Molly Ringwald Says of Turning Down the Lead Role in PRETTY WOMAN - "I Felt Like There Was Something Icky About It"

One of the biggest “almost cast” stories in Hollywood history is the one of actress Molly Ringwald turning down the role of Vivian Ward in the cult classic Pretty Woman. The part ended up famously going to Academy Award-winner, Julia Roberts, who ended up getting an Oscar nomination for playing the sex worker with a heart of gold.

Now Ringwald, who is most famous for her roles in the 80s teen films Sixteen Candles, Pretty In Pink and Breakfast Club, is finally speaking out about why she turned down the part that could have launched her career to another level.

Ringwald said in a recent interview with UK media outlet The Guardian:

“Julia Roberts was wonderful in it, but I didn’t really like the story. Even then, I felt like there was something icky about it.”

Pretty Woman tells the story of a sex worker (Roberts) who is hired by a businessman, played by Richard Gere. Vivian then posed as his girlfriend for the duration of his business trip, and they wind up falling in love. Ringwald felt the role didn’t fit her. She went on:

“I didn’t really feel like darker roles were available to me. 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.”

This is the reason she believes that cost her roles in the films Working Girl and The Silence of the Lambs, both major hits. Ringwald went on to work in both movies and TV consistently, and has recently appeared in Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Riverdale, Feud, and The Bear.

via: Deadline