with real-life working girls, which was arranged by Barbara Marshall, the wife of the movie’s director Garry Marshall. “I recruited two young women … and I paid them $35 each to meet with Julia,” Barbara told Page Six in 2019. Soon, “Julia yelled from the end of the hall, ‘Bye, Barbara. We’re going to take a drive.'” Barbara panicked and called Garry, saying, “Your star just left with a group of girls, and I think they were heading to Hollywood Boulevard. … What if she doesn’t come back?” Obviously, Roberts did return, surely to the relief of the Marshalls.
However, things didn’t smooth over when the movie was released. The story faced criticism, such as Entertainment Weekly‘s review, which stated, “Pretty Woman pretends to be about how love transcends money, but … is really obsessed with status symbols. It’s saying Roberts’ character becomes a better person when she lands a rich guy and learns to cry at the opera.” Oof.
Written by: Nicki
