“I botched my career” This Hollywood star regrets 2 choices in his life as an actor: they are nevertheless immense successes

News culture “I botched my career” This Hollywood star regrets 2 choices in his life as an actor: they are nevertheless immense successes

A legendary actor

Despite a more discreet presence in recent years, Richard Gere retains his status as a recognized and loved Hollywood star, almost half a century after the start of his career. His role in The Harvests of Heaven (1978) by Terrence Malick, whom he particularly likes, marked a turning point, closely followed by his remarkable performance in American Gigolo (1980). The actor, however, considers that his career then went through a less prosperous period, even before achieving his greatest successes at the box office.

Paradoxically, Richard Gere considered two of his greatest commercial successes, Pretty Woman et Officer and Gentlemansuch as errors having had a negative impact on the rest of his career, by reducing, according to him, the opportunities for quality roles. This confidence, made in 1993 to Movieline magazine, reveals his lack of initial enthusiasm for these projects, both defended by producer Jeffrey Katzenberg.

For Richard Gere, Pretty Woman came at a time when he had deliberately put his career on hold. His choice to “do something else” had a boomerang effect, relegating him to second place and forcing him to metaphorically “crawl” to regain his credibility and once again arouse the interest of professionals.

Still standing

From the 1990s, he moved towards projects more in line with his artistic and personal aspirations. Films such as Summer town (1993) or even The Idealist (1997) demonstrate this desire to be part of more anchored and meaningful stories. This quest for authenticity also influenced his choices off set, where his humanitarian commitment and his Buddhist faith took a prominent place.

In the 2000s, films like Chicago (2002), where his role as lawyer Billy Flynn earned him a Golden Globe, illustrate his ability to combine popularity and subtlety. This success, however, does not seem to have encouraged him to return to the forefront permanently. Preferring more modest but significant projects, Richard Gere has devoted part of his recent career to independent films such as Time Out of Mind (2014) or Norman (2016), which often reflect social or existential themes.

Richard Gere reconnected with director Paul Schrader, 40 years later American Gigolofor the film Oh, Canadawhich had its world premiere in Cannes last year. The release date in Germany is not yet known.