Richard Gere is an American actor known for his performances in films such as Primal Fear, Chicago and Pretty Woman.
A descendant of Mayflower pilgrims, Gere was born in Philadelphia on August 31, 1949. He left university after studying philosophy for two years, working at the Provincetown Playhouse on Cape Cod in 1971. His first stage appearance was on the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, but his first major acting role was in the 1973 London run of Grease. His first film appearances were also in the 1970s, including Looking for Mr. Goodbar, released in 1977, and the 1978 film Days of Heaven, where he played the lead.
Richard Gere’s acting career took off, however, with the 1980 film American Gigolo, and with his 1982 film An Officer and A Gentleman. His career fluxed between successes and failures, but in 1990, the release of Pretty Woman and Internal Affairs gave Gere’s status as a popular leading man was brought back. He appeared in other films such as Sommersby, released in 1993; Primal Fear, released in 1996; and Runaway Bride, released in 1999.
After being awarded as People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive for 1999, Richard Gere appeared in the 2002 thriller The Mothman Prophecies, alongside Laura Linney and Debra Messing; and in the drama Unfaithful, with Diane Lane. The same year, he appeared in the Academy Award-winning musical Chicago, which gave Gere a Golden Globe trophy for best actor.
Gere has since appeared in the 2004 drama Shall We Dance, as a man who impulsively signs up for ballroom dancing lessons to meet a girl (Jennifer Lopez); the 2007 thriller The Hunting Party, alongside Terrence Howard and Jesse Eisenberg; and in the 2007 independent film I’m Not There, as one of the six actors playing different facets of Bob Dylan’s life.