Pretty Woman uncomfortable playing a sex worker. Winona Ryder auditioned, but was turned down because Marshall felt she was "too young". Jennifer Connelly was also dismissed for the same reason. Emily Lloyd turned it down as it conflicted with her shooting for the film "Mermaids". Meg Ryan, who was a top choice of Marshall's, turned it down as well. According to a note written by Marshall, Mary Steenburgen was also among the first choices. Diane Lane came very close to being cast (the script was much darker at the time); they had gone as far as costume fittings, but due to scheduling
Winona Ryder credits, she suggested "Ryder" as her surname because a Mitch Ryder album that belonged to her father was playing in the background. Her next film was "Square Dance" (1987), where her teenage character creates a bridge between two different worlds – a traditional farm in the middle of nowhere and a large city. Ryder won acclaim for her role, and the "Los Angeles Times" called her performance in "Square Dance" "a remarkable debut." Both films, however, were only marginally successful commercially. Director Tim Burton decided to cast Ryder in his film "Beetlejuice" (1988), after being impressed with her performance in