Richard Gere, Hollywood’s top guy, is married to Alejandra Silva, a Spanish native 33 years his junior. Gere wished he might have been married as long as his parents, but that never happened.
Richard Gere is the second of five children born to Doris Ann, a housewife, and Homer George Gere, an insurance broker, in August 1949 in Philadelphia.
In high school, the ‘Unfaithful’ star was a musician. Gere was a musician who also composed music for high school musicals.
In 1967, the star of ‘Pretty Woman’ finished from North Syracuse Central High School. He attended the University of Massachusetts in Amherst on a gymnastics scholarship and majored in philosophy.
After two years of college, Gere changed his mind and chose to try an acting career instead. In 1973, he landed a prominent part in London’s rendition of the rock musical ‘Grease.’
A year later, he appeared in numerous other plays, including ‘The Taming of the Shrew.’ Gere appeared in a few films, but it was his supporting role in 1977’s ‘Looking for Mr. Goodbar’that made him famous.
Nonetheless, his major break came in 1980, when he played Julian in the mystery film ‘American Gigolo.’ In 1982, Gere appeared in the film “An Officer and a Gentleman.’
In June 2017, the ‘Shall We Dance?’ star told the Guardian that one cannot be taught how to act once-popular:
‘My life altered after ‘American Gigolo,’ and it was both beautiful and hard. I was young, and all of a sudden, everyone knew who I was. All I wanted to do was working. I don’t consider myself to be ‘renowned and wealthy.’ It simply does not bothered me’
Gere did not want people looking into his private life, just as he did not want people prying into his professional life. Gere was branded a sex symbol throughout his meteoric ascent to fame, which drew unwanted media attention.
He was once asked about his sexuality by a reporter from The Ladies’ Home Journal, who said, ‘What is it like to be a sexual symbol? Are you straight or gay?’ Gere surprised everyone by removing his pants. He reacted angrily to the inquiry, claiming that it was none of their business who he was and was not sleeping with.
He claimed that all tabloids were illogical in their work and that there are a variety of ways to reply in interviews. Gere stated that no one could comprehend his deepest feelings without revealing what they are.
Years later, the Hollywood actor admitted that he, like his parents, wished to have a long-term marriage with a wife. Gere confessed that he hoped to be like his adored parents, who had been married for almost 70 years.
The talented star of ‘Runaway Bride’ hoped for that type of longevity in his own life, but he was unable to achieve it.
Gere’s first marriage was to Cindy Crawford, a former supermodel, whom he married in December 1991. However, after six years together, the couple split in 1995. Crawford told the Huffington Post that being young was one of the reasons their union collapsed.
The actress went on to say that after they split up, they were no longer as close as they once were. Despite their friendship, Gere felt more like a stranger to her because they didn’t see each other very often.
In November 2002, Gere married actress Carey Lowell from “Law & Order.” She was his junior by 12 years, making her the closest in age. However, things took a bizarre turn in 2013 when Lowell filed for divorce after a decade of marriage, his longest.
Despite his previous failed marriage, Gere chose to give love another try. In his third marriage, Alejandra Silva, a Spanish publicist whom he met in 2014, he had discovered ‘the one.’
In July 2015, an informant told Closer Weekly that the couple met through his charity, The Gere Foundation. “After the Nepal earthquake, Alejandra worked with the organization, and they became closer,” the person added.
While on vacation in Taormina, Sicily, Gere and Silva were first publicly seen together when they attended the Taormina Film Festival in Italy.
The duo shares several interests. According to a source, they enjoy wine, yoga, and meditation, and Richard has taken Alejandra to Tibet to meet the Dalai Lama, who approves of her.
In many respects, Gere has spiritually inspired his lovely wife. Silva, despite being Catholic, fell in love with a different religion. She studied Buddhism and practiced it. The political activist was head over heels in love with the American native, according to a source in the Spanish press:
When asked why she changed her religion, the mother of two stated she would be eternally grateful to her husband and that Buddhism had unquestionably changed her life. In 2015, Silva told Spain’s ABC media that conversion was a simple decision:
‘I was raised Catholic, but two years ago I converted to Buddhism. I believe it was already within me. Because I believe in reincarnation, I believe I was a Buddhist before I realized it.’
Silva and Gere transformed their home into an Indian-inspired fairy-tale for their wedding day. Before the bride and groom made their grand entrance in a tuk-tuk, impressing their 39 guests, they brought tents from Jaipur and decked flowers with Tibetan flags.
Gere resolved to make the most of the time he would spend with his wife, even though a 70-year marriage like his parents’ would be unthinkable for him now.
The two are 30 years apart in age. Gere is said to tell everyone he meets how smitten he is with his children’s mother. When asked what she did to him, Silva stated that Gere is aware of how much she loves him and believes she provides him with stability.
She went on to say that their desire to serve others, as well as their shared religion and commitment to the Tibetan people, brought them closer together. Gere acknowledged Silva’s unwavering devotion as a humanitarian, an individual, and a woman, according to Silva.