The “embarrassing” role Julia Roberts almost played: “I can’t say it wasn’t painful”
Some actors work for years to become successful, while others are lucky enough to receive widespread praise right from the get-go, and luckily for Julia Roberts, within two years of making her acting debut, she’d already won a Golden Globe. The late 1980s saw her appear in Mystic Pizza and Steel Magnolias, quickly proving her star power, but it was 1990’s Pretty Woman that allowed her to rise straight to the top.
Pretty Woman, which featured Richard Gere as a businessman who pays for the services of Robert’s character, Vivian – only for the pair to fall in love – was a turning point in the actor’s budding career. The romantic comedy is one of the most successful ever made, and upon its release, it was the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time. However, that same year could’ve seen her appear in an iconic franchise, but she dropped out of her role because of scheduling conflicts – presumably the filming of Pretty Woman.
Perhaps it’s a good thing she stuck with the rom-com, because the movie she decided to step away from after being cast ended up being considered the worst in the trilogy. Believe it or not, Roberts almost played Mary Corleone instead of Sofia Coppola in The Godfather Part III, directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
It’s interesting to consider whether the film would’ve fared better if Roberts had played the role instead of Sofia, because it was her performance that many critics believed let the whole film down. As the daughter of Coppola, Sofia wasn’t exactly a seasoned actor, but she had appeared in small roles in some of her father’s other movies, and when he asked her to play Mary, she didn’t want to let him down. Winona Ryder was also cast in the role at one point, but dropped out due to nervous exhaustion. The young Coppola decided to accept the offer to step into the role, seemingly forgetting that acting wasn’t exactly her forté.
Coppola earned two Golden Raspberry Awards for her performance – ’Worst New Star’ and ‘Worst Supporting Actress’. Still, she didn’t let that stop her from pursuing a career in the arts, and Coppola instead went on to fashion design, television presenting, modelling, and ultimately directing, earning an Oscar for Lost in Translation in 2003.
She once told The Guardian that the most “embarrassing” moment of her career was “Being on the cover of a magazine at 18 with the slogan: ‘Did she ruin The Godfather?’” Since she never wanted to be an actor, Coppola wasn’t too upset by the negative reviews, but all the same, she was embarrassed to be ridiculed so widely when she was barely an adult. “I can’t say it wasn’t painful. It was hard, but not devastating,” she told the same publication.
Perhaps The Godfather Part III would’ve looked strikingly different if Roberts had taken on the part of Mary, Michael and Kay’s daughter. Regardless, the film still performed relatively well, and many fans of the trilogy consider it an excellent addition. Coppola might not have proved her acting chops, but it motivated her to explore other avenues, leading her to find her true calling in film directing. Meanwhile, Roberts became a star of the rom-com genre and established herself as one of Hollywood’s best new faces.
