A few days ago when the trailer for The Second Best Marigold Hotel was released, we thought, Oh cool! It’ll be fun to watch grande dames like Maggie Smith and Judi Dench work their magic with a withering zinger again. But then, boom! Richard Gere struts into a room and demonstrates at 64, he still oozes enough raw sex appeal and animal magnetism to shame young actors who hadn’t even been conceived during his heyday in the early ’80s. As one character in the sequel to the surprise 2012 hit comedy, which followed pensioners as they open a hotel in India, exclaims upon seeing the silver fox, “Lord have mercy on my ovaries.” Hear, hear, sister! Although ageism is alive and thriving in the queer world, it’s inconceivable that anyone would turn down a romantic tête-à-tête with someone who looks like Gere merely because he’s of a certain vintage. The actor, who once curbed speculation that that his marriage to supermodel Cindy Crawford was an arranged union between two gay people by issuing a press statement to confirm his heterosexuality, has never been one to shy away from taking on gay roles, such as the provocative stage drama Bent or playing an AIDS-stricken choreographer in And The Band Played On.
Let’s take a stroll down memory lane with this eternally sensual and underrated performer.
One of Gere’s first big breaks was as Danny Zuko in the 1973 London production of the musical Grease.
Gere won raves for his performance in 1980 as a gay concentration camp prisoner in the searing Broadway drama Bent, which called on the actor to simulate masturbation on stage with another actor.
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Diane Keaton headlined the 1978 film adaptation of the controversial best-seller Looking For Mr. Goodbar, but many left the theater overwhelmed by Gere dancing in nothing but a jockstrap.
In Days of Heaven, Terrence Mallick’s poetic 1978 drama, Gere’s beauty competed with the magnificent cinematography and the rugged handsomeness of costar Sam Shepard.
In Yanks, a 1979 drama about World War II from out director John Schlesinger, Gere cut quite the romantic figure.
Gere’s biggest break came in 1980 when he stepped in for John Travolta as the high-priced call boy in American Gigolo and he became one of the first A-list actors to bare all on camera.
An Officer and a Gentleman in 1982 was a huge Oscar-winning hit and sealed the actor’s star status.
When he starred in 1983’s remake of the French new wave classic Breathless as a sexy small-time hood, Gere again demonstrated his comfort with full frontal nude scenes.
The 1990 rom-com Pretty Woman found Gere as a businessman involved with a hooker (Julia Roberts) who just wants to shop and became one of the actor’s biggest hits. The film also created a bit of controversy when Gere’s greying locks were darkened for the poster.
Gere, with a head full of beautiful silver hair at this point, reunited with Roberts in 1999’s Runaway Bride, a not-too-successful attempt to revive the screwball comedy genre.
Gere went back to his musical roots and showed everyone he still has the old razzle dazzle as Billy Flynn in the 2002 Oscar-winning best picture Chicago.
Gere garnered his career-best reviews and a Golden Globe nomination as a Bernie Madoff-like character in Arbitage, a 2012 ripped-from-the-character drama.
Perhaps one day this fine actor will be recognized by the Motion Picture Academy, but until then watch Gere hold his own with Dench and Smith in the Marigold trailer below.
DarkZephyr
When I was just a kid and saw him in that flick “Breathless”, that certainly helped me realize that I liked guys. God, he was so hot.
jd2222248
This is a must see movie……
SportGuy
He is still such a hottie!
Terry
Richard Gere, ever the gentleman and shows that nice guys don’t always finish last
Amazingly beautiful man who makes me think: Not all celebrities are getting work done…(I sincerely hope he hasn’t)
Terry
@DarkZephyr: Me too! ANY Richard Gere film made me aware of my gayness
[email protected]
Don’t forget Gere’s sizzling jockstrap ballet in Looking For Mr. Goodbar.
DarkZephyr
@Terry: *High Five*
Alan down in Florida
I think Richard Gere has been able to maintain his extraordinary external beauty because internally he is an extraordinarily beautiful person.
Maude
Missed meeting him very early in both our lives, We both lived in New York’s Greenwich Village, and There was an openly Gay Cowboy Bar near Sheridan Square that he was known to frequent, and I would cruise on occasion. I Never even saw him, but twice I was told that I just missed him.
His name was not as well known to the straight crowd, as it was to the Gays, because he was an actor without a movie in his portfolio yet.
It was thought then, that he was a bisexual by most, but a few other very good-looking hot gay guys who claimed to have ‘slept’ with him said he was a bottom.
An actress I knew then, who didn’t know I was gay, once said, it was a shame he was gay. I asked her how she knew that, and she said several of her gay friends told her.
Tackle
Richard Gere is one of those people who just oozes sexiness and sexuality effortlessly.
robho3
Love love Richard Gere and you are right he has gotten better with age!
friscoguy
I went to Palm Springs for the first time recently and was amazed at all the hot men between 40 and 60, I wish Queerty and the rest of the gay mafia would represent this age bracket more.
Stache99
@friscoguy: Ha. Even if they sent one of their roving photographers they’d still single out nothing but a few twinks with a few blurry backgounds of who actually was attending.
Masc Pride
He held up well until somewhere in the ’00’s (from ’02 on just looks rather geriatric to me). There’s a gay porn star named Johnny Hazzard that bears more than a passing resemblance….just in case you ever wanted to see Richard Gere get fingercuffed.
SportGuy
@friscoguy:
Your preaching to the choir. Went to fire island one year and was bored in 15 minutes with twinks, went to palm springs next year and the older hot guys there kept my attention for the whole week! 😀
lykeitiz
Another great Richard Gere movie not mentioned: Primal Fear. It put Edward Norton on the map.
LBoogie
Sommersby and Intersection were my favorites but I originally fell for him in American Gigolo.
Blackceo
@LBoogie:
I loved Intersection. It was widely panned by critics, but Sharon Stome is also one of my faves and I liked the whole plot line of that movie. Gere is still a looker but in his heyday he was extraordinarily handsome.
ontheupandup
DAMN! I’m just getting lost in that still of him from “Yanks”…he was genetically blessed!!
And yes…he’s still lookin’ good. (That full head of hair all his life has definitely helped…not that I don’t love me the Jason Statham types who have none of the hair but still all of the swag.)
Gere’s political activism and strong spirituality have also always impressed me. But his finest film performance was as that creepy, sociopathic cop in 1990’s “Internal Affairs.” Between him and Billy Baldwin, the film is pure eye candy (not to mention a really great and edgy thriller).
YesIDid
He looked so beautiful in “Days of Heaven.”
misterhollywood
He’s really a nice looking man. I agree, he’s become more handsome as the years have gone by. Cute pics of him here. Love it.
Jon Trayner
Not really….
Olivia Kleeb
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