American actor Richard Gere has been a leading man in Hollywood since he began appearing in films in the 1970s. Although he had somewhat humble beginnings growing up in Syracuse, New York, Gere went on to make a real name for himself in the entertainment industry.
Although he’s been in many major films over the last decades, two of his best-known roles are as Edward Lewis in “Pretty Woman,” where he played a rich playboy from New York who falls in love with a Hollywood prostitute portrayed by Julia Roberts, and as lawyer Billy Flynn in the hit musical “Chicago.”
Gere was nominated for Golden Globe Awards for both roles, and while he missed out on winning the award for “Pretty Woman,” he landed the Best Actor gong for “Chicago” in 2003.
Despite playing leading men in dramas throughout his long career, Gere has largely stayed out of drama in his personal life. He’s shown himself to be an honest man who isn’t afraid to speak up on issues he believes in. And these days, Gere isn’t as prominent in Hollywood as he once was, but despite not being in the spotlight as much, there is no doubt that he left a major mark on Tinseltown.
Since 2018, Gere has been married to Spanish publicist Alejandra Silva, who is 33 years his junior. But despite their over three-decade age gap, Silva has said she’s not bothered by it. Unsurprisingly, Gere is just as romantic in real life as in the rom-coms he’s starred in, as he writes songs for his beautiful wife. Read on to find out more about their heartwarming love story.
Gere is an iconic name in Hollywood. The actor is most famous for his work in romantic comedies but has proven that he has a great amount of skill. When it comes to his acting career, Gere told the Independent in 2017 how it was always unexpected:
“My career has never been thought out. I never engineered a career. I just have always done whatever I wanted. You’re restricted by what you’re offered… but the incredible list of brilliant directors and actors and writers I’ve worked with, you know I’m kind of amazed myself that I’ve been able to ride this career this long with such good people.”
Something else that may have come unexpectedly for Gere was falling for Silva. Gere and Silva began dating in 2014, but they’ve known each other for most of Silva’s life. When she was a teenager, she met Gere briefly when he borrowed a boat from her father, the former Vice President of the Real Madrid Football Club. Their paths didn’t cross again until 2014 when they both stayed at the same hotel owned by Silva’s family.
A friend re-introduced the couple to one another at the hotel. They connected immediately, and according to Silva’s interview with Hello! Magazine, they’ve been together ever since. “We looked at each other and felt a very strong connection,” Silva said. “We couldn’t stop looking at each other all night, and since then we haven’t been apart.” The rest, as they say, is history.
After their courtship, Silva converted to Buddhism, and the two got married on Gere’s ranch just outside of New York City.
From their first date to starting a family, every step of the couple’s relationship seems to be taken straight out of a romance novel. Gere proposed on Silva’s birthday at a hotel in St. Paul de Vence. She said the hotel was the most romantic hotel she’s ever been to and told Hello! Magazine, “I get emotional just remembering it.”
Though Silva has often spoken about their relationship more often than Gere, the latter has plenty to say about his wife. In the same interview, Gere called himself the happiest man in the universe. “How could I not be?” Gere said. “I’m married to a beautiful woman who is smart, sensitive, committed to helping people, who’s fun, patient, who knows how to forgive, who’s a great cook…you can’t get any better than that.”
Silva also commented on the couple’s large age difference in the interview. Silva is 39, while Gere is 73. She said:
“In this life it had to be like this. He has promised me at least 20 good years! I have to confess that he has much more energy than me; he’s much more active. I find it hard to keep up with him. He’s not human!…What has united us the most is our desire to help other people who need it, our commitment to Buddhism and the Tibetan people. And he was able to see my unconditional commitment as a humanitarian, as a person, as a woman… It’s the sweetest, most romantic dream I’ve ever had. That’s why I’ve decided to stay in it!”
The lovely pair welcomed a baby to the family in February 2019, a son named Alexander as a nod to his mother’s name, E! Online reported. He was the second child for both parents: Silva has a son named Albert from a previous marriage, and Gere has a son with model and actress Casey Lowell named Homer. The happy couple also welcomed their second child together the following year.
Gere is a dedicated father and is great at making sure his kids stay a priority in his life. “The marginal stuff just doesn’t affect you anymore when you weigh it against the real things in your life. All the cliches (about parenthood) are true,” Gere said, as per Closer Weekly.
According to Gere, his own parents are to thank for his attentiveness as a father. He even named his son Homer after his own dad. Gere said about his father: “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.”
There are certainly an endless amount of reasons why Gere and Silva have fallen for each other, so it’s not surprising that Silva gushed over her beau to Hello! Magazine. She said, “Without a doubt, I feel like the luckiest woman in the world… What could be more romantic than a man who writes you songs every day?”
Who knew that the “Pretty Woman” star wasn’t just a talented actor and activist but also a songwriter, too?
What do you think Richard Gere’s songs sound like? Do you write little songs for your spouse? Let us know, and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family!
