Richard Gere jokes he had 'no chemistry' with Julia Roberts in 'Pretty Woman'

VENICE, ITALY: Richard Gere celebrated his 75th birthday on Saturday, August 31, by leading a masterclass at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, where he revisited a key scene from 'Pretty Woman', the cherished 1990 rom-com.

The scene was none other than the steamy hotel piano moment, in which his character Edward Lewis is seen undressing Julia Roberts' Vivian Ward. 

Edward and Vivian's 'sexy' piano scene was improvised 

Richard Gere served his own dose of sarcasm as the scene was met with roaring applause during the masterclass. 

"I mean, no chemistry," jested the 75-year-old, laughing off the heat of the moment. "This actor and this actress obviously had no chemistry between them," continued Gere, in a cheeky reference to the sizzling on-screen connection that fans adore.

"I haven’t seen that in a long time. That’s a sexy scene," mused the actor. Revealing some behind-the-scenes insight, he shared that the scene wasn’t a part of the original script and was conceived later to delve into Edward’s "interior life."

Richard Gere says the piano scene brought depth to Edward's character

Reflecting on his role, Richard Gere humorously described his character as "almost criminally underwritten. It was basically a suit and a good haircut." To add depth, he and director Garry Marshall devised the intimate piano scene, inspired by Gere’s own nocturnal habits during hotel stays.

"Garry said to me, ‘What do you do at late at night in a hotel?'" recalled Gere, adding, "And I said, '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.' He said, 'Well, let’s do something with that,'" as per Entertainment Weekly.

Julia Roberts envisions her version of Vivian and Edward's future

'Pretty Woman', a career-defining film for both actors, features Richard Gere as a stern businessman who hires a sex worker (Julia Roberts) to pose as his girlfriend at various work events over a single week.

In classic rom-com style, the pretend relationship gradually evolves into genuine love, complicating their arrangement as they grapple with their true feelings.

"We were having fun making this little tiny movie," reminisced Gere about the film’s modest beginnings. He added,  "We didn’t know if anyone would ever see this little tiny movie. No one would ever pay attention to this little tiny movie."

Little did they know, 'Pretty Woman' would become the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time, amassing over $463 million globally by 2024. 

Last year, Roberts added her own twist to the story, sharing with Gayle King on 'CBS Mornings' her version of Vivian and Edward’s future.

She expressed, "I think he passed away peacefully in his sleep from a heart attack, smiling. And now she runs his business."