This French Tourist Wanted To Help A Homeless Man In NYC, But She Didn’t Realize He Was Actually A Celebrity

May 31, 2019 by apost team

A kind-hearted French tourist got a big surprise when she decided to help a homeless person. Karine Gombeau was visiting New York City with friends when she saw a homeless person outside of a restaurant in Midtown Manhattan. Unshaven and wearing tattered clothes, the man was sifting through a garbage pile in search of food. Karine’s heart was moved to compassion and she decided to give him a pizza she and her friends had bought for their dinner.

Approaching the man, Karine handed him the box, telling him that she was sorry if it was cold. The man thanked Karine, saying that he hoped God would bless her. Karine went about the rest of her day and didn’t think about the encounter until the next morning.

While at breakfast at her hotel, one of the staff members gave Karine a copy of the New York Post and she was shocked to see that she herself was in the paper. It turns out that the homeless man was actually legendary Hollywood actor Richard Gere, who was posing as a homeless person while researching a part for his upcoming film Time Out of Mind.

apost.com

Part of that research involved a social experiment where a camera crew followed him around to film his interactions with people in the city. The crew captured footage of Gere’s exchange with Karine and gave photos of it to the media.

While surprised that the homeless person was Gere, Karine was all smiles when interviewed by reporters later that day, saying that she loved the actor’s work in the film Chicago.

On a more serious note, Karine says that she is shocked by the amount of food thrown away by the average person while others struggle with basic necessities.

Gere later described his experience posing as a homeless man as eye-opening. The actor feels that people often take what they have for granted and we should be more compassionate to others.

Overall, Gere said that the experience taught him how difficult life was for the poor.

The Hollywood icon declares that the worst part of it was how people would pass him by without noticing him or looking at him with disdain. Going forward, Gere hopes to look at the world through a deeper lens and try to examine the world in more complex tones.

What do you think of Karine’s act of kindness? Do you agree with Gere’s analysis of the plight of the homeless? We'd love to hear what you think, so leave us a comment below. And don't forget to share this story with your friends and family to see their reactions!