Richard Gere got a number of roles in classic films thanks to his brilliance, charisma, and outstanding acting, and in the 1990s, he rose to prominence as a prominent Hollywood sex icon.
He remains, in my opinion, one of Hollywood’s sexiest men, and I still associate him with his debut film, “Looking for Mr. Goodbar,” which also starred a very young (31) Diane Keaton.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen “Pretty Woman,” which is perhaps his most well-known movie. I’ll also never forget his role in “An Officer & A Gentlemen,” where he entered Debra Winger’s workplace, grabbed her up, and carried her out. So sultry and romantic!
Richard Gere is one of my favorite actors, and I also like that I have never heard anything negative about him—no drunk driving, drug busts, kids born out of wedlock, drama, or shit!
We don’t see much of 71-year-old actor Richard Gere these days, but he has worked hard for his fame and fortune and has enough money to shun Hollywood.
Richard is one of those handsome men that only seems to get better looking with age. I enjoy his movies the most, and they are all excellent.You may not agree with me, but I have never seen a movie of his that I didn’t enjoy.
Richard Gere, who was born in 1949, became well-known very early in life. He was raised by Methodists in Syracuse, New York, and while a student there, Gere excelled in gymnastics and music, playing the trumpet.
“After high school, I felt pretty confused,” Richard Gere told Rolling Stone. But I knew I wanted to be involved in music or theater”.
He attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst on a gymnastics scholarship to study philosophy and film, but he left after two years to focus on acting.
“I went through a young-man-paranoid stage,” Gere continued.
“I was dead middle class, and I felt I had to do something special. I didn’t want what I thought was that amorphous middle-class nowhere status. Even though my parents questioned what I was doing, they were loving, sweet and supportive.”
Theatricals in Seattle and New York were where Gere landed his first acting roles. In the 1973 world premiere of Grease on the original London stage, he played his first significant role.
The young man’s talent and beauty drew Hollywood’s attention in the middle of the 1970s, and he quickly rose to fame after appearing in the crime drama “American Gigolo” (1980).
Richard Gere plays Los Angeles-based male escort Julian Kaye in the motion picture. He established himself as a leading guy and sex icon thanks to this part.
Because it was the first mainstream Hollywood movie to contain so many sequences of its male protagonist in the nude, the movie generated a lot of controversy.
Richard Gere had no idea that the film would feature full-frontal bareness when he agreed to star in it.
”It was just in the natural process of making the movie. I certainly felt vulnerable, but I think it’s different for men than women,” he later said.
For Gere, the movie opened a lot of doors, so it was unfortunate that he never had the chance to make it big in Hollywood. For instance, the makers of American Gigolo wanted John Travolta at first; the Grease actor even practiced some sequences before quitting the film.
Just two weeks before production started, Gere decided to accept the offer instead. He reportedly received $35,000 in addition to back-end percentage points from the films’ box office receipts.
Then, following his performance in the love story “An Officer and a Gentleman” (1982), Gere solidified his status as Hollywood’s handsome and the heartthrob of the 1980s.
”Every once and a while, I could be jet lagged somewhere all over the world and this movie is playing on MTV in the middle of the night and I’ll watch a scene or two. But I haven’t watched the whole movie since we made it,” Gere said in 2012.
The film was extremely profitable, and many critics named it the finest movie of 1982. It was the third-highest grossing movie that year and, despite having a small $6 million budget, made an astounding $130 million.
With “Pretty Woman” (1990), Gere launched the new decade after the popularity of the 1980s. It continues to rank among the most cherished films of all time, and it set a record for romantic comedy ticket sales in the US.
In the movie, a wealthy businessman named Edward Lewis, played by 41-year-old Richard Gere, falls in love with a Sunset Boulevard prostitute, played by Julia Roberts.
“The cast was just right. Julia [Roberts] was magic. It just happened. It was one of those alchemical things that cannot be repeated or manufactured,” Richard Gere commented.
Unbelievably, Julia Roberts, who was still a rising star at the time, received only $300,000 for playing Vivian Ward in the film. Meanwhile, Gere, one of the most well-known actors in the business at the time, undoubtedly made millions of dollars.
But regardless of how much money they made back then, I don’t believe Juila or Richard look back and regret being a part of one of the greatest romantic comedies ever made.
But did you know that Julia Roberts had to persuade Gere to act in the film? The male lead actor was a difficult position to fill, and Gere had repeatedly declined the producers’ advances.
Julia then traveled to New York, to meet with director Gary Marshall and Gere.
”I just said ‘you have to do this movie, if you don’t do this movie and it falls apart and I lose this job it would just be terrible’. And I kinda pleaded with him in a very real way. And all three of us went out to dinner and um, I had a great time and he changed all our lives forever by agreeing to do this movie,” Julia explained in 2017.
“Pretty Woman” made over $463 million worldwide and remains one of Disney’s highest-grossing releases ever.
“It was a charming movie. Julia hadn’t done much at all at that point. There weren’t high expectations for this thing,” Gere said.
Richard Gere continued to make numerous popular movies in the 1990s. The well-known actor was regarded as one of the most attractive and sexiest men alive; in 1999, People Magazine named him the Sexiest Man Alive.
In 2002, he finally won a long-awaited Golden Globe for his portrayal of “Billy Flynn” in the smash-hit musical “Chicago”.
“I’m literally totally shocked. I don’t win anything,” he said in disbelief during his acceptance speech. “I honestly did not expect this.”
Richard Gere has once more starred in a movie that set numerous box office records. For instance, “Chicago” earned $306 million, making it the most successful musical. For many years, that record stood until “Mamma Mia!” smashed it in 2008.
However, Richard Gere has stated in numerous interviews that money has never been his motivating factor. Gere has always been picky about the parts he takes on, despite earning great sums of money on the big screen.
“My choices have never been to be in the most [commercially] successful movie, or to make the most money. It’s always been about something that has interested me with people who I think I have a creative connection with. That’s always been very important to me,” Richard Gere mentioned in 2017.
Gere’s career as one of the most accomplished actors of his time took off after “American Gigolo”. Gere reportedly makes between $5 million and $10 million for each film he stars in. He made $82 million alone in 2013 alone. However, Gere has stepped back lately; the former mega star hasn’t been working on any significant projects.
The actor’s current net worth is believed to be $120 million.When you consider all of his on-screen mega-hits, it’s not shocking that this supernova has amassed a sizable fortune over the course of his career.
Gere has dabbled in some opulence throughout the years, including a collection of high-end automobiles. He reportedly has five expensive vehicles, each valued roughly $3.2 million.
Richard Gere invested $6.9 million in 2005 to purchase Strongheart Manor, a home near Sag Harbor, New York. According to reports, the actor spent a significant amount of money refurbishing the spectacular home, which was built in 1902 by successful theatrical actor Robert Edeson.
The 6.2-acre property now features 300 feet of bay frontage, a waterfront pool, a basketball court, 12 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, a waterfront pond with a bridge, and a “island inspired tea house.”
Richard brought Strongheart Manor back to its former glory over his eight years as the property’s owner. In 2013, he made the decision to sell the house, and the asking price was $70 million.
But the market thought the price was a little too high. Gere struggled to find a buyer and eventually had to reduce the asking price to $47.5 million. In the end, TV host Matt Lauer purchased the property. He “only” spent $36.5 million on the mansion in the Hamptons.
Richard still has a number of properties in the New York region, though, and his main residence is a magnificent compound estate on more than 50 acres close to Pound Ridge, New York. Additionally, he resides at an apartment in New York. In addition, Gere and Russell Hernandez are co-owners of the 1860s-era Bedford Post Inn, a luxury hideaway that has been preserved through the years. A yoga studio is also located there.
If I reveal that Richard Gere has dated a number of stunning Hollywood women, perhaps no one will be surprised. He had relationships with celebrities including Barbra Streisand, Priscilla Presley, Kim Basinger, and Diane von Furstenberg while he was one of the sexiest bachelors in the entertainment industry.
But in 1988, Herb Ritts, a fashion and portrait photographer, threw a BBQ when Gere first met Cindy Crawford.
“We talked, then we had a date, then we had another date,” Crawford said.
The paparazzi soon began to follow the couple everywhere they went as they became one of Hollywood’s hottest couples. Gere, who was 17 years Cindy’s senior, had second thoughts about proposing to Cindy.
However, the pair made the decision to fly to Las Vegas and tie the knot in December 1991. Only a small number of guests were invited to the chapel, so it was by no means a lavish wedding.
“It wasn’t the wedding I dreamed of. It was so last minute,” Cindy once said.
Perhaps the marriage was a portent of how things will turn out? Gere and Crawford’s marriage would only last four years; in 1995, they announced their divorce.Richard Gere married model and actress Carey Lowell in November 2002 after seven years of being single.
Two years before they exchanged vows, the pair had one son. Homer James Jigme Gere was born in February 2000, and from the looks of things, Richard has passed on his infectious charm and handsome looks to his son.
Sadly, however, Homer’s parents would end up in a nasty divorce that went on for a long time and came at a high price – both emotionally and financially.
Richard and Carey divorced in 2013, but the messy court battle for Gere’s multiple-million fortune was settled in October 2016, after a four-year tussle. The deal was not made public and remains a secret (divorce settlements are confidential under New York State law).
But many think Gere sold his opulent Strongheart Manor home in 2016 because he was getting ready for a large payoff.
Richard Gere and Alejandra Silva, a 37-year-old Spanish businesswoman, publicist, and activist, started dating in 2014. The couple wed in April 2018.
“I feel like I’m in a true fairytale. Without a doubt, I feel like the luckiest woman in the world,” said Silva, soon after their romantic wedding ceremony was held on Gere’s ranch.
According to news reports, the couple received their second baby in April of this year after welcoming their first son, Alexander, in February of this year.
Alejandra and Richard now enjoy a contented family life away from the media limelight and paparazzi, focusing on providing their young children with a secure and stable upbringing.
Alejandra once mentioned in and interview back in April 2020.
“He is the most humble, sensitive, affectionate, attentive, funny, generous man that I’ve ever met. What can I say? I’m so in love! How would you feel if each morning you were asked: ‘What would make you happy today?’ Not a day goes by that he doesn’t mention how important I am to him. I feel very lucky,”
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