Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, and so many more stars have appeared in some of filmmaker Garry Marshall’s biggest movies! Before the ABC special on the director’s life, take a look back at the leading ladies then and now!
So many of our favorite movies have one thing in common: director Garry Marshall. The prolific filmmaker directed over 80 titles before his death in July 2016. He left behind an incredible filmography, one with so many films where a number of famous faces got their start and earned wide acclaim for their performances. On the day of the ABC special, The Happy Days of Garry Marshall, we’re taking a look back, celebrating the director and his impeccable eye for talent by seeing the stars of his films then and what they have gone on to accomplish!
Taylor Swifthas been a household name for over a decade. But while the Lover crooner has made a name for herself in music, she’s also seen some success in her acting career. In 2010, she appeared in the ensemble film Valentine’s Day. Swift played Felicia, an affable and lovestruck cheerleader along with a cast of characters in Los Angeles enduring break-ups and make-ups all on Valentine’s Day. After starring in the film, with such big names as Jamie Foxx and Jessica Alba, Swift went on to flex her acting skills with a few films, including The Giver (2014) and 2019’s Cats, for which she earned her third Golden Globe nomination for her song “Beautiful Ghosts.” Since her acting stint in Marshall’s holiday-themed film, Swift has made music her focus, earning 10 Grammys thus far in her career.
While Swift switched gears when it came to her profession in front of the camera, actress Anne Hathaway has quickly become one of the most sought-after and respected actresses in Hollywood. Much of her success she owes to her early start and starring role in Marshall’s 2001 film The Princess Diaries. Hathaway was just 19-years-old upon the film’s release, where she took the crown as Mia Thermopolis opposite Oscar-winner Julie Andrews who played Queen Clarisse Renaldi. Following the massive success of The Princess Diaries, and the film’s 2004 sequel, Hathaway went on to star in films like The Devil Wears Prada, Rachel Getting Married, and Les Misérables, the latter of which she won her very first Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting role.
Hathaway is in great company when it comes to iconic leading ladies of Garry Marshall’s films. At the height of her reign as Hollywood’s darling, Julia Roberts starred as Vivian Ward in Marshall’s 1990 film Pretty Woman. In the movie, Roberts captured Richard Gere and audience’s hearts everywhere as the streetwise sex worker who goes on to fall in love with Gere’s Edward Lewis after he hires her to be his companion. Their love story is iconic for romantics and romantic comedy lovers everywhere, and Roberts has gone on to star in a number of similar films as well as showing off her dramatic prowess. Roberts earned her second Oscar nomination for Pretty Woman in 1991 and went on to win her first Oscar for Erin Brockovich 10 years later in 2001! She’s starred in a number of films over the years like Larry Crowne, August: Osage County, and recently in the Amazon original series Homecoming.
There’s no doubt about it: Garry Marshall really knew how to choose his leading ladies so well. To see more of the stars of his films then and now, check out the gallery above! Watch The Happy Days of Garry Marshall on ABC tonight at 8 pm.