Housewife favourite Richard Gere turns sixty this year, and at the wake of the release of his new film, Nights in Rodanthe, FemaleFirst takes a look back at the actor’s sexiest performances, and poses the question; Just how well has Richard Gere aged?
Richard Gere shot to fame in 1980 in the raunchy thriller, American Gigolo, in which he appeared half-naked, most of the time, much to the delight of his new fans. Playing a male escort, Gere seduced women by stripping off, working out and driving soft tops, making him the ultimate ‘naughty fantasy’ of the eighties.
Next, Gere trained exceptionally hard and built his physical and professional profile when he starred in An Officer and a Gentleman in 1982. Initially long-haired, stubbly and a bit rough around the edges, Gere’s rugged character didn’t quite scream sex appeal as was perhaps intended.
But a bit of hair gel, a clean shave and a naval uniform worked wonders in turning this rebel into a hunk, and his romantic portrayal along with some steamy sex scenes set alight to fantasies of the female nation.
Pretty Woman was released in 1990, and followed the controversial story of Gere’s character falling in love with a prostitute, played by Julia Roberts. While the motives of his character were sometimes questionable, there was no denying that Gere shone in his role as the ‘poor little rich boy’, and somehow managed to pull it off with dignity.
Whisking Roberts off her feet and rescuing her from a life of prostitution and disrespect, Gere was a true hero in the eyes of struggling women everywhere. And in terms of his appearance, he didn’t seem to have changed much since ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’.
Gere donned an unusual shoulder-length hairstyle for his role as Lancelot in 1995’s First Knight, which resembled a perm and wasn’t his finest style choice.
However, Gere’s following films Primal Fear and Red Corner saw the beginning of his infamous aging process, when his dark locks started to turn grey. Nowadays, Gere’s hair is perhaps his most famous asset, as he’s managed to fashion a more sexy, somewhat silvery look.
His role in Chicago in 2002 saw Gere try his hand at singing and dancing, which was a far cry away from his moody, mysterious persona in An Officer and a Gentleman. But he just about managed to pull it off, and maintained his status as a sex symbol despite the tap dancing.
Seemingly taken with such performances, Gere also appeared alongside Jennifer Lopez in the romantic comedy, Shall we Dance? His appearance was that of a middle-aged, middle-class man; blue shirts, ties and a few wrinkles, and it suited him just fine.
It was refreshing to see Gere take to the role without trying to overcompensate for his slightly aging appearance. And despite this, he still boasted a youthful sparkle in his eyes.
The scene where he donned a sexy suit, whilst carrying a rose and flashing that gorgeous smile, reminded women why they fell for him in the first place. Gere will star in five films throughout this year, including Nights in Rodanthe, which is released in February, suggesting that he’s been hard at work recently.
Although his aging is undeniable, Gere deserves credit for progressing through his later years with grace and charm, which ultimately makes him irresistible to women.
Some people would even go as far to say that he actually looks more handsome nowadays than he did in the eighties. So here’s to wishing Richard a happy sixtieth year, and we can’t wait to see what he’s got in store for us next. Nights in Rodanthe is out on DVD now
By Kay Taylor.
Tagged in Richard Gere