By now, everyone knows that “Pretty Woman,” which came quite early in Roberts’ career, is the movie that established her as a true Hollywood heavyweight. Not only did she win a Golden Globe and score an Academy Award nomination for playing sex worker Vivian Ward — who agrees to spend a few days with businessman Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) and pose as his girlfriend — but thanks to her earnest, winning performance in the movie, she became America’s sweetheart.
After that, Roberts’ career took off. Not only did she end up winning an Oscar ten years after “Pretty Woman” — for her title role as the intrepid real-life lawyer in Erin Brockovich — she became a queen of romantic comedies. She worked with Marshall again on “Runaway Bride”. She also headlined modern-day classics like “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and “Notting Hill,” eventually joining ensemble films like the “Ocean’s” franchise while she became one of the biggest movie stars on the planet.
Julia Roberts is a Hollywood mainstay now, appearing in more romantic comedies like “Ticket to Paradise” and headlining the new Netflix film “Leave the World Behind” — and it’s partly thanks to Garry Marshall’s corny jokes, apparently.
