Richard Gere Jokes He Had “No Chemistry” With Julia Roberts in ‘Pretty Woman’

As a seasoned gamer who has spent countless hours immersed in the digital world, I must say that Richard Gere’s masterclass at the Venice Film Festival was like stepping into a cinematic quest of epic proportions. The way he reminisced about his life and career, from his first film role in “Days of Heaven” to the steamy scene in “Pretty Woman,” felt like traversing through different levels of a game.

For many years, the character from “Pretty Woman” helped establish Richard Gere as a highly attractive leading man in Hollywood. However, the actor confessed that it’s been a while since he last rewatched his portrayal in this iconic film.

On Sunday, the star delivered a lecture at a masterclass during the 81st Venice Film Festival, focusing on the techniques and skills involved in creating films through performances, scriptwriting, cinematography, music composition, and sound editing.

Kicking things off, we acknowledged that George had turned 75 on Saturday, prompting the enthusiastic audience to cheer “Happy Birthday”. Gratefully accepting their well-wishes, he thanked everyone.

Throughout the masterclass, personal moments abounded as the actor was treated to a clip from his debut film, “Days of Heaven” (1978), which moved him deeply enough to confess being emotional. He promptly highlighted his son, Homer, and requested him to rise for the audience. “I’m barely older than he is in ‘Days of Heaven,’ and he’s embarking on his acting career now. And let me tell you, he’s incredibly talented. He’s truly good.”

However, it was the scene from the 1990 romantic comedy that garnered the most cheers and even a few swoons at the Venezia Tennis Club. This particular moment depicted Gere’s character, Edward – a wealthy businessman – playing the piano while Vivian, a sex worker portrayed by Julia Roberts, entered. An intense exchange followed as Edward removed Vivian’s clothing and positioned her on the piano, exploring her body with his hands.

The actor humorously comments, “There’s no chemistry here,” causing laughter from the audience. It seems clear that this actor and actress lacked a connection on-screen… I can’t remember the last time I saw such a sexually charged scene. However, even Gere admitted that his character was poorly developed: “It was just a suit and a good hairstyle,” he confessed.

The scene was tailored to showcase Richard Gere’s piano skills, which he mentioned during a chat with director Garry Marshall. According to Gere, their conversation went like this: “Garry asked me, ‘What do you usually do late at night in a hotel?'” Gere replied, “Well, I often suffer from jet lag, so when I’m in a hotel, it’s usually late and I’m awake. I can typically find a ballroom or a bar with a piano, and I’ll play.” Garry then said, “Let’s use that in the movie.” So, we essentially improvised this scene, and he instructed me to play something melancholic. I simply started playing a melancholic tune that represented the character’s inner feelings.

Prior to the video playback, he also made light of the film’s response. “This is a modest movie directed by a great man named Garry Marshall,” Gere started off. “We were enjoying making this small, insignificant movie. We didn’t expect anyone to notice our small, unimportant movie. Nobody would care about our small, negligible movie.”

By 2024, the movie “Pretty Woman” had earned more than $460 million globally at the box office, making it the fifth highest-grossing film ever upon its release.

The event, which took place at Master Point Arena within Tennis Club Venezia on the Lido on a Sunday morning, was led by Stepháne Lerouge, an expert in film music and curator of the record collection Ecoutez le cinema. This conversation with Gere was part of Cartier’s masterclass series, focusing on the Art and Craft of Cinema.

Additionally, other masterclass sessions offered by the prestigious jewelry brand feature esteemed figures such as Nicola Piovani, a composer renowned for his work on “Life Is Beautiful,” and Claude Lelouch, who was honored with the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker award.

2024-09-01 13:24

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