Behind Legendary Richard Gere’s Road To Fame, Fortune And His Net Worth

Jan 19, 2022 by apost team

Richard Gere is an American actor and producer who began appearing in films in the 1970s. He is best known for playing the role of Edward Lewis in “Pretty Woman.” The actor played a rich playboy from New York who falls in love with a Hollywood prostitute portrayed by Julia Roberts. Gere was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Actor for the role but sadly wouldn’t take home the award until 2003 when he won for “Chicago.”  

Gere’s first notable film appearance was in 1977 when he played a supporting role in the film “Looking for Mr. Goodbar.” A few years later, he would star in the film “American Gigolo,” where he gained notoriety and established himself as a Hollywood heartthrob and leading man. Gere then went on to star in a number of critically acclaimed movies, including “An Officer and a Gentleman” and “Sommersby.”

The actor has always been an outspoken activist, speaking publicly about human rights violations in Tibet and boycotting the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is also a recipient of the Medal of Gratitude, an honor bestowed upon him by the Albanian president in 2012 for his contributions in unmasking the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo in 1999. 

Despite playing leading men in dramas throughout his long career, Gere has largely stayed out of drama in his personal life. He has never been arrested for drugs or drunk driving. Gere is an honest man who isn’t afraid to speak up when something important is happening. Read on to learn about Gere’s family and how he earned his impressive net worth.

Gere first worked professionally in theater before he began appearing in Hollywood films in the mid-1970s.  

Closer Weekly quotes Gere saying, “My career has never been thought out. I never engineered a career. I just have always done whatever I wanted. You’re restricted by what you’re offered … but the incredible list of brilliant directors and actors and writers I’ve worked with, you know I’m kind of amazed myself that I’ve been able to ride this career this long with such good people.”

Despite having so much success, Gere’s career has slowed down quite a bit. He explained to The Hollywood Reporter, “The studios are interested in the possibility of making huge profits. But I’m still making the same films that I was making when I started. Small, interesting, character-driven and narrative-driven stories. It hasn’t impacted my life at all.”

One of the contributing factors to Gere’s wealth and success was the hit film “Pretty Woman.” Released in 1990, the film launched the actor into international stardom. “It was a tiny movie. It was a charming movie. Julia hadn’t done much at all at that point. There weren’t high expectations for this thing.” said Gere, according to Closer Weekly. The film grossed $463 million worldwide. 

With the massive success of such movies as “Pretty Woman” and “Chicago,” it is no wonder that Gere is worth an estimated $120 million. According to some reports, Gere paid $6.9 million for a home in Sag Harbor, New York, in 2005. After extensive renovations, he sold the property in 2013 for an assumed $70 million. He has also purchased many luxury cars that come out to an estimated worth of $3.2 million.

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The actor has found that his greatest role is being a dad. The 72-year-old has three children and is currently married to Alejandra Silva. Gere shares his eldest son, Homer James, with his ex-wife Cary Lowell. Gere and Silva have been married since 2018 and share two children together. He said about their marriage:

“I’m the happiest man in the universe. How could I not be? I’m married to a beautiful woman who is smart, sensitive, committed to helping people, who is fun, patient, who knows how to forgive, who is a great cook — and who makes the best salads in the world!”

The couple has a 34 year age gap, but it doesn’t seem to bother them. Silva added: “Our karma was attracted the moment we saw each other. I’m not ignoring our age difference and what it means to be with a Hollywood star, but when there’s such a strong karmic energy, the problems disappear.”

The star is a dedicated father and is great at making sure his kids stay a priority in his life. “The marginal stuff just doesn’t affect you anymore when you weigh it against the real things in your life. All the cliches (about parenthood) are true,” Gere shared.

According to Gere, his own parents are to thank for his attentiveness as a father. He even named his son Homer after his own dad. Gere said about his father: “If he didn’t have money, it was a smile or an embrace or whatever he had to help out, and that was around me the whole time I was growing up.”

Are you a fan of Richard Gere? What is your favorite film he starred in? Let us know, and feel free to send this along to your friends and loved ones.