History Trivia / WorkingGirl

* StarMakingRole: For Creator/MelanieGriffith as this film earned her an [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Academy Award]] nomination for Best Actress and helped shoot her straight into the A-list going on into the 1990s.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Katherine and Jack owning their own computers is used as a sign of how successful they are. Said computers are also naturally woefully outdated. And of course, the numerous shots of the Twin Towers, particularly in the opening and closing sequences.

* UsefulNotes/AFIS100YearsSeries:
** AFIS100Years100Passions: #91
** AFIS100Years100Songs: #91, "Let The River Run"
** AFIS100Years100Cheers: #87
** Tess was nominated for the "Heroes" list, Katharine for the "Villains".

* AFIS100YearsSeries:

-->'''Junk''': For YOU - nothing! For ME - a desperate attempt to justify my top billing in this lousy film!

* DawsonCasting: A very borderline example of this trope. When Tess and Katharine first meet, Tess has just celebrated her 30th birthday a few days earlier, while Katharine is turning 30 the following week. Creator/MelanieGriffith was actually 30 at the time of filming, but Creator/SigourneyWeaver was 38. However, the fact that Weaver's character ''seems'' much older than she is in comparison to Tess is intentional. Or Katherine could have been lying about her age.

* AllStarCast: By means of RetroactiveRecognition. Only Ford and Weaver were big stars at the time (though Fred Gwynne had held many star roles, with his biggest ahead of him), but the film is a gold mine of RetroactiveRecognition goodness. Plus, a number of the supporting actors and minor players are still quite active and recognizable today.

* TheOtherMarty: Creator/KevinSpacey was brought in as a last-minute replacement for another actor in the part of Bob Speck. On the day the scene was shot, Creator/MikeNichols, who had previously directed Spacey in ''Film/{{Heartburn}}'', sent a car to Spacey's New York apartment, with a copy of the script in the back seat. Spacey learned his lines while on the way to the shoot. Nichols was under pressure to finish the scene so he wouldn't have to postpone his wedding to Diane Sawyer two days later. Years later, when Spacey became a producer on ''Film/TheSocialNetwork'', he gave a part to Creator/DakotaJohnson, who is the real-life daughter Creator/MelanieGriffith.

* AllStarCast: By means of RetroactiveRecognition. Only Ford and Weaver were big stars at the time (though Fred Gwynne Bad held many star roles, with his biggest ahead of him), but the film is a gold mine of RetroactiveRecognition goodness. Plus, a number of the supporting actors and minor players are still quite active and recognizable today.

* AllStarCast: By means of RetroactiveRecognition. Only Ford and Weaver were big stars at the time, but the film is a gold mine of RetroactiveRecognition goodness. Plus, a number of the supporting actors and minor players are still quite active and recognizable today.

* StarMakingRole: For Creator/MelanieGriffith.

When ''Working Girl'' came out at Christmastime of 1988, the film really had only two headlining stars: Creator/HarrisonFord and Creator/SigourneyWeaver. The film provided a StarMakingRole for Creator/MelanieGriffith (whose star has since faded somewhat), and lead supporting actor Creator/AlecBaldwin was in the process of becoming a minor star over the course of several films. As you will see below, however, the film is a gold mine of RetroactiveRecognition goodness:
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* '''Certified Crowning Music Of Awesome''': Carly Simon won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, ''and'' a Grammy for "Let the River Run". This was the first song '''composed, written and performed by the same artist''' to win all three awards. As of 2011, the only other song to achieve this was "Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen.
* '''The ActorSwap Is Coming...''': Creator/HarrisonFord and Alec Baldwin are the two male leads in this film. Less than three and a half years after ''Working Girl'', both actors had played CIA analyst Jack Ryan in separate adaptations of Tom Clancy novels.
* ActorAllusion: Katharine (Creator/SigourneyWeaver) steps off the helicopter carrying a giant stuffed gorilla. Earlier in 1988, Weaver starred in ''Film/GorillasInTheMist''.

** Creator/MerylStreep, Robin Duke, Ellen Barkin, Creator/KimBasinger, Catherine O'Hara, Creator/KathleenTurner, Music/{{Cher}}, Creator/GoldieHawn, Creator/WhoopiGoldberg, Debra Winger, and Creator/ShelleyLong were considered for the role of Katherine.
** Creator/MichellePfeiffer, Creator/ShelleyLong, Brooke Shields, Creator/GeenaDavis, Creator/CarrieFisher and Creator/LorraineBracco were considered for the role of Tess.

When ''Working Girl'' came out at Christmastime of 1988, the film really had only two headlining stars: Creator/HarrisonFord and Creator/SigourneyWeaver. The film provided a StarMakingRole for Melanie Griffith (whose star has since faded somewhat), and lead supporting actor Creator/AlecBaldwin was in the process of becoming a minor star over the course of several films. As you will see below, however, the film is a gold mine of RetroactiveRecognition goodness:

* BillingDisplacement: Lead Melanie Griffith gets third place in the film, behind bigger names Harrison Ford (doesn't appear until about a half hour in) and Sigourney Weaver (shelved during Act 2). It didn't go unnoticed in ''Magazine/{{MAD}}'''s satire "Lurking Girl," in the panel where "Junk" meets up with "Tush" in a bar and asks her to come home with him "in a totally unnecessary scene":

** DiagonalBilling: Creator/HarrisonFord, the biggest star, takes the upper-left billing slot on the box art and film posters while lead Melanie Griffith takes the lower but center position. As a star name but supporting character to both, Creator/SigourneyWeaver is on the same billing plane as Ford, above Griffith, but on their right.
* DawsonCasting: A very borderline example of this trope. When Tess and Katharine first meet, Tess has just celebrated her 30th birthday a few days earlier, while Katharine is turning 30 the following week. Melanie Griffith was actually 30 at the time of filming, but Creator/SigourneyWeaver was 38. However, the fact that Weaver's character ''seems'' much older than she is in comparison to Tess is intentional. Or Katherine could have been lying about her age.
* StarMakingRole: For Melanie Griffith.

* '''Certified Crowning Music Of Awesome''': Carly Simon won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, ''and'' a Grammy for "Let the River Run". This was the first song '''composed, written and performed''' by the same artist to win all three awards. As of 2011, the only other song to achieve this was "Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen.

* '''Certified Crowning Music Of Awesome''': Carly Simon won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, ''and'' a Grammy for "Let the River Run", the first song to do so.

* '''Certified Crowning Music Of Awesome''': Carly Simon won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, ''and'' a Grammy for "Let the River Run". At the time it was the only song ever to win all three awards. As of 2011, the only other song to achieve this was "Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen.

** Creator/MerylStreep, Robin Duke, Ellen Barkin, Creator/KimBasinger, Catherine O'Hara, Creator/KathleenTurner, Music/{{Cher}}, Goldie Hawn, Creator/WhoopiGoldberg, Debra Winger, and Creator/ShelleyLong were considered for the role of Katherine.

When ''Working Girl'' came out at Christmastime of 1988, the film really had only two headlining stars: Creator/HarrisonFord and Creator/SigourneyWeaver. The film provided a StarMakingRole for Melanie Griffith (whose star has since faded somewhat), and lead supporting actor Alec Baldwin was in the process of becoming a minor star over the course of several films. As you will see below, however, the film is a gold mine of RetroactiveRecognition goodness:

** DiagonalBilling: HarrisonFord, the biggest star, takes the upper-left billing slot on the box art and film posters while lead Melanie Griffith takes the lower but center position. As a star name but supporting character to both, Creator/SigourneyWeaver is on the same billing plane as Ford, above Griffith, but on their right.

** Creator/MerylStreep, Robin Duke, Ellen Barkin, Creator/KimBasinger, Catherine O'Hara, Kathleen Turner, Music/{{Cher}}, Goldie Hawn, Creator/WhoopiGoldberg, Debra Winger, and Creator/ShelleyLong were considered for the role of Katherine.
** Creator/MichellePfeiffer, Creator/ShelleyLong, Brooke Shields, Geena Davis, Creator/CarrieFisher and Lorraine Bracco were considered for the role of Tess.

** DiagonalBilling: HarrisonFord, the biggest star, takes the upper-left billing slot on the box art and film posters while lead Melanie Griffith takes the lower but center position. As a star name but supporting character to both, Sigourney Weaver is on the same billing plane as Ford, above Griffith, but on their right.

* RetroactiveRecognition: several actors who have since gone on to bigger and better things stand out in the cast list:
** Alec Baldwin: 1988 was a big year for Alec Baldwin. He entered the year with "Hey, It's That Guy" status, and then along came the Creator/JohnHughes flick ''Film/ShesHavingABaby'', followed by ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'', ''Film/MarriedToTheMob'', and ''Working Girl''. A little more than a year later he would [[StarMakingRole break out into stardom]] as Jack Ryan in ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober''.
** David Duchovny: ''Working Girl'' was his first ever film credit. Look for him in the back of the closet in the upper left at Tess's surprise birthday party. See him again in the credits billed as one of four "Tess's Birthday Party Friends".
** Oliver Platt: Tess's coworker Lutz from early in the movie, in only his 3rd ever movie credit.
** Kevin Spacey: Coke-snorting Bob Speck from Arbitrage. Spacey was a last-minute replacement to play the role, being picked up in the limo with a copy of the script on the back seat for him to learn on the way to the shoot. He had a recurring role on the 1980s crime drama ''{{Wiseguy}}'' at the time, but mostly was doing bit parts in movies and one-off roles on other TV shows.
** Creator/JoanCusack as Tess's friend Cyn. Cusack was coming off the heels of her only season of ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' (during a season that nearly got the show canceled due to low ratings and bad reviews), as well as appearing in a few bit parts in other movies. She has worked steadily ever since in television and movies, including ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'' and ''[[WesternAnimation/ToyStory3 3]]'', in which she provides the voice of Jessie the Cowgirl.
** Nora Dunn as Ginny. This was the first movie Dunn ever appeared in. She was best known at the time for being a current regular on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' (and also being in the same cast as Joan Cusack, though, unlike Cusack, Dunn was popular and funny enough to stay on the show when it was being revamped for its 12th season). Dunn was on ''[[Series/SaturdayNightLive SNL]]'' from 1985-1990, where she was fired for refusing to appear in an episode hosted by misogynistic shock comedian Andrew "Dice" Clay. From then on, she's been in minor TV and film roles (for those who watch 1990s cartoons, you might know her as the voice of WesternAnimation/{{Histeria}}'s meddlesome network censor, Lydia Karaoke).
** Olympia Dukakis as the Personnel Director for Petty Marsh, who ends up placing Tess with Katharine Walker. Dukakis was most famous at the time for winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress playing Cher's mother in ''Film/{{Moonstruck}}'' the previous year, and for being the cousin of 1988 Democratic Presidential Nominee Michael Dukakis. She went on to play roles in ''Film/SteelMagnolias'', the ''Film/LookWhosTalking'' movies, and ''Film/MrHollandsOpus''.
** A 19-year-old Ricki Lake as a bridesmaid at the Trask wedding. She's only on screen long enough to point out fellow bridesmaid "Bitsy" to Creator/HarrisonFord. Earlier in 1988 she played the lead role in Creator/JohnWaters' ''Film/{{Hairspray}}'', and went on to a long and steady career in television, including a eleven-year run as a talk show host.

** Creator/MerylStreep, Robin Duke, Ellen Barkin, Kim Basinger, Catherine O'Hara, Kathleen Turner, Cher, Goldie Hawn, Whoopi Goldberg, Debra Winger, and Shelley Long were considered for the role of Katherine.
** Creator/MichellePfeiffer, Creator/ShelleyLong, Brooke Shields, Geena Davis, Carrie Fisher and Lorraine Bracco were considered for the role of Tess.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Katherine and Jack owning their own computers is used as a sign of how successful they are. Said computers are also naturally woefully outdated.

When ''Working Girl'' came out at Christmastime of 1988, the film really had only two headlining stars: Creator/HarrisonFord and Creator/SigourneyWeaver. The film provided a StarMakingRole for Melanie Griffith (whose star has since faded somewhat), and lead supporting actor Alec Baldwin was in the process of becoming a minor star over the course of several films. As you will see below, however, the film is a gold mine of RetroactiveRecognition and HeyItsThatGuy goodness:

* AllStarCast: By means of RetroactiveRecognition. Only Ford and Weaver were big stars at the time, but the film is a gold mine of RetroactiveRecognition and HeyItsThatGuy goodness. Plus, a number of the supporting actors and minor players are still quite active and recognizable today.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Several!
** FBI Director Larry Moss, from Season 7 of ''[[Series/TwentyFour 24]]'', in which he was Renee Walker's boss, is also a guest at Tess's birthday party.
** Jim, the junior executive who comes on to Katharine at her office party, is Edward Norton's boss in ''Film/FightClub''.
** Tess's secretary near the end of the movie has shown up in a ''lot'' of recurring roles on television, including, but by no means limited to, ''Series/PicketFences'', ''Series/JudgingAmy'', ''Series/FreaksAndGeeks'', ''Series/{{Felicity}}'', ''Series/CurbYourEnthusiasm'', ''Series/CrossingJordan'', ''Series/EverybodyLovesRaymond'', ''Series/{{CSI}}'', ''Series/{{ER}}'', ''Series/PrisonBreak'', ''Series/{{Monk}}'', ''Series/BrothersAndSisters'', ''Series/BigLove'', and ''Series/HarrysLaw''. Let's not even get started on the number of one-off roles she's done. At the time of ''Working Girl'', her only other credits were ''Film/{{Moonstruck}}'' and the short-lived NBC sitcom ''Easy Street'' with Loni Anderson.
** Doreen is Creator/JoePesci's girlfriend at the Copa in ''Film/{{Goodfellas}}''. She's the one who almost gives Pesci a heart attack when she talks about how a girl could find a talented black singer like Sammy Davis Jr. attractive.
** Oren Trask is Hollis Nye from ''{{Series/Damages}}'' and Judge Joseph P. Terhune from ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit''.
** Bitsy, the heavyset bridesmaid with whom Creator/HarrisonFord dances in order to let Tess talk to Oren Trask, is Kathy Geiss from ''Series/ThirtyRock'' and Mayor Sue Hallinan on ''[[TheOnion The Onion News Network]]''.

** Alec Baldwin: 1988 was a big year for Alec Baldwin. He entered the year with HeyItsThatGuy status, and then along came the Creator/JohnHughes flick ''Film/ShesHavingABaby'', followed by ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'', ''Film/MarriedToTheMob'', and ''Working Girl''. A little more than a year later he would [[StarMakingRole break out into stardom]] as Jack Ryan in ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober''.

** Nora Dunn as Ginny. This was the first movie Dunn ever appeared in. She was best known at the time for being a current regular on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' (and also being in the same cast as Joan Cusack, though, unlike Cusack, Dunn was popular and funny enough to stay on the show when it was being revamped for its 12th season). Dunn was on ''{{SNL}}'' from 1985-1990, where she was fired for refusing to appear in an episode hosted by misogynistic shock comedian Andrew "Dice" Clay. From then on, she's been in minor TV and film roles (for those who watch 1990s cartoons, you might know her as the voice of WesternAnimation/{{Histeria}}'s meddlesome network censor, Lydia Karaoke).

** Creator/JoanCusack as Tess's friend Cyn. Cusack was coming off the heels of her only season of ''SaturdayNightLive'' (during a season that nearly got the show canceled due to low ratings and bad reviews), as well as appearing in a few bit parts in other movies. She has worked steadily ever since in television and movies, including ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'' and ''[[WesternAnimation/ToyStory3 3]]'', in which she provides the voice of Jessie the Cowgirl.
** Nora Dunn as Ginny. This was the first movie Dunn ever appeared in. She was best known at the time for being a current regular on ''SaturdayNightLive'' (and also being in the same cast as Joan Cusack, though, unlike Cusack, Dunn was popular and funny enough to stay on the show when it was being revamped for its 12th season). Dunn was on ''{{SNL}}'' from 1985-1990, where she was fired for refusing to appear in an episode hosted by misogynistic shock comedian Andrew "Dice" Clay. From then on, she's been in minor TV and film roles (for those who watch 1990s cartoons, you might know her as the voice of WesternAnimation/{{Histeria}}'s meddlesome network censor, Lydia Karaoke).

** Olympia Dukakis as the Personnel Director for Petty Marsh, who ends up placing Tess with Katharine Walker. Dukakis was most famous at the time for winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress playing Cher's mother in ''Film/{{Moonstruck}}'' the previous year, and for being the cousin of 1988 Democratic Presidential Nominee Michael Dukakis. She went on to play roles in ''SteelMagnolias'', the ''Film/LookWhosTalking'' movies, and ''Film/MrHollandsOpus''.