| Sexy
leading man Richard Gere began as a musician,
playing a number of instruments in high school
and writing music for high school productions. He
dropped out of college to pursue acting,
eventually landing a lead role in the London
production of the rock musical Grease in 1973.
His work earned him a season with the Young Vic
Company (an unusual opportunity for an American
actor), during which he appeared in such plays as
Taming of the Shrew (1974). He debuted onscreen
in a small role as a pimp in Report to the
Commissioner (1974), after which he made one or
more films a year while continuing to do stage
work. His breakthrough screen performance was in
the title role of American Gigolo (1979), which
established him as a major sex symbol. After that success he took
a big career risk in accepting the role of a gay
concentration-camp prisoner in the Broadway play
Bent, for which he received excellent reviews.
His next film, An Officer and a Gentleman (1982),
confirmed his star status, but it was followed by
a long dry spell of poor or unsuccessful movies;
that period was ended with his starring role in
the smash hit Pretty Woman (1990) playing
opposite Julia Roberts. Off-screen, he is a
devout Buddhist and remains active in ecological
and political causes. His marriage to supermodel
Cindy Crawford ended in 1995.
TO SEE PICTURES FROM
Richard's NEW MOVIE CLICK HERE
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