'Pretty Woman' Cast Reunites for 25th Anniversary

The cast and director of Pretty Woman reunite 25 years later. From left to right: Hector Elizondo, Laura San Giacomo, Garry Marshall, Matt Lauer, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.

It’s been 25 years since Richard Gere rescued Julia Roberts, and she rescued him right back. The cast of Pretty Woman, Garry Marshall’s Cinderella story about a wealthy businessman who falls in love with a prostitute, is celebrating the film’s anniversary with a reunion next week on NBC’s Today. In an interview airing on Tuesday, Roberts, Gere, co-stars Hector Elizondo and Laura San Giacomo — along with director Marshall — share behind-the-scenes stories about the classic romantic comedy with Matt Lauer.

Pretty Woman was a massive hit in 1990, breaking existing records for romantic-comedy ticket sales. (It’s still the #4 highest-grossing movie in the genre.) The film made a mega-star of Julia Roberts, who first grabbed audience’s attention with roles in Mystic Pizza (1988) and Steel Magnolias (1990). Not only did Pretty Woman nab Roberts her first Oscar nomination, but it restored Gere’s status as a hot leading man, which had been diminishing since 1982’s An Officer and a Gentleman.

In recent years, however, Gere has been dismissive of Pretty Woman, calling it “a silly romantic comedy” and “my least favorite thing.” In a Today interview last year, Roberts hinted that she was tired of fans talking to her about Pretty Woman (“I kind of go, ‘Another decade? Anything?’”), but admitted that she can still recite all of her classic lines from the film. The reunion segment airs Tuesday, March 24 on Today.

Image Credits: Buena Vista Pictures, NBC News/Today