5 Facts About Pretty Woman’s Richard Gere, Career and Life Details

Once Richard Gere set his heart on pursuing acting in college, he hit the ground running. With more than 60 credits in film and television, the Golden Globe winner has gained notoriety for his range in all of the roles he has played. Fans of the star may be shocked to learn some surprising facts about him.

Richard, born in 1949, earned his first stage credits in his early 20s in productions of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Grease. He garnered some of his first film credits in 1975’s Report to the Commissioner, 1976’s Baby Blue Marine and 1978’s Days of Heaven. In 1979, Richard earned critical acclaim for his portrayal of Max in Broadway’s Bent.

It was his 1980 role in American Gigolo that really gave his career a boost. In 1990, Richard snagged the role he is most famous for, playing Edward Lewis in the romantic comedy Pretty Woman. His onscreen chemistry with Julia Roberts translated into a friendship that has spanned more than three decades.

“[I still talk to her] all the time. I spoke to her three or four times a day,” Richard shared in an April 2017 interview with Entertainment Tonight. “I would call her right now.”

Richard, who was married to supermodel Cindy Crawford from 1991 to 1995, had another breakout moment in his career with his portrayal of Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago. He earned the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. The leading man has since had roles in Brookyln’s Finest, Henry & Me and The Dinner. In 2019, he starred in the BBC series MotherFatherSon which ran for eight episodes.

After the show premiered, the Pennsylvania native revealed that he had become a father for the third time. He and his wife, Alejandra Silva, have not shared their youngest child’s name with the public. The pair are also parents to son Alexander, who was born in February 2019. Richard was already a father to son Homer who he welcomed with his ex-wife Carey Lowell in 2000.

Keep scrolling to learn five facts about Richard.

He Is a Photography Collector

Richard has many passions outside of acting, one of them being collecting photographs. His massive collection includes photos from both the 19th and 20th centuries, images from historical events and the work of some of his friends. He announced that he would be putting his collection up for auction in February 2022 at Christie’s in New York City, however, he’ll always remember how he grew an interest in photography.

“I was in my mid-to-late 20s. Herb Ritts, who was one of my close friends, and I would go to these photo auctions and at that point in L.A., you could get really incredible photographs for a couple hundred dollars,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in March 2022. “We’re talking 45 years ago. Herb and I just enjoyed encountering these incredible prints as objects, not just as images and looking at printing processes and paper.”

Richard Learned How to Tap Dance For His ‘Chicago’ Role

There is never any doubt about whether the father of three has what it takes to perform a new role. However, Richard did admit that before portraying his iconic character in Chicago, he had to learn how to tap dance.

“I mean I was learning from scratch to do something that is, for anyone, is very difficult and something I had to get together in a few months,” he said during a January 2003 interview with CBS. “So, that was daunting. It was deeply humbling.”