Richard Gere

Richard Gere, December 2017

American actor and humanitarian

Richard Tiffany Gere (born August 31, 1949) is an American actor and humanitarian. He began his film career in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) and a starring role in Days of Heaven (1978). He came to prominence with his role in the film American Gigolo (1980), which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol. He went on to star in many successful films, including An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Pretty Woman (1990), Primal Fear (1996), Runaway Bride (1999), Chicago (2002), and Arbitrage (2012).

Early life

Richard Gere was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Doris Ann (née Tiffany), a homemaker, and Homer George Gere, an insurance agent. He grew up in Syracuse, New York, and graduated from North Syracuse Central High School in 1967. Gere attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst on a gymnastics scholarship, majoring in philosophy, but he left after two years to pursue acting.

Career

Early career

Gere's career began on the stage in the early 1970s. He appeared in several productions with the Seattle Repertory Theatre and the Provincetown Playhouse on Cape Cod. His first major acting role was in the original London stage version of Grease in 1973.

Breakthrough and success

Gere's breakthrough role came in 1980 with the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol. He followed this with a string of successful films, including An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), for which he received a Golden Globe Award nomination, and Pretty Woman (1990), which was a massive box office hit.

Later career

In the 2000s, Gere continued to work steadily, appearing in films such as Chicago (2002), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and Arbitrage (2012), for which he received critical acclaim.

Personal life

Gere has been married three times. His first marriage was to supermodel Cindy Crawford from 1991 to 1995. He married actress Carey Lowell in 2002, and they have a son, Homer James Jigme Gere, born in 2000. The couple separated in 2013 and finalized their divorce in 2016. In 2018, Gere married Spanish activist Alejandra Silva, and they have two sons together.

Humanitarian work

Gere is known for his humanitarian efforts, particularly in support of human rights in Tibet. He is a practicing Tibetan Buddhist and a strong advocate for the Tibetan independence movement. He is also involved in various other charitable causes, including AIDS awareness and homelessness.

Filmography

Main article: Richard Gere filmography

• Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)
• Days of Heaven (1978)
• American Gigolo (1980)
• An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
• Pretty Woman (1990)
• Primal Fear (1996)
• Runaway Bride (1999)
• Chicago (2002)
• Arbitrage (2012)

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Richard Gere

See also

• List of actors with Academy Award nominations
• List of Golden Globe winners