Richard Gere began acting in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) followed by a starring role in Days of Heaven (1978). He came to prominence with his role in the film American Gigolo (1980), which established him as a leading man — and even a sex symbol. These days, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Gere is selling his photography collection, but has remained in the on-screen game in recent years.
Gere spent his childhood in upstate New York and later enrolled at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst on a gymnastics scholarship, but left college after two years to work as a musician. He performed in numerous bands and began acting in summer programs throughout New England. After performing with the Provincetown Players on Cape Cod and with the Seattle Repertory Theatre, Gere was cast as an understudy in the rock musical Grease on Broadway in 1972. Later that decade, his career would take off as a leading man in Hollywood. Here’s a closer look at Richard Gere’s finest films over the last half-century.
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5 America Gigolo (1980)
Paramount Pictures
With an ending reminiscent of Paul Schrader’s most recent masterpiece The Card Counter, American Gigolo is an early classic from the Taxi Driver screenwriter that mustn’t be missed. Gere’s Hollywood career took off following his starring turn as Julian, an escort to older women in the Los Angeles area. One of his clients is murdered, and a detective begins pumping him for details on his different clients, something he is reluctant to do considering the nature of his work. Meanwhile, one of his clients begins to fall in love with him. This outstanding 80s romantic thriller reveals that both Schrader and Gere have been Hollywood success stories for 40+ years.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
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4 Time Out of Mind (2014)
Blackbird
Oren Moverman, known for hard hitting dramas The Messenger and Rampart, returns with a relentless and brutal look at life on the streets in the new movie Time Out of Mind. Richard Gere gave an awards-caliber performance as a homeless man trying to reconnect with his daughter — and reality. Evicted from his squat and suddenly alone on the streets, his character George hustles for change and somewhere safe and quiet to gather his thoughts. But the streets are relentless, and soon, George finds himself teetering on the edge, alone and abandoned.
3 Pretty Woman (1990)
Touchstone Pictures
Julia Roberts’ most iconic movie of all time is perhaps Pretty Woman. She plays Vivian Ward, a sex worker living in California who finds herself one night with an extremely successful businessman named Edward Lewis, played by Gere. What at first seemed like a mistake becomes a blossoming relationship, and the two fall in love during this hilarious two-hour film. There are so many iconic scenes and quotes from the movie, such as Roberts’ “Big mistake.” scene on Rodeo Drive. Gere is relentlessly charming in this lead role, and we can’t help but love him in his heroic moments throughout — like when his scumbag colleague (Jason Alexander) tries to make a move on Roberts.
“He’s a very serious actor, and he had very specific thoughts about the movie and the part and what worked and what didn’t work for him,” Roberts once told Today about working with Gere. “And I think I just nodded and smiled a lot and agreed with everything he said.”
2 Chicago (2002)
Producer Circle Co.
Chicago is one of the most acclaimed and well received musicals of the 21st century. Renée Zellweger plays the infamous murderer Roxie Hart, who does all she can to work her way through the system when she finds herself being tried for murder and possibly facing the death penalty. She befriends fellow murderer and nightclub sensation Velma Kelly, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, and the extremely successful lawyer Billy Flynn, played by Gere. The film was nominated for 12 Oscars and won six in the categories of Best Picture, Supporting Actress, Costume Design, Film Editing, Sound Mixing and Production Design. It was here that Gere also received a Golden Globe nod, and rightfully so.
1 Days of Heaven (1978)
You’ll hear film professionals reference the beauty of “magic hour,” that picturesque moment of the day when the sun sets. Almost every scene in Days of Heaven is shot during this tricky time frame and explains why it was reportedly such a pain to complete. The 1978 American romantic period drama film was written and directed by Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life, The New World) and stars Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard, and Linda Manz. Set in 1916, it tells the story of Bill and Abby, lovers who travel to the Texas Panhandle to harvest crops for a wealthy farmer. Bill persuades Abby to claim the fortune of the dying farmer by tricking him into a false marriage. Gere’s turn as the hot-headed Bill is true star-making stuff, and it’s no surprise he quickly went on to star in hits like American Gigolo.
“It’s a beautiful film,” Gere told The Independent in 2017. “I saw it maybe five years ago in a new 35mm print, and I was still very happy with it. Nestor [Almendros, the cinematographer] was a complete jewel. He was working with basically a Hollywood crew who didn’t understand him and who wanted to light too much. He was definitely a painter with light.”
