Richard Tiffany Gere was born on August 19th, 1949. He and his 4
siblings were raised in Upstate
New York by their parents,
Homer and Doris Gere. In 1967, he graduated from
North Syracuse Central High School and began attending the
University of Massachusetts in
Amherst on a
gymnastics scholarship. He majored in
philosophy, but left after only 2 years to pursue his acting career.
In 1973, he landed the lead in the
London production of the rock musical "
Grease." This role won him other performances in plays, and in 1977 he gained onscreen recognition with a part in "
Looking for Mr. Goodbar" as
Diane Keaton's one night stand. He spent 1978 traveling through
Nepal, meeting
Tibetan monks and lamas. He returned to the
States, and got his big break in 1979 when he replaced
John Travolta as
Julian Kaye in '
American Giggolo.' His performance quickly made him a major sex symbol, and a major star. On
Broadway, he won the 1980
World Theatre Award for his performance in the play "Bent," portraying a concentration camp prisoner.
In 1982, he played
Zach Mayo in "
An Officer and a Gentleman," reaffirming his status as a major star. The rest of the 80s were not as kind to his career, he played mostly small roles. He spent most of the early 80s traveling to
Honduras,
El Salvador and
Nicaragua to refugee camps with a doctor.
In 1990, however, his career was jump started when he landed the role of
Edward Lewis alongside
Julia Roberts in "
Pretty Woman." The movie was a smash hit, winning the
People's Choice Award for
Best Movie. He and
Julia Roberts were suddenly huge
Hollywood names. His new stardom landed him roles in a series of hit films, including another pairing with Julia Roberts in "
Runaway Bride." From 1991 to 1995, he and
Cindy Crawford were married, but it ended in divorce, and he began seeing
Carey Lowell. In 1999, he was named
People's "
Sexiest Man Alive." The following year brought more good things, and in February, he and Lowell had a son, Homer.
Gere is a devout
Buddhist and a
humanitarian. He's a founding member of "
Tibet House," a
nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of the
Tibetan culture. He's also an active supporter of "
Survival International," an organization supporting the rights of
tribal peoples. It affirms their right to decide their own futures and protects their lands and
human rights.
- Chicago: The Musical (2002) .... Billy Flynn
- Unfaithful (2002) .... Edward Sumner
- The Mothman Prophecies (2002) .... John Klein
- Concert for New York City (2001) (TV) .... Himself
- Dr. T & the Women (2000) .... Sullivan 'Sully/'Dr. T' Travis, OBGYN
- Autumn in New York (2000) .... Will
- Runaway Bride (1999) .... Ike Graham
- Junket Whore (1998) .... Himself
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (1998) (TV) .... Host
- The Jackal (1997) .... Declan Mulqueen
- Red Corner (1997) .... Jack Moore
- Primal Fear (1996) .... Martin 'Marty' Vail
- Shadow Over Tibet: Stories in Exile (1995) (TV) .... Narrator
- First Knight (1995) .... Lancelot
- Intersection (1994) .... Vincent Eastman
- Mr. Jones (1993) .... Mr. Jones
- And the Band Played On (1993) (TV) .... Choreographer
- Sommersby (1993) .... John Robert 'Jack' Sommersby
- Final Analysis (1992) .... Isaac Barr
- Hachigatsu no Kyoshikyoku (1991) (as Richado Gia) .... Clark
- Pretty Woman (1990) .... Edward Lewis
- Internal Affairs (1990) .... Dennis Peck
- Miles from Home (1988) .... Frank Roberts
- Power (1986) .... Pete St. John
- No Mercy (1986) .... Eddie Jillette
- King David (1985) .... David
- The Cotton Club (1984) .... Dixie Dwyer
- The Honorary Consul (1983) .... Dr. Eduardo Plarr
- Breathless (1983) .... Jesse Lujack
- An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) .... Zack Mayo
- Reporters (1981/I) .... himself
- American Gigolo (1980) .... Julian Kaye
- Yanks (1979) .... Matt
- Days of Heaven (1978) .... Bill
- Bloodbrothers (1978) .... Thomas Stony De Coco
- Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) .... Tony
- Baby Blue Marine (1976) .... Raider
- Report to the Commissioner (1975) .... Billy
- Strike Force (1975) .... Trooper Walter Spenser
Sources:
IMDB - http://www.imdb.com
http://www.geocities.com/richardgeresbabe/bio.htm
Oh, and for any of you guillible folks looking around in the softlinks (which were there before this writeup): That gerbiling thing is just an Urban Legend.