Richard Gere net worth is estimated to be around $120 million as of 2024. Richard Gere is an American actor and producer born on August 31, 1949. He started his film career in the 1970s with roles in “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” and “Days of Heaven”. Gere gained fame with his lead role in “American Gigolo,” which made him a major star and a sex symbol.
Over the years, Gere has appeared in many notable films including “An Officer and a Gentleman,” “The Cotton Club,” “Pretty Woman” and “Runaway Bride”. He also starred in “Chicago,” where his performance as Billy Flynn earned him a Golden Globe Award.
Richard Gere in Brief
Full Name | Richard Tiffany Gere |
Date of Birth | August 31, 1949 |
Place of Birth | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
Occupation | Actor, Producer |
Height | 5 ft 10 inch (180 cm) |
Spouse | Cindy Crawford (1987–1995) Carey Lowell (2002–2016) Alejandra Silva (married 2018) |
Children | Homer James Jigme Gere, Alexandria Gere |
Net Worth | $120 million |
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What is Richard Gere Net Worth in 2024?
Richard Gere has an estimated net worth of $120 Million as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Richard Gere’s net worth primarily comes from his successful career as an actor.
He gained widespread fame and financial success through his roles in popular films like “Pretty Woman,” “An Officer and a Gentleman,” and “Chicago.” These blockbuster movies not only earned him significant salaries but also established him as a leading actor in Hollywood.
Besides acting, Gere has made smart investments in real estate, owning valuable properties in New York and elsewhere. His net worth is also boosted by his occasional work as a producer and his endorsements and business ventures.
Richard Gere’s Early Life and Education
Richard Gere was born in Philadelphia on August 31, 1949. He is the oldest of three children born to Doris Ann a homemaker and Homer George Gere an insurance agent. His father had originally planned to become a minister. Gere grew up Methodist in Syracuse New York.
Gere’s family history includes a great-grandfather who changed the family name from “Geer” to “Gere.” One of his ancestors also named George was an English settler who arrived in Connecticut in 1638. Both of his parents are descendants of Mayflower passengers with ancestors like John Billington and William Brewster among them.
In 1967, Richard Gere graduated from North Syracuse Central High School where he was a talented gymnast and musician playing the trumpet. He then attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst on a gymnastics scholarship but left after two years without graduating.
Richard Gere’s Career
Richard Gere’s acting career began at Seattle Repertory Theatre and Provincetown Playhouse in 1969 where he starred in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. His Broadway debut came in 1971 with the rock opera “Soon” which had a short run.
In 1973, he appeared in the original London production of Grease. Gere’s breakthrough role as a gay Holocaust victim in the 1979 Broadway play “Bent” earned him a Theatre World Award.
In the mid-1970s, Richard Gere moved to Hollywood. After a fallout with Sylvester Stallone, he lost a major role in “The Lords of Flatbush.” However, he made a mark with a key role in “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” and starred in the critically acclaimed “Days of Heaven.”
His role in “American Gigolo” elevated his career and in “An Officer and a Gentleman” which co-starred Debra Winger solidified his fame. The film was a major hit earning Gere his first Golden Globe nomination.
Throughout the 1980s, Gere’s films had mixed reviews. His career revived with “Internal Affairs” and “Pretty Woman” which brought him another Golden Globe nomination. The 1990s saw Gere in successful films like “Sommersby,” “Primal Fear,” and “Runaway Bride” where he reunited with Julia Roberts. He also starred in “The Jackal” as a former IRA militant adopting an Irish accent for the role.
In 1999, Richard Gere was named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive”. That year he starred in “The Mothman Prophecies,” “Unfaithful,” and the Oscar-winning musical “Chicago” earning his first Golden Globe Award. His film “Shall We Dance?” was a global hit grossing $170 million.
However, “Bee Season” was a commercial flop. Richard Gere continued to receive acclaim in independent films including “The Hunting Party” and “I’m Not There” where he portrayed a version of Bob Dylan. “Nights in Rodanthe” was not well-received by critics but was a financial success.
Gere’s political views on China have impacted his Hollywood career. Embracing independent films he received praise for his role in Arbitrage earning his fourth Golden Globe nomination. He was also honored with the Golden Starfish Award for Lifetime Achievement and the Career Achievement Award that year.
Gere’s performance in “Norman” where he played a small-time fixer marked a shift in his screen persona. Critics found his portrayal fascinating and worthy of an Academy Award nomination.
In addition to acting, Richard Gere is a talented musician. He composed and performed music for “Pretty Woman” and “Runaway Bride” and learned tap dance for “Chicago” and karate for “An Officer and a Gentleman.”
Despite never receiving an Academy Award nomination, Gere is widely regarded as one of the best actors never to win one.
Richard Gere’s Personal Life
Richard Gere had notable relationships with actress Penelope Milford from 1971 to 1978 and painter Sylvia Martins from 1978 to 1986. He was also linked with various women like Tuesday Weld, Carole Mallory, Dawn Steel, Loree Rodkin, Barbara Carrera, and Barbra Streisand.
Rumors about affairs with Priscilla Presley and Kim Basinger appeared in tell-all books by Presley’s ex-boyfriend Michael Edwards and Basinger’s ex-husband Ron Snyder. Additionally, Gere reportedly dated models Laura Bailey, Tina Chow, Dalila Di Lazzaro, and Padma Lakshmi. He was married to model Cindy Crawford from 1991 to 1995.
In November 2002, Gere married model and actress Carey Lowell. They had a son named Homer James Jigme Gere, born in February 2000, who was named after his grandfathers and given a Tibetan name. Gere and Lowell separated in September 2013 after 11 years of marriage, leading to a lengthy divorce process that concluded in October 2016.
In April 2018, Richard Gere married Spanish activist Alejandra Silva. They announced they were expecting their first child in August 2018, and their son, Alexander, was born in February 2019. Their second son was born in April 2020.
Gere developed an interest in Buddhism in his 20s. He started studying Zen Buddhism with Kyozan Joshu Sasaki and later traveled to Nepal in 1978 with Sylvia Martins. There, he met Tibetan monks and lamas, and eventually met the 14th Dalai Lama in India. Gere became a Tibetan Buddhist of the Gelugpa school and a supporter of the Dalai Lama.
In February 2023, Gere was hospitalized with pneumonia during a family vacation in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. His wife reported that he fully recovered.
Activist
Richard Gere frequently visits Dharamshala the center of the Tibetan government-in-exile where he supports Tibetan human rights. He co-founded Tibet House US established the Gere Foundation and chairs the International Campaign for Tibet. His support for Tibetan independence has led to a permanent ban on him entering China.
In 1993, Gere was banned from presenting at the Academy Awards after criticizing the Chinese government. In 2007, he urged a boycott of the Beijing Olympics to push for Tibetan independence and appeared in a Free Tibet ad. He also supported Survival International which defends tribal peoples’ rights.
Richard Gere is involved in ecological and AIDS awareness efforts. He serves on the board of Healing the Divide which promotes global peace and justice. He helped set up the AIDS Care Home in India and created the Gere Foundation India Trust in 1999 to support humanitarian programs in India.
In April 2007, Gere faced legal trouble in India after kissing Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty at an AIDS rally. The controversy was later dismissed by Indian courts which found the case frivolous.
Gere contributed to the book We Are One: A Celebration of Tribal Peoples in 2009 highlighting the plight of the Jummas and their loss of land. He has also criticized the Iraq War calling it a tragedy and condemning the Bush administration.
In 2016, Richard Gere supported Hillary Clinton in the presidential race. He also criticized Israeli policies under Benjamin Netanyahu in 2017 and signed a 2023 statement supporting Mahsa Amini protesters and calling for sanctions on Iranian officials.
Richard Gere Real Estate
In 2005, Richard Gere bought a home in Sag Harbor, NY, called Strongheart Manor, for $6.9 million. The 6-acre property had 300 feet of bay frontage. He renovated the 14,000-square-foot main house and listed it for $70 million in 2013. After lowering the price to $47.5 million, he sold it to Matt Lauer for $36.5 million.
Richard’s main home was a 50-acre estate in Pound Ridge, NY. He bought it in 1987 for $1.5 million and sold it in 2022 for $24.15 million after listing it for $28 million.
Near this estate, he co-owns the Bedford Post Inn. In 2020, Richard and his wife Silva spent $10.5 million to buy a new 35-acre estate in North Salem, NY. He also owns an apartment in New York City.