Richard Gere
Gere in Venice, 2007
Born	Richard Tiffany Gere August 31, 1949 (1949-08-31) (age 58) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Years active	1973 - present
Spouse(s)	Cindy Crawford (1991-1995) Carey Lowell (2002-present)

Richard Tiffany Gere^[1] (born August 31, 1949) is a Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning American actor. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern The year 1973 in film involved some significant events Events The Marx Brothers ' Zeppo Marx divorces his second Cynthia Ann "Cindy" Crawford (born February 20 1966 is an American model and actress. Carey Lowell (born February 11, 1961) is an American actress and former model. Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and Television programs given out each year during a formal dinner The Screen Actors Guild Awards are an annual award given by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG to recognize outstanding performances by members The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works A prototypical leading man of romantic and dramatic films, he first became famous during the 1980s, and has since managed to retain his status.

During the 1990s and 2000s, he starred in several well-received films, Pretty Woman, Primal Fear, and Chicago, for which he won a Golden Globe award as Best Actor. Pretty Woman is a 1990 Romantic comedy film. The film centers around the titular character down-on-her-luck Prostitute Vivian Ward ( Primal Fear is a 1996 motion picture which tells a story of a defense attorney ( Richard Gere) who defends an altar boy ( Edward Chicago is a Musical film adaptation of the satirical stage musical Chicago, the film explores the themes of The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and Television programs given out each year during a formal dinner

Biography

Early life

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Gere is a descendant of Mayflower Pilgrims Francis Eaton, John Billington, George Soule, Richard Warren, Degory Priest, William Brewster and Francis Cooke. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə The Mayflower was the famous Ship that transported the English Separatists better known as the Pilgrims, from Southampton, England Pilgrims, or Pilgrim Fathers (or Pilgrim Mothers) is a name commonly applied to the early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth Francis Eaton (baptized 11 September 1596 - 1633) was a passenger on the Mayflower and also a signer of the Mayflower Compact John Billington (c 1580 &ndash September 30, 1630) was the first Englishman to be convicted of Murder in what would become the United George Soule (c 1595 &ndash 1679 was a signer of the Mayflower Compact, and one of the original 102 Pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower Richard Warren (c 1580 - 1628 a passenger on the Mayflower (old "May Floure") in 1620 settled in Plymouth Colony and was among Very little was known about Degory Priest (B c1579-1582 D 1621 Elder William Brewster (c 1566 - April 10, 1644) was a Pilgrim colonist leader and preacher who came from Scrooby, in north Francis Cooke ( 1583 &ndash 7 April 1663 Plymouth Massachusetts) was one of the 102 passengers on the Mayflower. ^[1] Gere's mother, Doris Anna (née Tiffany), was a homemaker, and his father, Homer George Gere, was an insurance agent for the Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and had originally intended to become a minister. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company & Affiliated Companies is a group of large U In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs ^[2] Gere has three sisters and a brother. In 1967, he graduated from North Syracuse Central High School, where he excelled at gymnastics and music, playing the trumpet. North Syracuse is a Village in Onondaga County, New York, United States. ^[2] He attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst on a gymnastics scholarship, majoring in Philosophy, but did not graduate, leaving after two years. The University of Massachusetts Amherst (otherwise known as UMass Amherst, Massachusetts, or UMass) is a research and Land-grant university in Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language ^[3][2]

Career

Gere first worked professionally at the Provincetown Playhouse on Cape Cod in 1971 where he starred in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is an absurdist, existentialist Tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Gere's first major acting role was in the original London stage version of Grease in 1973. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. This article is about the stage musical For the 1978 film of the same name see Grease (film. ^[2] He began appearing in Hollywood films in the mid 1970s, co-starring in the thriller Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) and playing the leading role in director Terrence Malick's well-reviewed 1978 film, Days of Heaven. This article is about the novel for the 1977 film see Looking for Mr Terrence "Terry" Malick (born November 30, 1943, Ottawa, Illinois) is an Academy Award nominated American Days of Heaven is a 1978 film written and directed by Terrence Malick and starring Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard ^[2] In 1980, Gere appeared in the Broadway production of Bent. Bent is a 1979 play by Martin Sherman (which starred Ian McKellen in its original West-End production and Richard Gere in its original Broadway His acting career took off that year with the successful film American Gigolo, followed by the popular romantic drama An Officer and a Gentleman, which had grossed over $100 million in 1982. American Gigolo is a 1980 feature film written and directed by Paul Schrader. An Officer and a Gentleman is a 1982 film which tells the story of a United States Navy aviation Officer Candidate who comes into conflict ^[2] Subsequently, he was the first man ever to appear on the cover of Vogue magazine. Vogue is a Fashion and lifestyle Magazine published in eighteen countries by Condé Nast Publications.

Gere's career in the 1980s alternated between box office successes and failures. After the release of both Internal Affairs and the box office hit Pretty Woman in 1990, Gere's status as a leading man was again solidified, and he continued starring in solidly performing films throughout the 1990s, including Sommersby (1993), Primal Fear (1996), and Runaway Bride (1999), which paired Gere with his Pretty Woman co-star, Julia Roberts. Internal Affairs is a 1990 American crime thriller Film set in Los Angeles about the police department's Pretty Woman is a 1990 Romantic comedy film. The film centers around the titular character down-on-her-luck Prostitute Vivian Ward ( The 1993 motion picture Sommersby was directed by Jon Amiel and stars Richard Gere, Jodie Foster, Bill Pullman Primal Fear is a 1996 motion picture which tells a story of a defense attorney ( Richard Gere) who defends an altar boy ( Edward Runaway Bride is a 1999 Romantic comedy film starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts and directed by Garry Marshall Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28 1967 is an American - Academy Award winning Film actress and former Fashion model. ^[2] In Mr. Jones, Gere accurately portrayed a high-functioning, creative, and intellectual man with bipolar disorder. Mr Jones is a 1993 romantic Drama film starring Richard Gere, Lena Olin, Delroy Lindo and Anne Bancroft The movie was not a commercial success, but was well-received by the mental health community. It is frequently utilized as a training tool to acquaint students and families with the disorder.

People magazine named Gere the "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1999. People (full name People Weekly) is a weekly American Magazine of Celebrity and human interest stories, published People (full name People Weekly) is a weekly American Magazine of Celebrity and human interest stories, published In 2002, he appeared in three major releases: the horror thriller The Mothman Prophecies, the drama Unfaithful, and the Academy Award-winning film version of Chicago,^[2] for which he won a Golden Globe as "Best Actor - Comedy or Musical". The Mothman Prophecies is a 2002 film directed by Mark Pellington, adapted from the 1976 book of the same name by parapsychologist and Fortean Unfaithful is a 2002 American Drama film directed by Adrian Lyne, and adapted by Alvin Sargent and William Broyles "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Chicago is a Musical film adaptation of the satirical stage musical Chicago, the film explores the themes of The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and Television programs given out each year during a formal dinner Gere's 2004 ballroom dancing drama, Shall We Dance, was also a solid performer, although his next film, Bee Season, failed to find an audience amid the Oscar-contenders of November 2005. Ballroom dance refers collectively to a set of Partner dances which originated in Germany and are now enjoyed both socially and competitively around the Shall We Dance? is an American motion picture released in 2004. Bee Season is a 2005 Feature film based on the 2000 novel by Myla Goldberg. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film.

Gere was Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals' "Man of the Year" for 2006. The Hasty Pudding Theatricals, known informally simply as The Pudding, is a theatrical student society at Harvard University, known for its Burlesque In July 2006, he was cast opposite Jesse Eisenberg and Terrence Howard in The Hunting Party, a comic thriller in which he played a journalist in Bosnia; the film was released in September of 2007. Jesse Adam Eisenberg (born October 5, 1983) is an American film and television Actor. Terrence Dashon Howard (born March 11, 1969) is an Academy Award -nominated American Film and stage Actor, and The Hunting Party is an action - adventure - thriller with Dark comedy elements released on September 7 2007, starring Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Latin script: Bosna i Hercegovina, Cyrillic script: Босна и Херцеговина is a country on the Balkan ^[4]

Personal life & activism

Gere Visits USAID HIV / AIDS "Operation Lighthouse" Project In Mumbai, as part of USAID.

Gere was married to supermodel Cindy Crawford from 1991 to 1995. A supermodel is a highly-paid élite fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in Haute couture and commercial modeling Cynthia Ann "Cindy" Crawford (born February 20 1966 is an American model and actress. In 2002, he married actress Carey Lowell. Carey Lowell (born February 11, 1961) is an American actress and former model. They have a son, Homer James Jigme Gere, who was born in 2000 and is named after Gere's father. ^[2]

Gere was raised by Methodist parents;^[5] his interest in Buddhism began when he traveled to Nepal in 1978 with the Brazilian painter, Sylvia Martins. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. ^[3] He is a practicing Buddhist and an active supporter of the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual and political leader of the Tibetan people according to Tibetan Buddhism. ^[2] Gere is also a persistent advocate for human rights in Tibet; he is a co-founder of the Tibet House, creator of The Gere Foundation, and he is Chairman of the Board of Directors for the International Campaign for Tibet. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European The Tibet House was founded in 1987 by Columbia University Professor Robert Thurman, Actor Richard Gere and modern The International Campaign for Tibet ( ICT) is a private Non-profit Advocacy group working to promote democratic freedoms for Tibetans, ensure Because he strongly supports the Tibetan Independence Movement, he is permanently banned from entering The People's Republic of China. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Gere was banned as an Academy Award presenter in 1993 after he used the opportunity to condemn the Chinese government. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. ^[6] In September 2007, Gere called for the boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games to put pressure on China to make Tibet independent. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European On the March 14, 2008 The Situation Room, Gere spoke against China's crackdown on the uprising in Tibet. The Situation Room is an afternoon/early evening newscast on CNN hosted by Wolf Blitzer that first aired on August 8, 2005. ^[7]

Gere campaigns for ecological causes and AIDS awareness. Ecology (from Greek grc οἶκος oikos, "house(hold" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Healing the Divide, an organization that supports global initiatives to promote peace, justice and understanding,^[8] and he also actively supports Survival International, an organization dedicated to protecting the rights and lands of tribal peoples throughout the world. Healing the Divide was created to challenge existing failed modes of thought and action and to foster the kind of revolutionary transformations needed to break the bonds of ignorance intolerance Survival International is a Human rights organisation formed in 1969 that campaigns for the rights of indigenous Tribal peoples and ^[3] He helped to establish the AIDS Care Home, a residential facility in India for women and children with AIDS, and also supports campaigns for AIDS awareness and education that country. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country In 1999 he created the Gere Foundation India Trust to support a variety of humanitarian programs in India. ^[9]

On April 15, 2007 Gere appeared at an AIDS awareness rally in Jaipur, India. During a live news conference to promote condom use among truck drivers, the American actor affectionately embraced Bollywood superstar Shilpa Shetty, dipped her, and kissed her several times on the cheek. Bollywood (बॉलीवूड بالی وڈ is the informal term popularly used for the Mumbai -based Hindi-language Film industry in India Shilpa Shetty ( Tulu: ಶಿಲ್ಪ ಶೆಟ್ಟಿ born 8 June 1975) is an Indian film actress and model. Dips are common to many Dance forms ( Tango, Lindy Hop, Salsa, Ballroom dances. ^[10] As a result of that seemingly innocuous gesture, a local court ordered the arrest of Gere and Shetty, finding them in violation "public obscenity" laws. Gere, who quickly fled the country, has said the controversy was "manufactured by a small hard-line political party. " About a month later, a two-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, KG Balakrishnan described the case as "frivolous" and believed that such complaints (against celebrities) were filed for "cheap publicity" and have brought a bad name to the country. They ruled that "Richard Gere is free to enter the country. This is the end of the matter. " ^[11]

Filmography

References

External links

• Richard Gere at the Internet Movie Database
• Defended India's nuclear tests
• The Gere Foundation
• The Druk White Lotus School (external link) of which Gere is an Honorary Patron. The Druk White Lotus School is located in Shey, Ladakh, high in the Indian Himalaya.