Richard Gere Feels Anxious About Being A Father At 70 And Wants To See His Children Grow Up

Feb 07, 2022

Richard Gere is known as a Hollywood hunk for his roles in films such as "American Gigolo," "Pretty Woman," and "Runaway Bride." However, the actor has also had time to win over the ladies off-screen when he's not busy filming. 

Richard Gere and his wife Alejandra Silva have welcomed not just one healthy baby boy into the world but two sons. The couple's first child, Alexander Gere, was born in February of 2019, while in August of 2020, the couple had their second son together, whose name is still not publicly known so far.

As well as these two sons Gere has with Silva, the 71-year-old actor also has another son from a previous relationship. Gere's firstborn son with former partner Carey Lowell, Homer, is now 21 and has inherited his father's good looks and charm. 

Because Gere has decided to have kids in his 70s, he has challenges that most fathers do not have. He and his wife Silva have a 33-year age gap, and Gere has reportedly said that he is worried he will not be able to his younger children grow up due to his age as he did with his older children. 

A source spoke to Radar Online back in 2019 about Gere's fears regarding being an older father. Not only did Gere have anxieties about raising a child at such an old age, he also looked to religion in order to cope with his fears. Read on to learn more about Gere's self-awareness on being an old father, but also the fears of his reality and how he's dealing with them.

Richard Gere is known for his charming ways; after all, he was one of Hollywood's leading heartthrobs in the '80s and '90s. Born on August 31, 1949, Gere was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but grew up in Syracuse, New York. According to a 2002 interview Gere did with 'Inside the Actor's Studio,' Gere's father — Homer George Gere — was an insurance agent, while his mother Doris Ann was a housewife. According to the 'General Society of Mayflower Descendants,' Gere is the descendent of pilgrims that came to New England via the Mayflower: John and Elinor Billington and William and Mary Brewster.

The '90s would see Gere continue his leading man streak, appearing in the thriller' Primal Fear,' 'Runaway Bride' (which saw him reunite with Julia Roberts), and 'I'm Not There.' But it was his turn in 2002's 'Chicago' that pushed him back into the limelight.

When it comes to his acting career, Richard Gere told the Independent in 2017 how it was always unexpected:

"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."

After meeting Spanish activist Alejandra Silva, Gere would get married for a third time in April 2018, and not long after that, he and Silva welcomed two children of their own into 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."

Silva also told Hello! Magazine:

"In this life it had to be like this. He has promised me at least 20 good years! I have to confess that he has much more energy than me; he's much more active. I find it hard to keep up with him. He's not human!"

Gere shared similar sentiments about his wife. Gere said in the same Hello! Magazine interview: "I'm the happiest man in the universe. How could I not be?" He elaborated:

"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 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." 

In February 2019, Gere and Silva welcomed baby Alexander, their first child together. Then, just over a year later, the couple were reported to have had a second son together, whose name still isn't known, as the couple has been very private with regards to their children. He was born in April 2020. 

Gere's first child, Homer, now in his early 20s, was a product of his first wife, Carey Lowell. However, Gere's decision to have children again later in life has proved to come with some consequences. According to a source that spoke with Radar Online in 2019, Gere has many fears about being an old father. The source said:

"He knows he's EXTREMELY old to be a father. He can do the math — and it's made him very aware his time is limited."

The source went on to talk about when Gere found out Silva was pregnant:

"Richard wanted to be sure that he had found the right woman before he had another child...he found out they were pregnant, he realized how difficult it would be for him to raise a young child."

Knowing that he was past his prime to be a father, Gere sought the advice of his close friend, the Dalai Lama, according to the source:

"The Dalai Lama reminded him that, as a Buddhist, he believes in reincarnation. He's found some comfort in the fact that should he die before the child becomes an adult, he will return in some form to experience him or her! That gave him some peace."

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