Richard Gere's Net Worth, Career And His Rise To Fame

Jul 11, 2021

Richard Gere is an American actor and producer who began appearing in films in the 1970s. He is best known for playing the role of Edward Lewis in “Pretty Woman.” The actor played a rich playboy from New York who falls in love with a Hollywood prostitute portrayed by Julia Roberts. Gere was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Actor for the role but sadly wouldn’t take home the award until 2003 when he won for “Chicago.”  

Gere’s first notable film appearance was in 1977 when he played a supporting role in the film “Looking for Mr. Goodbar.” A few years later, he would star in the film “American Gigolo,” where he gained notoriety and established himself as a Hollywood heartthrob and leading man. Gere then went on to star in a number of critically acclaimed movies including “An Officer and a Gentleman” and “Sommersby.”

The actor has always been an outspoken activist, speaking publicly about human rights violations in Tibet and boycotting the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is also a recipient of the Medal of Gratitude, an honor bestowed upon him by the Albanian president in 2012 for his contributions in unmasking the ethinic cleansing in Kosovo in 1999. 

Despite playing leading men in dramas throughout his long career, Gere has largely stayed out of drama in his personal life. He has never been arrested for drugs or drunk driving. Gere is an honest man who isn’t afraid to speak up when something important is happening. Read on to learn more about how Gere earned his impressive net worth. 

Gere was born in Philadelphia on August 31, 1949 to Doris Ann and Homer George Gere. He was raised in Syracuse, New York and grew up Methodist. The actor attended North Syracuse Central High School and graduated in 1967. He told Rolling Stone in 1980, “After high school, I felt pretty confused. But I knew I wanted to be involved in music or theater.”

Gere went to the University of Massachusetts Amherst for two years but left prior to graduating. “I went through a young-man-paranoid stage,” Gere said. “I was dead middle class, and I felt I had to do something special. I didn’t want what I thought was that amorphous middle-class nowhere status. Even though my parents questioned what I was doing, they were loving, sweet and supportive.”

Career

The actor first worked professionally in theater before he began appearing in Hollywood films in the mid-1970s.  

Closer Weekly quotes Gere saying, “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.”

Despite having so much success, Gere’s career has slowed down quite a bit. He explained to The Hollywood Reporter, “The studios are interested in the possibility of making huge profits. But I’m still making the same films that I was making when I started. Small, interesting, character driven and narrative driven stories. It hasn’t impacted my life at all.”

One of the contributing factors to Gere’s wealth and success was the hit film “Pretty Woman.” Released in 1990, the film launched the actor into international stardom. “It was a tiny movie. It was a charming movie. Julia hadn’t done much at all at that point. There weren’t high expectations for this thing.” said Gere according to Closer Weekly. The film grossed $463 million worldwide. 

Net Worth

With the massive success of such movies as “Pretty Woman” and “Chicago,” it is no wonder that Gere is worth an estimated $120 million. According to some reports, Gere paid $6.9 million for a home in Sag Harbor, New York in 2005. After extensive renovations, he sold the property in 2013 for an assumed $70 million. He has also purchased many luxury cars that come out to an estimated worth of $3.2 million.

Gere’s career is still going strong and he shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. He made two films in 2017, “Three Christs” and the other is titled “The Dinner.” In 2019, he turned to television and released the first season of his mini-series “MotherFatherSon.” Hopefully, Gere has more projects in the works and we will see more from the handsome actor soon. 

At age 71, the actor maintains a positive outlook that he has held on to throughout his life. “It feels bizarre because I don’t feel like my life is even halfway over yet,” Gere told the Independent in a December 2007 interview. “I think I still have the attitude that I haven’t decided what I’m going to do when I grow up.”

Are you a fan of Gere’s work? What do you think about his net worth? Let us know, and don’t forget to pass this along to your loved ones.