Richard Gere turns 75

Richard Tiffany Gere was born in Philadelphia in 1949. He grew up on a farm as the son of an insurance agent and a housewife. He first made it big in the London production of the musical "Grease". Gere finally made his breakthrough as a Hollywood star in 1980 with "The Man for Certain Hours". The film "An Officer and a Gentleman" gave his career further impetus. Gere initially decided to do "Pretty Woman" with Julia Roberts only for the money, as he admitted in an interview. It was only during filming that he began to like the story. As he grew older, Gere attracted more and more attention as a philanthropist. Part of his salary goes to the foundation named after him, which supports humanitarian projects all over the world. The superstar found further fulfillment in his faith. Gere turned to Buddhism many years ago. Hence his deep friendship with the Dalai Lama, at whose lectures he sometimes sits next to him on stage.