Richard Gere

Wed 20th Aug - 9:30AM

Gentleman or gigolo, Gere is the original sex symbol, and a classy actor too. Pretty Woman put his career back on track, and things have been rosy ever since.

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Richard Gere
born: 31-08-1949
birth place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

It seemed superstardom was on the cards for Gere, instead, a series of less than successful films were to follow. ‘King David’ (1985) was critically savaged, ‘No Mercy’ (1986) described as lacklustre, ‘Power’ (1986) was moody and uninvolving, whilst ‘Miles from Home’ (1988) was ill-conceived. This conspired to diminish Gere’s star status somewhat but he was to bounce back with his portrayal of a corrupt and amoral cop in ‘Internal Affairs’ (1990).

Gere was once again in the limelight when he teamed up with Julia Roberts in ‘Pretty Woman’ (1990). Their onscreen chemistry was electric and the film, a huge box-office success. People Magazine chose Gere as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World (1991), and later, as their Sexiest Man Alive (1999). Preferring to be known for his intelligence and personality, he became known as “the reluctant sex symbol”.

Gere married Cindy Crawford on 12 December 1991, at the Little Church of the West, Las Vegas. Following malicious rumours, they took out a London newspaper advertisement claiming they were heterosexual, monogamous and in love. Sadly they split a few months later and were divorced in 1995.

In terms of his career, the first half of the 1990s seemed a return to the doldrums he had experienced in the mid- to late-1980s. He did however make his debut as Producer, with ‘Sommersby’ (1993). ‘Primal Fear’ (1996) pulled his career together again. Then came ‘Red Corner’ (1997), which whilst not a hit, gave Gere a chance to voice his pro-Tibetan stance in front of the Chinese president, at a premier of the movie.

2002 proved to be a year full of achievements and momentous occasions for Gere. After his second successful teaming with Julia Roberts in ‘Runaway Bride’ (1999), his next big hit was ‘The Mothman Prophecies’ (2002), an excellent thriller in which he plays a reporter who finds strange pictures drawn by his wife before she died. ‘Unfaithful’ (2002) reunited Gere with his ‘Cotton Club’ (1984) star, Diane Lane. They convincingly played a suburban couple dealing with the confusion brought on by an extra-marital affair.

Coming full circle, to his early years in London and New York, Gere appeared in the musical ‘Chicago’ (2002) with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger. It was also the year of his second marriage (this time in secret), to Carey Lowell, on 9 November 2002. They have a son, Homer James Jigme Gere (born 6 February 2000). ‘Jigme’ means ‘fearless’ in Tibetan. The family lives in New York.

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