Richard Gere is a dynamic actor who has long been considered one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading men. Richard Tiffany Gere was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 31, 1949. His mother, Doris Ann Gere, was a housewife, while his father, Homer George Gere, worked for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company as an insurance agent.
In 1967, Gere graduated from North Syracuse Central High School, where he was a standout trumpet player, musician, and gymnast. He received a gymnastics scholarship to the University of Massachusetts Amherst and studied philosophy, but he dropped out after two years and did not graduate.
What is Richard Gere’s Net Worth?
Richard Gere is an actor from the United States with a net worth of $120 million USD. Richard Gere began his acting career in the 1970s and is best known for his roles in “Pretty Woman,” “An Officer and a Gentleman,” and “Chicago.”
He has been nominated for a number of acting awards, including the Golden Globe and SAG Awards, and he actively campaigns for Tibet’s human rights.
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Richard Gere’s Career
Richard began his career as an up-and-coming actor in both Broadway and off-Broadway productions. In 1969, he made his professional debut at the Seattle Repertory Theatre and the Provincetown Playhouse on Cape Cod. In 1973, he made his Broadway debut in the original West End production of Grease in London.
When he featured as a gay Holocaust victim in Bent, a 1979 Broadway production, Gere became one of the first Hollywood actors to portray a homosexual role. He won his first Theater World Award for his performance.
In the mid-to-late 1970s, Gere began appearing in Hollywood films. He was cast in a leading part in 1974’s The Lords of Flatbush but was replaced after a feud with his would-be co-star, Sylvester Stallone. He rose to prominence because of modest roles in films such as Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) and Terence Malick’s Days of Heaven (1978). Gere was shot to fame in 1980 with his appearance in the film American Gigolo, which cemented his status as a leading man and a sex symbol.
He cemented his reputation as a top leading man by playing in several successful films, notably An Officer and a Gentleman, in which he co-starred with Debra Winger in 1982. Gere’s performance in both of these films catapulted him to stardom, grossing $130 million worldwide and earning him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast.
Gere emerged in 1990 with the publication of Internal Affairs, after a quiet decade in the 1980s. In the same year, Gere starred with Julie Roberts in the blockbuster Pretty Woman as high-powered businessman Edward Lewis. Richard received his second Golden Globe nomination for the film, which was a huge hit at the box office. Sommersby, Primal Fear in 1996, and Runaway Bride in 1999 helped Gere maintain his success well into the 1990s. In 1999, Gere was chosen the Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine.
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What Did he Do After getting Success in Previous Movies?
He kicked off the new decade with roles in The Mothman Prophecies and Unfaithful, both of which he co-starred in alongside Diane Lane (both 2002 releases). Gere earned his first Golden Globe Award in 2002 for his performance in the musical film adaption Chicago. In the drama Shall We Dance? from 2004, Gere gets to put his ballroom dancing skills to the test.
The picture was an international success, grossing $170 million. The semi-biographical film I’m Not There, in which he was one of six actors portraying a version of Bob Dylan, was his next huge hit. In 2008, Gere reunited with Diane Lane in the romantic romance Nights in Rodanthe, which was a commercial success (making $84 million worldwide) but received mixed reviews from critics.
Gere’s most recent picture, Nights in Rodanthe, was produced by a major studio. Gere is claimed to have been exiled from Hollywood as a result of his political views on China, which is a key source of funding for major studios. Since then, he’s appeared in a number of independent films. For the independent film Arbitrage, he received his fourth Golden Globe nomination.
In 2016, he starred in Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer, which was a noteworthy shift from the type of character he normally portrays. RogerEbert.com praised his portrayal of Norman Oppenheimer as “consistently, utterly interesting.”
Richard Gere has maintained a continuous film presence across a four-decade career, frequently surprising viewers with new surges of artistry and charisma. Gere is a superb musician as well as a multitalented and well-rounded performer. He wrote and played the piano theme for Pretty Woman, as well as a guitar solo for Runaway Bride. For his role in Chicago, he also learned tap dance, and for An Officer and a Gentleman, he trained karate extensively.
Richard Gere’s Personal Experiences
Gere’s high-profile but brief marriage to supermodel Cindy Crawford from 1991 to 1995, his spiritual convictions in Buddhism, and his political support for Tibet have all generated headlines away from the cameras. From 1971 to 1978, he was married to Penelope Milford. In the mid-eighties, he had brief relationships with both Priscilla Presley and Kim Basinger.
Gere married Cary Lowell, a model, and actress, in November 2002. Homer James Jigme Gere, their son, was born in February 2000. In 2013, they divorced in a bitterly contested court case in New York County Supreme Court. In October of 2016, the matter was settled.
In early April 2018, Gere married Spanish activist Alejandra Silva, and the couple welcomed a baby son in February 2019.
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Richard Gere’s Philanthropy
As previously stated, Gere is a proponent of Tibetan human rights. He is the co-founder of Tibet House USA, the founder of the Gere Foundation, and the Chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet’s Board of Directors. He is permanently barred from entering the People’s Republic of China because he supports the Tibetan Independence Movement.
Gere is a supporter of Survival International, an organization that works to safeguard tribal peoples’ lands and rights all around the world. He published We Are One: A Celebration of Tribal Peoples in 2009, with royalties and sales going to Survival International. Gere also promotes environmental and AIDS awareness projects. He was instrumental in the establishment of AIDS Care Home, an Indian residential institution for AIDS-affected women and children. In 1999, Richard established the Gere Foundation India Trust.
Gere endorsed and campaigned for Hillary Clinton for President in 2016, contributing $2,700 to her campaign.
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Richard Gere’s Real Estate
Richard purchased Strongheart Manor in Sag Harbor, NY (near Southampton) for $6.9 million in 2005. The 6-acre estate boasts a 300-foot bay frontage and large grounds. He spent the next few years renovating the property, focusing on the 14,000 square-foot main house. Richard advertised the home for $70 million in 2013. He eventually accepted $36.5 million after lowering the price to $47.5 million. Matt Lauer, a TV host, was the buyer.
Richard’s main residence is a sprawling 50-acre compound in Pound Ridge, New York. Richard put this mansion for sale for $28 million in January 2022.
He co-owns the Bedford Post Inn, which is close to this house.
Richard and his wife Silva spent $10.5 million on a new 35-acre estate in the New York hamlet of North Salem in two transactions in 2020 (one of the transactions was $9.8 million).
He also has a New York City apartment.