Richard Gere Named His Son After His 'Extraordinary' 100-Year-Old Dad Who He Praised For How He Raised Him

Nov 14, 2022 by apost team

Richard Gere and his dad have always had a certain connection formed through the values the elder Gere instilled in him growing up.

Richard is known for his charming ways, after all, he was one of Hollywood's leading heartthrobs in the '80s and '90s. While born on Aug. 31, 1949, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Richard grew up in Syracuse, New York. According to a 2002 interview Richard did with "Inside the Actor's Studio," Richard's father — Homer George Gere — was an insurance agent, while his mother Doris Ann was a housewife.

According to Mayflower 400, Richard is the descendant of pilgrims that came to New England via the Mayflower: John and Elinor Billington and William and Mary Brewster.

Richard even described his parents, Homer and Doris as “extraordinary” individuals. "My parents are extraordinary people," he told the Independent in 2007.

The actor said his parents always found a way to give them the best things in life even though they didn’t have enough money.

"They gave me and my four brothers and sisters enormous opportunities in terms of education, in terms of music, in terms of anything we had an inclination towards somehow they found a way for that to happen,” he said.

He added: “They found the teachers. We weren't brought up with a lot of money, and the scraping that it took to have an education, to have music teachers, was an extraordinary thing."

Richard has always been proud of what his father does as a volunteer for Meals on Wheels. The Golden Globe Best Actor awardee has even appeared in several Meals on Wheels campaigns over the years to encourage others to become volunteers as well. He even joined his dad to deliver lunch back In 2018.

“When his neighbors needed him, he was there. Now at 84, he’s still there,” Richard said in a video that Meals on Wheels shared in 2018. That same year, Richard and his dad Homer sat down and went on a trip down memory lane to talk about how Meals On Wheels started as well as the impact it has made not just in their lives but in the lives of other people as well.

“I remember dad. You and mom got this car with a hatchback. I said, you know I’d be happy to give you the money to get a really great car and (you said) well no this works for me. (I said) why? Because it’s the right height to put the meals in,” Richard recalled in a different video released by the organization.

Richard asked his father when he first considered the Meals on Wheels program. Homer said: “There was kind of an abandoned house. That’s where we got started with Meals on Wheels. We care to fill the need for people as they got older."

The award-winning actor then shared that it’s the human interaction that ignited his dad to pursue his passion to help feed other people. His dad, on the other hand, said:

“When you can see somebody else benefitting by your life in some way, you can’t help but feel good about it I think."

Even at a young age, Richard’s father already taught him the importance of giving back. “He’s one of those people that his entire life … whenever someone else was suffering he was there to some degree,” Richard told Page Six in an interview in 2019. According to Richard, his dad always made it a point to go out of his way and help others even if he didn’t have money in his pocket.

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“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,” Richard said.

In 2021, Richard and Homer shared how Meals On Wheels went on a mission to help those in need at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“COVID-19 has left many seniors alone and needing our help. My dad worked closely with meals on wheels for over 25 years,” Richard said. “It created this sense of belonging.”

As Homer turned 100 years old in 2022, Richard made sure to celebrate his dad’s special day with lunch at a restaurant called Pastabilities in his father’s hometown in North Syracuse.

“Richard Gere came in to Pasta’s tonight to celebrate his father, Homer Gere’s 100th birthday,” Pastabilities wrote in an Instagram post.

Apart from being a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, Homer was also an active fire volunteer in his hometown in the past. Following Richard's mother Doris’ death in 2016, the actor has become a frequent visitor to North Syracuse to check up on his dad from time to time.

As if his love for his father isn’t apparent enough in his affirmations in various interviews, Richard immortalized his love for him by naming his only child with his ex-partner Carey Lowell, Homer James Jigme Gere. Richard and Lowell named their son after both their fathers, Homer and James, while Jigme means “fearless” in Tibetan. Both have shared interests in the teachings of the Tibetan Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama.

Now, Richard continues to be a loving father to all three of his children, which include two with his current wife Alejandra Silva. Indeed, he got it from his dad!

What can you say about Richard Gere’s relationship with his father? Let us know your thoughts and pass this on to your family and friends who are fans of the actor!