The Unknown Truth About Richard Gere's Life

Richard Gere is responsible for some of the most successful movies to ever hit the big screen. However, he hasn’t really impacted the industry much recently, and it seems there might be quite a few reasons for why that is.

There was a time when Richard Gere seemed like the go-to leading man for Hollywood movies. After all, his role in the romantic-comedy ‘Pretty Woman’ was one of the standouts of the ’90s, if not the entirety of cinematic history. Unfortunately, Hollywood appears to have lost interest in the actor, and there might be a lot of reasons why.

Some of Richard’s movies haven’t performed well with the critics

There are two things that films require to be truly successful – good reviews and strong box office sales. Technically, a movie can survive with just one of them, but it’s unlikely to be considered an important piece of cinematic history if that happens. Unfortunately for Richard Gere, he hasn’t tended to perform in films that are both critically and commercially successful.

Regarding the reviews, the actor has appeared in more than his fair share of critical flops. The anthology comedy ‘Movie 43,’ for instance, received a score of 4% on Rotten Tomatoes. It was named one of the worst pictures ever made and won three awards at the Razzies in 2014. The epic biblical film ‘King David’ and the romantic drama ‘Intersection’ also weren’t beloved by critics.

He’s also been in plenty of films that have failed to make a profit

Admittedly, Richard’s acting wasn’t always to blame for these critical failures. In fact, his performance in ‘King David’ was praised by reviews. However, being associated with too many poorly-reviewed films still doesn’t reflect too well on an actor. It also doesn’t help if said actor has been in a lot of box office bombs, too.

Richard definitely knows a thing or two about not making a profit with his movies, having failed to make back the budget in several of his films. The biographical picture ‘Amelia,’ for instance, couldn’t even make half of the $40 million budget that went into creating it. The spy movie ‘The Double’ and the rom-com ‘Dr. T and the Women’ also failed to make a profit, none of which reflected well on Gere.

Despite these failures, Richard has had some incredibly successful movies

Of course, it’s not like the actor only appears in critical and commercial failures. The man wouldn’t be as widely known as he is today if he hadn’t had some brilliant successes over the years. Obviously, his standout role will always be as Edward Lewis in the romantic comedy ‘Pretty Woman.’ The movie only had a $14 million budget yet finished up at the box office with $463.4 million.

Critics weren’t necessarily the biggest fans of the flick, but their reviews were more middle of the road than negative. Plus, ‘Pretty Woman’ made an impact on most of the big award ceremonies, ultimately earning a Golden Globe for Julia Roberts’ performance. Another rom-com ‘Runaway Bride’ and the musical black comedy ‘Chicago’ also performed well at the box office.

Richard Gere’s inconsistent track record might be getting in his way

All in all, Richard’s movies have had quite a varied level of success. Some have been commercial successes, some have been box office bombs. Some have been lauded by critics; others haven’t. Realistically, it’s not much different from any other actor. After all, when you appear in so many productions, you can’t expect them all to be big hitters.

However, it’s the inconsistency of his performances that might be working against Gere. There’s seemingly no clear pattern to the highs and lows of his career. Producers don’t necessarily know what they will get when they hire Richard, which might put them off from considering him. If they’re looking for guaranteed success, they’re more likely to cast someone with a better track record.

He’s been reluctant to branch out from just doing movies

When you think of Richard Gere, your mind probably goes immediately to movies. After all, his best-known roles have been on the big screen. While there’s nothing wrong with that, his reluctance to branch out could also be harming his career. The actor is missing out on opportunities to connect to viewers in other ways, thereby making him fall to the wayside.

People don’t go to movie theaters as often as they used to, not with all the streaming services that are available now. Although Richard has done some TV work in the past, he’s only acted in a handful of shows this century. If he wants to maintain relevance, it might be worth him looking for work on the small screen, alongside those bigger movie roles.

Richard has turned down a lot of major film roles in the past

People don’t tend to know what goes on behind the scenes with casting. So, it’s easy to assume that the person playing a specific character was always destined for that role. However, that usually isn’t the case. Often, the part was going to go to someone else, but then they dropped out for whatever reason. This has happened with Gere on quite a few occasions.

Some of the roles he ditched include John McClane in the action movie “Die Hard” and Miles Massey in the rom-com ‘Intolerable Cruelty.’ Both of these characters were the leads in their respective movies, but Richard apparently wasn’t interested. The actor doesn’t regret saying no, though. His only regret is not doing the drama ‘Wall Street,’ which won Michael Douglas an Academy Award.

He fell out with Sylvester Stallone over a drop of mustard

Making it in the industry isn’t always about being a good actor. Sometimes, it’s about knowing the right people and not upsetting the wrong ones. Unfortunately, Richard hasn’t always gotten along with everyone behind the scenes. It seems that one person he managed to get on the wrong side of was Sylvester Stallone.

The two actors reportedly clashed in the ’70s after they were having lunch in the back of a car. Richard was apparently eating a piece of chicken which Sylvester warned him not to drip on his clothes. When a stray drop of mustard ended up on the man’s pants, he elbowed Gere in the head and pushed him out of the car. The director then dropped Richard from the film the pair were starring in.

The pair later fought over Princess Diana at Elton John’s party

If that clash did cost the actor his part in a movie, it’s understandable why Richard might not have gotten along with Sylvester. However, this wasn’t the only time there was reportedly tension between the duo. Several decades later, there were issues again when the pair both attended a party hosted by Elton John.

Another guest at the event was Princess Diana, and by this point, her marriage to Prince Charles was over. According to Elton, Stallone likely went to the party with the attention of wooing the former royal. However, Gere got to her before he had a chance, with the actor and Diana reportedly becoming friendly. John states that this resulted in the two exchanging words outside that he and his husband had to break up.

Gere also had “tension” with his leading lady in An Officer and a Gentleman

Stallone isn’t the only star that Gere has failed to see eye to eye with in the past. Someone else he clashed with behind the scenes was Debra Winger, aka his leading lady in the romantic drama ‘An Officer and a Gentleman.’ Given the love that played out on the big screen, it’s easy to assume that these two enjoyed one another’s company. However, it seems that wasn’t the case at all.

It appears that Winger didn’t have much chemistry with her co-star, claiming that he was a “brick wall.” Richard also admitted to there being “tension” between the pair, which presumably made performing together difficult. Fortunately, in this instance, their dislike of one another didn’t get Gere fired. That’s fortunate, given the movie’s critical and commercial success.

Rumors claim that Richard once shoved a gerbil inside himself

Rumors are everywhere in the press. When you’re a celebrity, you have to get used to the fact that some of the stuff being said about you simply isn’t true. Of course, not every allegation is easy to laugh off. Some of the rumors that go around can be incredibly damaging to a person’s career, and if they’re not squashed, they can have serious consequences.

Richard knows a thing or two about that, given he’s been plagued by a bizarre and disturbing claim for decades now. According to the rumor mill, the man had to be rushed to the emergency room after he shoved a gerbil inside himself. That’s not something you hear every day, which is exactly why the allegation has stuck around for so long.

He’s dismissed the rumors, but they continue to follow him all these years later

Unsurprisingly, Gere has denied that he’s ever done anything so intimate and cruel with a gerbil. However, it took him a while to actually address the claims. Rumors of his visit to the hospital surfaced in the ’80s, but it wasn’t until 2008 that he told Metro there was no merit to the accusation.

His reason for staying quiet is that he decided it was “a waste of energy” to pay attention to the lies people were saying. Unfortunately, even if the rumor was debunked, his silence certainly didn’t help sway anyone away from the claim. Even now that it’s established as false, the allegation still persists. It’s something that’s going to haunt the actor forever, and who knows how that might impact his career.

Some say that Sylvester Stallone was responsible for the rumor

How does a rumor like this even get around? We suppose it’s possible that someone in the press could have thrown it out there to see if it stuck. As it stands, it’s unclear exactly where the allegation came from in the first place. Some have suggested that Sylvester Stallone was actually responsible for the rumor.

After all, he and Gere had clashed several years before talk of the gerbil emerged, so the actor already wasn’t his favorite person in the world. However, just because they weren’t friends, that doesn’t mean he was quick to throw out such an outrageous rumor. Either way, once it was out there, people jumped onto it, claiming they were involved in the removal procedure or knew hospital staff that were.

Richard allegedly only got a lot of his big roles because John Travolta turned them down

One reason that Richard might have trouble finding films nowadays is that John Travolta isn’t turning them down. It seems that Gere has a habit of starring in movies that the actor was supposed to do but then turned down. It all started when John scored the lead in the musical rom-com ‘Grease.’ Both men had apparently appeared in the musical on Broadway, but it was Travolta who was chosen for the film.

After that, Richard seemed to become the second choice whenever John said no to a movie. That includes the romantic period drama ‘Days of Heaven’ and ‘An Officer and a Gentleman,’ both of which were great successes. Gere’s role in ‘Chicago’ was also allegedly earmarked for Travolta but was once again turned down by the actor.

He places his personal values and beliefs ahead of his career

Some people like to put their work before everything else. Others, though, know there’s more to life than making money and climbing the career ladder. Richard is apparently one such person, with the actor apparently prioritizing certain elements of his life over his movie work. During an interview with Lion’s Roar in 1999, he confessed that he was finding it a greater “challenge” for “deepening the teachings inside of me.”

He said that his “involvement in a career, in a normal householder life” was responsible for this. Gere was referring to his Buddhist beliefs, which have been an essential part of his life for decades. If the man wishes to place his personal values above all else, it’s only natural that his career will take a hit.

Richard’s activism to free Tibet has made him an enemy of China

Of course, it seems that the actor’s values and beliefs are influencing his career in more ways than one. Aside from struggling to balance work with his spirituality, there’s also the matter of his activism actively hurting his chances of success. For decades, Richard Gere has been incredibly outspoken about freeing Tibet, something that has earned him few fans in China.

The country has become of growing importance to filmmakers, what with box office results here increasingly impacting whether or not a movie is successful. That means more and more studios are doing what they can to get on China’s good side. That includes steering clear of Gere, whose presence doesn’t perform well in the Chinese market because of his activism.

China potentially stood in the way of Gere’s movie Red Corner being a success

The impact of Richard’s activism on his career is clear to see with movies like the mystery thriller ‘Red Corner.’ According to Gere, the campaign trail was going great until he suddenly received a call telling him to stop. “We don’t want you doing press,” is what the studio allegedly said to him. It turns out that the reason for this is that MGM, the film’s production company and distributor, was trying to make a deal with China.

However, given that ‘Red Corner’ revolves around a corrupt Chinese court system, the country unsurprisingly wasn’t supportive of the film. Therefore, the movie received little promotion, had a limited release, and was heavily censored in China. That’s why it didn’t even make back half of its budget at the box office.

Richard spoke out against china at the Academy Awards and got banned

‘Red Corner’ came out in 1997, by which point Richard’s rivalry with China was already firmly established. He’d already been banned from the country for several years, ever since he made a commotion at the 1993 Academy Awards. Gere wasn’t nominated for anything at the ceremony, but he was tasked with presenting the award for Best Art Direction.

However, once he stepped up to announce the nominees, he ditched his script for something more political. He began talking about the “horrendous, horrendous human rights situation” in China, a comment that obviously didn’t sit well with everyone. In light of his activism, Richard was banned from returning to the Academy Awards. This was all before getting political at awards ceremonies became the standard thing to do.

Susan Sarandon defends Gere’s remarks at the Academy Awards

The Academy didn’t want their ceremonies sparking political outrage and potentially damaging alliances, so banning Richard seemed like the best move to make. The actor reportedly wasn’t too bothered by it. In his words, “I didn’t have to put a tuxedo on again.” However, not everyone agreed that this move was the right one for the Academy to make.

Someone who’s since spoken out about the decision is Susan Sarandon. She says that the man was “brave” to draw “attention to the things that everyone has agreed not to pay attention to.” The actress was actually another person who went off-script at the 1993 ceremony, doing so for the sake of Haitian refugees. This prompted the ceremony’s producer to also threaten her with a ban.

Being banned from the Academy Awards potentially hurt his chances of landing roles

Although Gere might have been okay with not having to wear a tuxedo again, this situation with the Academy Awards still wasn’t ideal. He was gradually being blacklisted from Hollywood, with no sign that things would eventually get better. Obviously, being banned from the awards ceremony didn’t immediately put an end to his career because movies like ‘Chicago’ came after 1993.

However, it certainly made it harder for him to sustain his success on the big screen as people became more reluctant to work with him. Fortunately, there has been some good news since Richard was banned. It seems the Academy felt that 20 years was enough time for him to learn his lesson, as he was allowed back to the ceremony in 2013.

Gere said that a boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympics was necessary

While Richard might be allowed to attend the Academy Awards again, there’s little chance of him being permitted to speak at them. After all, the actor hasn’t become any less passionate about his activism. He’s continued to fight against China since the ’90s, including suggesting a boycott of the Summer Olympic Games when they were in Beijing.

The actor said that it would be “unconscionable” to attend the Games if certain issues with Tibet weren’t resolved. He told Reuters that he’s not always pro-boycott, but in this situation, it was the right thing to do if peace wasn’t reached. Unsurprisingly, this didn’t win him any favor with the country that has done more to sabotage his career than the Academy Awards ever could.

Richard is actively turned down for roles because China doesn’t like him

It’s one thing to be turned down for a role because you didn’t ace an audition or someone else simply seemed a better fit for the character. However, it’s another to be denied a part purely because people don’t want to be associated with you. Unfortunately, that’s a reality that Richard has to deal with often in Hollywood.

He told the Hollywood Reporter in 2017 that he’d very recently been turned down simply because his involvement would impact the movie’s success. They said that they “could not finance a film with [Gere] because it would upset the Chinese.” If a movie requires the Chinese market to perform well, Richard is simply not a viable casting choice. The country just won’t accept him being present.

A director cut ties with Gere after receiving threats from China

It seems that China’s hatred of Richard is so intense that the actor can’t perform in some movies that aren’t even released in the country. During his interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Gere discussed an independently financed, non-studio movie that he’d been dropped from. The picture was being directed by a Chinese man who had no qualms with Richard.

However, a few weeks before they were set to shoot, the director apparently received a threat. He was allegedly informed that he’d never be allowed to work again or even leave the country if he went ahead with Gere. So, over a protected phone line, the man told Richard that they couldn’t make a movie together. This was the price he had to pay for his activism.

He got in trouble in India for breaking public obscenity laws

China might be Gere’s greatest enemy, but it’s not the only country he’s upset over the years. Apparently, India also isn’t the actor’s biggest fan after he behaved inappropriately with Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty. The man was in the country to promote the use of protection amongst truck drivers, as a means of reducing acquired immune deficiency syndrome cases.

Unfortunately, he caused significant upset after dipping Shetty and kissing her several times. The actor was merely recreating a scene from his romantic dramedy ‘Shall We Dance?,’ unaware of India’s public obscenity laws. The case was later dismissed as “frivolous,” and Richard wasn’t banned from visiting the country. However, there are some people who are still upset with the actor over his behavior back then.

Richard primarily wants to do movies that can be a force for good in the world

Given that Richard’s activism has resulted in him losing roles, you might think that he’d take whatever movie parts he can get. However, Gere isn’t the kind of man to go for a project simply because it offers a paycheck. He’s insistent on appearing in pictures that can be a force for good. Obviously, that hasn’t always been the case in his career, as evidenced by some of his rom-com work.

However, over time, he’s become more passionate about activism, to the point that he’s not willing to compromise his acting. He essentially has nothing to lose, so it might be understandable why he’d want to stick to his values. Fortunately, with movies like the drama film ‘Time Out of Mind,’ that’s undoubtedly benefited him from a critical standpoint.

Gere seems to be prioritizing a director who’s yet to find significant commercial success

To bring ‘Time Out of Mind’ to life, Gere worked with director Oren Moverman. The man isn’t the most established person in the industry, but he has received Academy Award and Emmy nominations in the past. Some of his movies have won a ton of praise from critics, although they’ve yet to really find great success from a commercial standpoint.

While that’s the case, Richard’s association with him isn’t going to help him make an impact on Hollywood. Unfortunately, Moverman has become the actor’s go-to director. In the last decade, they’ve made several movies together, including the drama film ‘The Dinner.’ With Gere previously asserting that they plan to do “four or five other things in the future,” this working relationship is far from over.

Richard spent three years divorcing his ex-wife Carey Lovell

Trying to juggle personal issues with a waning career isn’t easy. Unfortunately, in 2013, Gere had the breakdown of his 11-year marriage to contend with. He tied the knot with Carey Lovell in 2002, several years after they brought their son Homer into the world. The duo seemed to be a good match for one another, but evidently, there were issues behind closed doors that couldn’t be resolved.

As a result, they chose to end things and spend the next three years getting divorced. Dissolving a marriage isn’t usually a quick process, but this was still a lengthy procedure, even by celebrity standards. It seems there was a lot of fighting over money between these two that dragged things out far longer than necessary.

He used to be married to Cindy Crawford, but they divorced after a few years together

This wasn’t the first time that Gere had dealt with divorce proceedings. He’d been married once before to Cindy Crawford, tying the knot with the supermodel in 1991. At the time, Richard was a big deal. After all, ‘Pretty Woman’ had only come out the previous year, so he wasn’t short of female attention. Unfortunately, his marriage to Cindy wasn’t meant to be.

It was only four years later that the pair were divorced, albeit not on terrible terms. The two still seemed friendly enough with one another, although they drifted apart over time. Now, Crawford considers him to be a stranger once again because it’s been so long since they had any communication. Not everyone wants to stay in touch with their ex, though.

Richard allegedly had some flings with quite a few famous women

Richard certainly hasn’t had a shortage of women over the years. Obviously, only a few of them have had the right chemistry with Gere to marry him. However, just because most of his other relationships have been flings, that doesn’t mean they aren’t notable. He’s allegedly enjoyed the company of some very big names, including Priscilla Presley and Diana Ross.

The former was apparently a one-night fling, according to Priscilla’s ex-boyfriend Michael Edwards. As for the latter, he was seen holding her hand on numerous occasions. No romance between the two was ever confirmed, but the duo obviously had a connection of sorts. Someone else he apparently had a connection with is Kim Basinger, as her ex-husband Ron Snyder allegedly caught them kissing in a car.

Rumors of Gere dating Julia Roberts have plagued them ever since Pretty Woman

Another woman that Richard’s long been romantically associated with is Julia Roberts. It seems the pair did such an excellent job as the leads on ‘Pretty Woman’ that viewers refuse to believe there’s not a spark there. However, as far as anyone knows, the duo’s relationship has never been anything intimate.

They simply have amazing chemistry, something that definitely worked in their favor in the two rom-coms they’ve made together. In fact, it was apparently their chemistry that prompted Gere to do ‘Pretty Woman’ in the first place. He wasn’t won over by the premise, but after Julia spoke with him and practically begged him to be her leading man, he relented. That’s one decision we can safely say that he doesn’t regret.

Some publications suggested that Richard was “quitting Hollywood” for his new wife

Hopefully, there isn’t anything going on between Richard and Julia, given that the actor has another woman in his life now. That woman is Alejandra Silva, who he tied the knot with in 2018. Since getting married, the pair have had two children together, the most recent of which came in early 2020. Obviously, Richard is hopeful that the third time will be the charm with this wife.

However, is it possible that his relationship with Alejandra is what’s affecting his career? When the two began seeing one another, Radar Online suggested that the actor was “quitting Hollywood” to be with her. He supposedly wished to “hightail it to Europe” for a “quieter life.” One thing’s for sure; he hasn’t acted much since they got married.

Richard Gere has known Alejandra since she was a child

Something that people often point out with Richard and his latest wife is the age difference between them. The actor is now in his early 70’s, whereas Alejandra is a few years away from turning 40. Being nearly half her husband’s age has certainly raised some eyebrows, especially given that they’ve known one another for most of her life.

Gere is apparently a family friend, with Silva’s father – Ignacio Silva – being a businessman and the former Vice President of Real Madrid Football Club. Although Richard and Alejandra haven’t been in constant contact throughout her life, the actor reportedly knew her when she was a lot younger. Love works in mysterious ways, but this is one way that hasn’t sat right with everyone.

Activism seems to be at the center of Richard and Alejandra’s relationship

It’s unclear exactly what turned Richard from a family friend into a husband. However, something that likely made the pair interested in one another was their activism. Gere has obviously spent decades fighting for Tibet, along with his various other humanitarian causes. Alejandra, likewise, has been very active in trying to improve the lives of children around the world.

Whether they’re victims of war, refugees, homeless, or simply underprivileged, she’s dedicated years to helping as many kids as she can. The couple apparently came back into one another’s lives through Silva’s interest in non-profit organizations. So, it stands to reason that activism played a vital role in them falling in love. We suppose that means Alejandra won’t be allowed in China anymore, either.

Gere might be prioritizing his kids over work because he feels he’s running out of time

Throughout his marriages, Richard has been fortunate enough to become a father three times. Two of those times were obviously very recently, which has been somewhat bittersweet for the actor. Although he loves his kids and is delighted to have fathered children with Alejandra, he’s obviously very aware of his age.

With him being in his 70’s already, there’s a significant risk that he won’t live long enough to see his kids grow up, get married, etc. Gere is so worried about departing this world too early that he might be putting his children ahead of his career. After all, if he does believe he’s running out of time, he probably wants to make as many memories with the kids as possible.

Richard’s in a position where he can do what he wants without worrying about money

Richard is in a position that plenty of aspiring actors hope to be in one day. While he might be struggling to land big Hollywood blockbusters, he’s got enough in the bank that he doesn’t necessarily need huge projects to stay afloat. He can happily spend time with his kids or film indie movies because he knows he’s set for life.

That freedom is something that Gere greatly values and may well explain why his career isn’t what it used to be. It’s not necessarily that he can’t find work – although that’s definitely an issue to some extent – but that Richard’s not interested in it. He knows he can do whatever he wants, so he’s only going for projects that he cares about.

Gere’s more recent work has largely gone down well with critics

Not only is Richard Gere free to do as he wishes, but he’s also earning some of the best reviews of his career. In the 2016 political drama film ‘Norman,’ The New York Times said that he’d “never been better.” People were also kind about his appearance in Moverman’s ‘The Dinner,’ writing that he was enjoying an “impressive indie renaissance.”

Not every picture is a success, as evidenced by the 2015 drama film ‘The Benefactor.’ However, with his roles now being few and far between, his good reviews are starting to stand out more. That includes the drama-thriller series ‘MotherFatherSon’ – Gere’s first major foray into TV in years – which The Guardian described as “utterly irresistible.” Clearly, the man’s still got it.