Actors are accustomed to encountering rejection and, on rare occasions, even humiliation during Hollywood auditions. Even famous actors have encountered disappointment in the casting process. The late Christopher Reeve, who is best known for playing the title role in the 1978 film Superman and its three sequels, was involved in one such incident.

Reeve once attended an audition for a film, whose original working title was 3000. Yes, we are referring to the late director Garry Marshall’s Pretty Woman, starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts.

Did you know that there were several actors who auditioned for the role of Edward Lewis in Pretty Woman before Gere? Sylvester Stallone, Al Pacino, and Burt Reynolds were given the opportunity to play Edward, but they declined. Additionally, Christopher Reeve, Denzel Washington, Kevin Kline, and Daniel Day-Lewis were taken into account by Marshall.
Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve’s Humiliating Audition For Pretty Woman

There is no denying that Edward Lewis, the businessman in Pretty Woman, suited Richard Gere‘s charm and good looks perfectly. When he was being considered for the role, other well-known actors were also floated as potential candidates.

As aforementioned, actors like Denzel Washington, Christopher Reeve, and Al Pacino, among others, were considered, but the makers ultimately decided that Gere was the best fit, and his on-screen chemistry with Julia Roberts was proof of their decision.
Christopher Reeve as Superman
Roberts allegedly was not available to do the read with Christopher Reeve when the late actor, who died on October 10, 2004, appeared for the audition. As a result, a casting director read her part in her place.

Reeve got angry, tore up his script, and stormed out after the director reportedly performed so poorly. In his autobiography Still Me, The Bostonians star stated (per IMDb):
“I had to play the scenes with the casting director, who kept her nose buried in the pages and read about as well as a reject from some community theater. Halfway through the second scene, anger, frustration, and humiliation got the better of me.”
However, his audition for the movie turned out to be a “humiliating” one, and he claimed in his autobiography that the filmmakers had no right to treat any actor in this manner (via IMDb):
“I ripped the pages in half, dropped them on the floor, told Garry Marshall and the producers that they had no right to treat any actor this way, and stalked out of the room.”
Al Pacino
Meanwhile, Pacino stated that he declined the role of the lead in Pretty Woman in a 2007 interview with Larry King Live because

“Sometimes it’s just not the right role” and he did not feel at home there.
Pretty Woman’s Makers Did Not Want Julia Roberts To Play The Lead Role?

Although other actors were vying to play Vivian Ward and Edward Lewis, Pretty Woman gave rise to the romantic partnership of Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.

Months were spent looking for the ideal actress to play Vivian. Prior to Roberts, a number of actresses were considered for the position. For instance, Garry Marshall had originally wanted Karen Allen to play the role, but she turned down. After that, a ton of well-known actresses, including Drew Barrymore, Brooke Shields, Uma Thurman, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder, were called in for auditions for the part.
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts, then 21 years old, was given the opportunity to audition for the part after several actresses declined it. However, the makers were not initially interested in casting her in the lead role, and the director hesitated to do so because of her inexperience.

In the end, the Runaway Bride actress’ outstanding performance in the initial screen test caused them to change their minds. Speaking to She Knows in 2009, Marshall said:
“She [Julia Roberts] popped off the screen. Not so much in person. She seemed like a nice, smart, pretty girl. Once she got a camera on her, boy did she pop off.”
Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman
Let us just say that everything turned out for the best.

Despite all the difficulties Pretty Woman faced, Roberts and Gere were always destined to play Vivian and Edward, respectively. In fact, they worked together again to create the beloved rom-com Runaway Bride, proving how strong their bond was.

Julia Roberts’ next film will be the upcoming psychological thriller The Leave the World Behind, also starring Mahershala Ali, Myha’la Herrold, Kevin Bacon, and Ethan Hawke.