Julia Roberts Thinks Richard Gere's 'Pretty Woman' Character is Dead

Don't worry, she's got big plans for Vivian.

julia roberts pretty woman touchstone
(Image credit: Touchstone)

If Julia Roberts ever decides to give up acting, she'd probably do quite well for herself as a fan fiction author, writing sequels to her most iconic films. The actress is clearly having a lot of fun on the press tour for her latest film, Leave the World Behind, discussing how she'd like things to go for the characters in her films.

Earlier in the tour, it was all about My Best Friend's Wedding. But this week? It's all about Pretty Woman, and what happened to Vivian, the sex worker with a heart of gold at the center of that film. And Julia has big plans for Viv's future—big, huge!

"I think he passed away peacefully in his sleep, from a heart attack," she explained to Gayle King on CBS Sunday Morning. "Smiling," she playfully added, before explaining that her character Vivian "now runs his business."

(Sidenote: does anyone even remember what his business was? It doesn't matter.)

Now, sure, you can have a fun little giggle about this—a la Gayle King—all you want. But tell me that isn't an idea you'd love to see: a former sex worker turned billionaire boss, doing her husband's business better than he ever could, all while getting her proverbial groove back after his death? I'm buying tickets to that show—at least twice!

Maybe Vivian teams up with Roberts' other Richard Gere love interest: Maggie from Runaway Bride. We have the technology to put two of her on screen, and Roberts clearly has the ideas at the ready, so what are we waiting for, people?

Alicia Lutes
Freelance Writer

Alicia Lutes is a freelance writer, essayist, journalist, humorist, and screenwriter based in Los Angeles. She has written extensively on culture, entertainment, the craft of comedy, and mental health. Her work has been featured in places such as Vulture, Playboy, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, MTV, Cosmopolitan, Rotten Tomatoes, Bustle, Longreads, and more. She was also the creator/former host of the web series Fangirling, and currently fosters every single dog she can.

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