excelled in music and gymnastics. He won a gymnas-
tics scholarship to the University of Massachusetts
at Amherst, where he majored in philosophy and
drama. After two years in college, Gere dropped out
to pursue his growing interest in acting.
Gere spent several years as a struggling actor, and
in 1973 he landed a starring role in the London pro-
duction ofGrease(pr. 1972). He began appearing in
Hollywood films in the mid-1970’s and first came
to the filmgoing public’s notice inLooking for Mr.
Goodbar(1977),Days of Heaven(1978), andAmerican
Gigolo(1980). It wasAn Officer and a Gentleman(1982),
however, that established Gere as a major star. He
followed this hit with a series of unmemorable mov-
ies, includingBreathless(1983),The Cotton Club
(1984), andKing David(1985).
Although Gere’s reputation as a star was estab-
lished in the early 1980’s, he did not again achieve
box office success until the 1990’s. In fact, he spent
much of the 1980’s pursuing his interest in human
rights causes, turning down the lead roles inDie
Hard(1988) andWall Street(1987), which went to
Bruce Willis and Michael Douglas, respectively. In-
stead of starring in those films, Gere visited refugee
camps in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras and
pursued other humanitarian interests. Gere was a
Buddhist, an outspoken advocate for human rights
in Tibet, and a supporter of the Dalai Lama. He
founded the Tibet House and the Gere Foundation
and became active in ecological causes and AIDS
awareness.Impact Gere became a well-known star then put
the resulting cultural capital to work, using his repu-
tation to raise money for and awareness about issues
that were important to him.The Eighties in America Gere, Richard 411
Richard Gere, right, shakes hands with the Dalai Lama at a reception in New York City in 1987.(AP/Wide World Photos)