Richard Gere jokes about 'sexy scene' with Julia Roberts in 'Pretty Woman'

Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. Pics/AFP

Richard Gere, renowned for his role in the 1990 classic 'Pretty Woman', provided an engaging glimpse into his iconic performance during a masterclass at the 81st Venice Film Festival on Sunday.

The actor, who recently celebrated his 75th birthday, charmed the audience with candid reflections on his career and his memorable role as Edward Lewis, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Gere's appearance at the festival was marked by a celebration of his contributions to cinema, including a heartfelt moment when he was shown a clip from his debut film, 'Days of Heaven' (1978).

The actor expressed deep emotion, highlighting his son Homer's budding acting career.

"I think I'm only a little bit older [in 'Days of Heaven'] than him and he's starting his career as an actor now. And he's really good. He's really good," Gere remarked, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The highlight of Gere's masterclass came when a clip from 'Pretty Woman' was screened.

The scene, featuring a sensual piano interaction between Gere's character and Julia Roberts' Vivian Ward, elicited enthusiastic applause and swoons from the audience.

Reflecting on the iconic moment, Gere humorously stated, "I mean, no chemistry. This actor and this actress obviously had no chemistry between them... I haven't seen that in a long time. That's a sexy scene."

Despite the on-screen chemistry, Gere modestly critiqued his character, noting it was "criminally underwritten," describing him as "basically a suit and a good haircut," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Gere also shared intriguing behind-the-scenes details about the film.

He revealed that the piano scene was improvised, showcasing his own musical talents.

"And Garry said to me, 'What do you do at late at night in a hotel?' And I said, 'Well, I'm usually jet lagged... 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.' So we just basically improvised this scene, and he said, 'Play something moody.' I just started playing something moody that was this character's interior life," he said.

Before the clip was shown, Gere humorously downplayed the film's impact, saying, "This is a movie, a very small movie with a wonderful director named Garry Marshall... We didn't know if anyone would ever see this little tiny movie. No one would ever pay attention to this little tiny movie."

Despite his modest remarks, 'Pretty Woman' has achieved remarkable success, grossing over USD 460 million globally and ranking as the fifth-highest-grossing film at the time of its release, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The masterclass, held at Master Point Arena inside the Tennis Club Venezia on the Lido, was moderated by Stephane Lerouge, an expert in film music and curator of the collection 'Ecoutez le Cinema'.

The event was part of Cartier's masterclass series on the Art and Craft of Cinema, which also featured sessions with Nicola Piovani and Claude Lelouch.

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