Richard Gere

Richard Gere (born 31 August 1949) is an American actor and producer known for his roles in American Gigolo (1980), An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Pretty Woman (1990), Chicago (2002) and numerous other films. Born Richard Tiffany Gere in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he is the son of Homer George Gere, an insurance salesman, and Doris Ann Tiffany, a homemaker. He was the second of five children, and the family eventually settled in the Syracuse area of central New York State. Both sides of his family have roots in colonial New England, with ancestors who arrived in North America during the seventeenth century. Although born in Philadelphia, Gere spent much of his childhood in North Syracuse, where he developed an interest in music, gymnastics and performing.

Gere attended North Syracuse Central High School, graduating in 1967. He played the trumpet, participated in school music productions and became an accomplished gymnast, earning a gymnastics scholarship to the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He studied philosophy but left university after two years to pursue acting. His early professional work took him to several parts of the United States, including Seattle Repertory Theatre in Washington State and the Provincetown Playhouse on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In 1971, he appeared in the short-lived Broadway rock musical Soon at the Ritz Theatre in Manhattan. He subsequently joined the New York production of Grease before travelling to London in 1973 to play Danny Zuko in the British stage production. It was his first major international acting engagement and an important step towards his later film career.

After returning to the United States, Gere continued working in theatre, including a performance in the Broadway production of Bent (1979), in which he portrayed a gay prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp. His early screen work included Report to the Commissioner (1975) and Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977), but his first particularly important leading film role came in Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven (1978). Set among migrant agricultural workers in the Texas Panhandle during the early twentieth century, the film was shot primarily in southern Alberta, Canada. The wheat fields around Whiskey Gap, near the Montana border, represented the Texas landscape, while an elaborate period farmhouse was constructed on the prairie for the production. The film’s concluding scenes also used Heritage Park Historical Village in Calgary. The Canadian Rocky Mountains, visible in some scenes, reveal the geographical difference between the film’s fictional setting and its actual filming locations.

Gere subsequently starred in Yanks (1979), directed by John Schlesinger, playing an American soldier stationed in England during the Second World War. The production made extensive use of towns and historic buildings across northern England, particularly Lancashire, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire. Filming locations included Stalybridge, Hyde, Stockport, Oldham and Keighley, where streets were temporarily transformed to recreate wartime Britain. The Davenport Cinema in Stockport was used for a scene in which Gere’s character meets a young Englishwoman, while Scotney Castle in Kent represented the residence of a wealthy British family. The final sequence, showing American troops departing by train, was filmed at Keighley railway station on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, using a preserved steam locomotive. The film was one of Gere’s earliest productions to rely heavily on real British locations rather than studio sets.

His breakthrough as a Hollywood leading man came with Paul Schrader’s American Gigolo (1980), in which he portrayed Julian Kaye, a high-priced male escort working in Los Angeles. The film made extensive use of the city’s affluent neighbourhoods, restaurants and modern architecture, particularly in Beverly Hills, Westwood and the Hollywood Hills. The opening sequence follows Julian driving along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, while the Sunset Plaza Apartments in the Hollywood Hills represented his residence. Other filming locations included Westwood Boulevard, the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the former Perino’s restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard. The restaurant, once a fashionable Hollywood establishment, was demolished in the 1980s. The film’s carefully selected locations helped establish the luxurious Los Angeles environment in which Julian moves.

An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) brought Gere to Port Townsend, Washington, a historic maritime town on the Olympic Peninsula. Playing Zack Mayo, a young man training to become a naval aviator, Gere spent much of the production at Fort Worden, a former United States Army coastal defence installation overlooking Puget Sound. The fort represented the fictional naval officer training base, although the actual Navy Aviation Officer Candidate School was located at Pensacola, Florida. The Navy had declined permission to film at Pensacola, prompting the filmmakers to use the decommissioned Washington military base instead.

Several of the film’s best-known scenes were shot at identifiable locations within Fort Worden. Battery Kinzie, a concrete coastal artillery fortification, was used for the training sequence in which Mayo breaks down and declares that he has nowhere else to go. The former balloon hangar was used for his fight with drill instructor Emil Foley, played by Louis Gossett Jr., while the Tides Inn on Water Street provided motel scenes. Other locations included the Port Townsend Paper Mill, Point Wilson Lighthouse and buildings around the town’s historic waterfront. Production took place during the spring of 1981, involving hundreds of local residents as extras. The film became closely associated with Port Townsend, bringing lasting attention to its historic buildings and former military installations.

Gere returned to New York for Francis Ford Coppola’s The Cotton Club (1984), portraying musician Dixie Dwyer in a crime drama set around the famous Harlem nightclub during the 1920s and 1930s. Although the original Cotton Club had closed decades earlier, the production recreated its interiors and used numerous surviving New York buildings to establish the period setting. Locations included the historic Prospect Hall in Brooklyn, the Apthorp apartment building on Broadway in Manhattan and the Empire Diner on Tenth Avenue. West 131st Street in Harlem was used for a machine-gun attack sequence, while Grand Central Terminal appeared towards the end of the film. Gere also performed on the cornet, drawing on his musical training from his school years.

In Pretty Woman (1990), Gere starred opposite Julia Roberts as wealthy businessman Edward Lewis, whose relationship with Vivian Ward develops against the backdrop of Beverly Hills and Hollywood. The Beverly Wilshire Hotel at 9500 Wilshire Boulevard became one of the film’s central locations, with its exterior representing the luxury hotel where Edward stays. The famous shopping sequences used Rodeo Drive and surrounding Beverly Hills streets, while the Las Palmas Hotel at 1738 North Las Palmas Avenue in Hollywood provided the exterior of Vivian’s apartment building. The film also used the former Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles for hotel interiors, with additional sets constructed at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. The opera sequence incorporated footage from San Francisco, including the War Memorial Opera House. The production therefore combined several California locations into what appears on screen to be a relatively small area of Los Angeles.

Gere subsequently starred opposite Jodie Foster in Sommersby (1993), a romantic drama set in rural Virginia after the American Civil War. Unlike many Hollywood period productions, the film was shot extensively in the region where its story takes place. Locations included Lexington, Hot Springs, Appomattox, Farmville and Charlotte Court House in Virginia. Historic streets and rural properties provided the setting for the story of a soldier who returns home after years of absence, while the surrounding farmland recreated the agricultural communities of the Reconstruction era.

His association with Chicago began with the legal thriller Primal Fear (1996), in which he portrayed defence attorney Martin Vail opposite Edward Norton. The film was shot partly on location in Chicago, using the city’s urban landscape for its courtroom and legal scenes, while additional filming took place in Los Angeles. The Park Plaza Hotel on South Park View Street in Los Angeles was among the buildings used, and studio interiors were constructed at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. The combination of actual Chicago footage and California locations allowed the production to maintain its Midwestern setting while completing substantial parts of the film elsewhere.

One of Gere’s most unusual geographical productions was Red Corner (1997), directed by Jon Avnet. He played an American businessman accused of murder while visiting Beijing, China. Although the entire story takes place in the Chinese capital, Gere filmed his performance almost entirely in Los Angeles. Production designer Richard Sylbert supervised the construction of a seven-acre recreation of a Beijing neighbourhood in Playa Vista, near Los Angeles International Airport. The set included narrow streets, courtyards, houses, imported Chinese vehicles and hundreds of bicycles. The production also used sound stages in Culver City for courtroom and prison interiors. A small crew secretly filmed authentic exterior footage in Beijing, including Tiananmen Square, which was later combined with the American footage using digital effects. The complicated production reflected the difficulty of filming a politically sensitive American drama in China, particularly with Gere’s established public support for Tibetan human rights.

Gere reunited with Julia Roberts and director Garry Marshall for Runaway Bride (1999), in which he played New York journalist Ike Graham. Although the film begins in Manhattan, much of the story takes place in the fictional Maryland town of Hale. The town was recreated in Berlin, a small historic community on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where the production used Main Street, local shops and the former Peninsula Bank building. Numerous residents appeared as extras, and the filmmakers temporarily altered shopfronts and streets to create the fictional town. Additional filming took place around Baltimore, which also stood in for New York City in some scenes, and at locations near Glen Arm and New Windsor, Maryland.

In The Mothman Prophecies (2002), Gere portrayed journalist John Klein, who investigates mysterious events in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. The film was inspired by reports of strange sightings in the area during the 1960s, particularly those preceding the collapse of the Silver Bridge over the Ohio River in December 1967. However, most of the production took place in Pennsylvania rather than West Virginia. Kittanning, a town northeast of Pittsburgh, represented Point Pleasant, with its Citizens Bridge standing in for the ill-fated Silver Bridge. Downtown Pittsburgh was used to recreate parts of Chicago, while other locations included Mellon Square, Trinity Cathedral, the Duquesne Club and the University of Pittsburgh campus. The production’s use of Kittanning was especially notable because the town’s bridge and riverside streets provided a convincing substitute for the real West Virginia location.

Gere returned to the world of musical theatre with Chicago (2002), portraying lawyer Billy Flynn opposite Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Although the film takes place in Chicago during the 1920s, much of the production was filmed in and around Toronto, Canada. The historic Casa Loma mansion provided interiors for Billy Flynn’s office, while the Ontario Legislative Building at Queen’s Park was used for the courthouse steps during a press conference. Toronto’s Distillery District supplied period industrial architecture and prison exteriors, while Parkwood Estate in Oshawa was used for additional interiors. Large musical sets were constructed at Downsview Park Studios, where the film’s elaborate stage-inspired sequences were completed. Gere received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance, and the film won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

He returned to a Chicago setting in Shall We Dance? (2004), starring alongside Jennifer Lopez and Susan Sarandon. The film follows a lawyer who secretly begins taking ballroom dancing lessons, with the story moving between offices, railway stations, residential neighbourhoods and a dance studio. Although Chicago provides the principal setting, much of the production was filmed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where Canadian streets and buildings were used to represent the American city. Additional filming took place in Chicago itself, maintaining the connection between the fictional setting and its recognisable urban surroundings.

Gere subsequently starred in The Hunting Party (2007), playing a war correspondent who returns to Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Bosnian War. Unlike many productions set in the former Yugoslavia, the film used actual locations in Bosnia and neighbouring Croatia. Filming took place in Sarajevo, including its historic Old Town and Sarajevo International Airport, with additional scenes shot in the Žumberak region of Croatia. The production incorporated buildings and landscapes associated with the region’s recent history, providing a geographical connection to the events that inspired the story.

In Nights in Rodanthe (2008), Gere reunited with Diane Lane for a romantic drama set on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The film was shot extensively along the state’s Atlantic coastline, including Rodanthe on Hatteras Island, Southport and North Topsail Beach. One of the central locations was a beachfront house known as Serendipity, which was converted into the fictional Inn at Rodanthe for filming. The house originally stood directly beside the ocean and became closely associated with the film after its release. Coastal erosion and storm damage subsequently threatened the building, and in 2010 it was relocated farther inland within Rodanthe. The building survived, but its present position differs from the original filming location. Other scenes used Rodanthe Pier and the surrounding coastline.

Another production centred on a distinctive building was Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009), in which Gere played Parker Wilson, a university professor who develops a close bond with an Akita dog. The film is an American adaptation of the true story of Hachikō, a Japanese dog that waited for years at Shibuya Station in Tokyo after the death of its owner. Instead of recreating Tokyo, the filmmakers relocated the story to a fictional American town. Much of the production was filmed in Woonsocket and Bristol, Rhode Island, with the former Woonsocket railway station at Depot Square becoming the most important location. The station served as the place where Hachi waits for his owner, while additional filming took place at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston and the Columbus Theatre in Providence. In 2012, a statue of Hachikō was installed outside Woonsocket station, creating a permanent landmark connected to the film and the original Japanese story.

Gere also appeared in Arbitrage (2012), a financial thriller set in New York City, portraying wealthy hedge fund manager Robert Miller. Production took place extensively in Manhattan and the surrounding metropolitan area, including office buildings, residential properties and streets associated with the city’s financial industry. In Time Out of Mind (2014), he returned to New York for a very different role, portraying George Hammond, a homeless man struggling to survive on the streets. Director Oren Moverman filmed Gere in actual public spaces around Manhattan, sometimes using cameras placed at a distance so that surrounding pedestrians would behave naturally. During filming, many passers-by failed to recognise the actor, despite his international fame. The production used the everyday streets, pavements and public buildings of New York rather than constructing a fictional urban environment.

Gere’s first substantial film production in India came with The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015), directed by John Madden. He played Guy Chambers, a guest who arrives at the retirement hotel operated by Sonny Kapoor, portrayed by Dev Patel. The film was shot extensively in Rajasthan, particularly around Jaipur and Udaipur. Locations included the Pearl Palace Heritage Guesthouse in Jaipur, which was used for hotel scenes, and the historic Ravla Khempur property near Udaipur, which had provided the main hotel setting for the original film. Other locations included Jaigarh Fort near Amber and the surrounding Rajasthan countryside. Unlike productions that recreate India elsewhere, the film incorporated actual Indian streets, historic buildings and hospitality establishments.

In Paul Schrader’s Oh, Canada (2024), Gere portrayed Leonard Fife, an ageing documentary filmmaker who left the United States during the Vietnam War and built a career in Canada. The film reunited Gere with Schrader more than forty years after American Gigolo. Despite its title and Canadian setting, the production was filmed in New York State rather than Canada. Locations included Mill Neck Manor on Long Island, which represented Fife’s Montreal residence, and Youngs Farm in Glen Head, where rural scenes set in Canada were filmed. Roads around Harriman and Tarrytown were also used for sequences involving a journey towards the Canadian border. The production provided another example of neighbouring American locations being used to recreate a different country.

Gere also joined the espionage television series The Agency (2024–), starring Michael Fassbender and Jeffrey Wright. Playing CIA London station chief James Bradley, known as Bosko, he returned to British television production decades after his early stage work in London. The series is primarily set around an American intelligence station in the British capital, with filming taking place in London and at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire. The studios housed several major sets, including the intelligence headquarters and apartment interiors, while additional exterior filming took place in Tallinn, Estonia. The second season entered production in London in 2025, continuing Gere’s work in international television drama.

Outside film and television, Gere has been involved in several properties and cultural organisations with distinct geographical connections. One of his most notable business ventures was the restoration of the Bedford Post Inn at 954 Old Post Road in Bedford, New York. The building dates to 1762 and originally served as a stopping point for travellers along the historic route between New York City and Boston. Gere and his business partner Russell Hernandez acquired the property in 2007 and carried out an extensive renovation, transforming the former residence into a boutique hotel and restaurant complex. The restored inn became associated with fine dining, hospitality and wellness activities, including yoga. The establishment has subsequently been operated by professional hospitality management, while Gere remains historically associated with its restoration.

Gere also maintained a long personal connection to Westchester County and neighbouring Connecticut. For many years, he lived in the Bedford and Pound Ridge area north of New York City, where he owned a substantial country estate. In 2022, he purchased a large property in New Canaan, Connecticut, from musician Paul Simon and his wife, Edie Brickell. The estate included a historic residence and extensive grounds, with Gere initially considering converting part of the land into a farm. However, he sold the property in 2024 as he prepared to relocate to Spain with his family. These homes connected him to the rural landscape north of Manhattan, a region where he spent much of his adult life.

Another important part of Gere’s life has been his association with Tibet and Tibetan cultural organisations. In 1987, he co-founded Tibet House US in New York City alongside Columbia University scholar Robert Thurman and composer Philip Glass. The organisation, based in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, was established to help preserve Tibetan culture and traditions. Gere also established the Gere Foundation in 1991 and became chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet in 1995. His humanitarian work has taken him to numerous countries, including India, Nepal, Mongolia and Tibet. He has made repeated visits to Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, northern India, the home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile.

Gere was married to model Cindy Crawford from 1991 until 1995, and later to actress Carey Lowell, with whom he has a son, Homer, born in 2000. In 2018, he married Spanish publicist and activist Alejandra Silva, and the couple subsequently had two sons, Alexander and James. Their marriage established a strong personal connection with Spain, where Silva was born and raised. In late 2024, Gere and his family relocated to the Madrid area after many years in the United States. The move allowed Silva and their children to spend more time near her family and gave Gere a new European base after decades of living primarily in New York and its surrounding communities.

Throughout his career, Gere has worked in films that connect actual places with fictional or reconstructed settings, from the Canadian prairies representing Texas in Days of Heaven and Fort Worden representing a naval training base in An Officer and a Gentleman to Toronto standing in for Chicago and New York standing in for Canada. His personal history has been similarly connected to several distinct regions, beginning in Pennsylvania and central New York, continuing through the theatre worlds of London and Manhattan, and eventually extending to Bedford, Connecticut and Spain.

---