Richard Gere celebrated his 75th birthday in style on Saturday, August 31, by leading a masterclass at the 81st Venice International Film Festival. During the session, the legendary actor revisited one of the most iconic moments from the 1990 romantic comedy Pretty Woman: the steamy hotel piano scene with Julia Roberts, told People.
The scene, in which Gere’s character Edward Lewis undresses Roberts’ Vivian Ward by the piano, received roaring applause from the audience. Gere, however, approached the moment with humor and sarcasm.
“I mean, no chemistry,” the actor quipped, as laughter filled the room. “This actor and this actress obviously had no chemistry between them,” he added, cheekily referring to the undeniable on-screen connection that has become a hallmark of the beloved film.
Reflecting on the scene, Gere admitted he hadn’t watched it in a while but still found it impactful. “That’s a sexy scene,” he said. Sharing a behind-the-scenes tidbit, Gere revealed that the piano scene wasn’t originally part of the script but was added to explore his character’s “interior life.”
Gere humorously described Edward as “almost criminally underwritten,” stating, “It was basically a suit and a good haircut.” To add more depth to the character, Gere and Pretty Woman director Garry Marshall conceived the intimate piano scene, inspired by the actor’s own habits while staying in hotels.
Marshall asked him, “What do you do late at night in a hotel?” Gere recalled responding, “Well, I’m usually jet-lagged [that] would be the time I’m in a hotel. So I’m up all night, and usually, there’s a ballroom somewhere or a bar, and I’ll find a piano and I’ll play the piano.” From there, Marshall suggested, “Well, let’s do something with that”, as per Entertainment Weekly.
Pretty Woman, a career-defining film for both Gere and Roberts, tells the story of a stern businessman who hires a sex worker to pose as his girlfriend for a week. What begins as a transactional relationship gradually evolves into genuine love, complicating their arrangement.
Looking back, Gere reminisced about the film’s humble beginnings: “We were having fun making this little tiny movie,” he said. “We didn’t know if anyone would ever see this little tiny movie. No one would ever pay attention to this little tiny movie.”
Yet, Pretty Woman defied all expectations, becoming a massive success and grossing over $463 million globally by 2024. Last year, Julia Roberts added her own whimsical take on what happened to the characters, telling CBS Mornings, “I think [Edward] passed away peacefully in his sleep from a heart attack, smiling. And now she runs his business.”