Pretty Woman was a career igniting role for Julia Roberts, but she doesn't think the film would get made today. The much-loved rom-com tells the story of a prostitute who is whisked off her feet by a wealthy businessman. The unlikely pair fall in love and live happily ever after.
“I don’t really think you could make that movie now, right?” Roberts said in an interview with the Guardian. “So many things you could poke a hole in, but I don’t think it takes away from people being able to enjoy it.”
The film has been criticised for its wildly unrealistic portrayal of prostitution and sexual power dynamics. Roberts only secured the role after eight other actresses had turned it down.
“It really is not a measure of talent, particularly in the beginning," she said. "It’s a measure of good fortune – and being able to have your wits about you enough to make something out of that good fortune.”
The actress also revealed that she initially didn't like the Notting Hill script, and only agreed to do the movie upon meeting the film-makers. Today, she describes the rom-com as a "little jewel of a movie”.
“I did not want to do that movie,” says Roberts. “The pitch of it sounds awful, right? Do you want to come and play the world’s biggest movie star and then fall in love with the bookshop owner? No!”
