The Breakfast Club star Molly Ringwald explains why she turned down the lead role in Pretty Woman, which later went to Julia Roberts.

molly ringwald

The Breakfast Club star Molly Ringwald was once up for the leading role in 1990’s Pretty Woman, which was famously played by Julia Roberts.

While speaking to The Guardian about her star-making roles in John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink, Ringwald revealed that she once had the opportunity to star in Garry Marshall’s Pretty Woman, a Cinderella story about a sex worker named Vivian who falls in love with a wealthy businessman (played by Richard Gere). Ringwald, however, felt the part was out of her league. “Julia Roberts was wonderful in it, but I didn’t really like the story,” she said. “Even then, I felt like there was something icky about it.”

At the height of her career, Ringwald was considered part of Hollywood’s Brat Pack, which included young stars such as Ally Sheedy, Demi Moore and Rob Lowe, among others. Ringwald also added that she felt type-cast by her previous film roles. “I didn’t really feel like darker roles were available to me,” she said. “The ones that I wanted to do, I didn’t get. I was too young for certain roles. I was at this weird in-between stage.”

Such a persona caused Ringwald to seek out less glamorous roles in films such as 1987’s The Pick-Up Artist with Robert Downey, Jr. and 1988’s For Keeps and Fresh Horses.

She added that she was passed on for a role in 1988’s Working Girl because director Mike Nichols said the character she auditioned for needed “to be at that moment where you feel the pain. You have your whole life ahead of you — nobody’s going to believe that of you.'”

The Original, Dark Script For Pretty Woman

When the script for Pretty Woman was initially offered to Ringwald, it was in its earliest stages. Written by J.F. Lawton, the screenplay was at the time titled $3,000 and was a drama about a cocaine-addicted prostitute paid by a wealthy businessman to spend time with him for a week.

The dark nature of the story is what attracted Marshall to helm the picture for Disney. Apart from Ringwald, stars like Daryl Hannah and Michelle Pfeiffer also passed on playing Vivian.

The script was later rewritten as a romantic comedy, with Roberts landing the part following her performance in 1989’s Steel Magnolias. “Julia Roberts is what makes that movie,” Ringwald said. “It was her part. Every actor hopes for a part that lets them shine like that.”