Runaway Bride is a 1999 American romantic comedy film starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere and directed by Garry Marshall. The screenplay was written by Josann McGibbon, Audrey Wells and Sara Parriott.

Plot[link]

Maggie Carpenter (Julia Roberts) is a spirited and attractive young woman who has had a number of unsuccessful relationships. Maggie, nervous of being married, has left a trail of fiances. It seems, she's left three men waiting for her at the altar on their wedding day (all of which are caught on tape), receiving tabloid fame and the dubious nickname "The Runaway Bride".

Meanwhile, in New York, reporter Homer Eisenhower Graham or "Ike" (Richard Gere), writes a column about her that contains several factual errors, supplied to him by one of Maggie's jilted exes for revenge. He's fired for not verifying his source and then decides to write an in-depth article about Maggie in a bid to get his job back. He travels to Hale, Maryland, where he finds her living with her family and on her fourth attempt to become married. The fourth groom-to-be, Bob Kelly (Christopher Meloni), a football coach at the local high school who treats Maggie like one of the players on his sports team. He constantly makes references to Maggie "focusing" on the goal-line.

While doing research for his story, Ike's realizations are forcing Maggie to face her fears, and eventually the two find themselves becoming more and more attracted to each other. In the meantime, Maggie is still set to marry Bob. In the midst of the wedding rehearsal, Bob helps walk Maggie down the aisle, and asks Ike to stand in his place as the groom. This proves to be a mistake, when Ike and Maggie "practice" the kiss right in front of Bob, finally admitting their feelings for one another. As a result, Bob punches Ike in the face before storming out of the church. Soon after, Ike and Maggie agree to marry since the wedding is already set to take place. But on the day of the wedding, Maggie gets cold feet, and leaves Ike, too, standing at the altar. As she rides away on a FedEx truck, Ike runs after her, but can't catch up.

Later, we see Ike living in New York and Maggie trying to discover herself, trying different types of eggs, and putting her lighting designs up for sale in New York. She shows up unexpectedly at Ike's apartment one night where he finds her making friends with his cat, Italics. Maggie then explains that she's been running because every other guy she was engaged to was only engaged to the idea she had created for them rather than the real her- and when she was marrying Ike she was simply freaked out at the crowd-, and "turns in" her running shoes just before proposing to Ike. The two are married in a private ceremony outside, on a hill, avoiding the big ceremonies that drove Maggie away in the past. In the end, they are shown riding away on horseback while everyone celebrates the fact that Maggie finally got married.

Cast[link]

• Julia Roberts as Maggie Carpenter- A woman who has run away from 3 weddings but is hoping not to do so on her fourth wedding attempt
• Richard Gere as Ike Graham- a New York City news reporter who writes an article about Maggie and later falls in love with her. His real name is Homer
• Joan Cusack as Peggy Flemming - "not the ice skater"; this is a running gag in the film
• Héctor Elizondo as Fisher
• Christopher Meloni as Bob Kelly
• Paul Dooley as Walter Carpenter
• Rita Wilson as Ellie Graham
• Lisa Roberts Gillan as Elaine from Manhattan
• Donal Logue as Priest Brian Norris
• Reg Rogers as George "Bug Guy" Swilling
• Yul Vazquez as Dead Head Gill Chavez
• Kathleen Marshall as Cousin Cindy
• Sela Ward as Pretty woman in bar
• Garry Marshall (uncredited) as First softball baseman
• Laurie Metcalf (uncredited) as Betty Trout
• Larry Miller (uncredited) as NY bartender Kevin
• Emily Eby ("uncredited") as reporter

Production history[link]

The film was in development for over a decade. Actors attached at various times: Anjelica Huston, Mary Steenburgen, Lorraine Bracco, Geena Davis, Demi Moore, Sandra Bullock, Ellen DeGeneres, Téa Leoni (for the role of Maggie); Christopher Walken, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Michael Douglas (for the role of Ike) and Ben Affleck (for the role of Bob). Director Michael Hoffman was attached. Writers Elaine May and Leslie Dixon did unused rewrites.^[1]

The theme song is titled "Before I Fall in Love" and is sung by Coco Lee

Release[link]

Box office[link]

The film opened on July 30, 1999 with $12,000,000 on its opening day.^[2] In its opening weekend, Runaway Bride peaked at #1 with $35,055,556.^[3]

By the end of its run, the film had grossed $152,257,509 domestically and an international $157,200,000, altogether making $309,457,509 worldwide.^[4]

Critical reception[link]

The film earned positive to mixed reviews.^{[5] [6]} While Richard Gere and Julia Roberts were liked in their second film since Pretty Woman, viewers and critics felt the film was not as good as it could have been. Originally, Marshall was going to do a Pretty Woman sequel, but he let the sequel sit on the back burner and did this movie instead.

References[link]

This article uses bare URLs for citations. Please consider adding full citations so that the article remains verifiable. Several templates and the Reflinks tool are available to assist in formatting. (Reflinks documentation) (June 2012)

1. ^ "'Bride's' Long, Long Path to the Altar". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1999/aug/03/entertainment/ca-62033. Retrieved 2012-06-02. 
2. ^ "Witch Chases 'Bride'". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1999/aug/03/entertainment/ca-62040. Retrieved 2012-06-02. 
3. ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=1999&wknd=31&p=.htm
4. ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=runawaybride.htm
5. ^ "Runaway Bride". Chicago Sun Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990730/REVIEWS/907300301/1023. Retrieved 2012-06-02. 
6. ^ "FILM REVIEW; Pretty Woman Is Back, But Now She's Cautious". The New York Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9902E0DC1431F933A05754C0A96F958260. Retrieved 2012-06-02. 

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Runaway Bride (1999 film)

• Runaway Bride (1999 film) at the Internet Movie Database
• Runaway Bride (1999 film) at the TCM Movie Database
• Runaway Bride (1999 film) at AllRovi
• Runaway Bride (1999 film) at Box Office Mojo
• Movie stills

Look up runaway bride in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Runaway bride(s) or The Runaway Bride may refer to:

• Runaway bride case, a 2005 American abduction hoax
• The Runaway Bride (film), a 1930 film starring Mary Astor
• Runaway Bride (1999 film), a romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts
• The Runaway Bride (Doctor Who), an episode of the TV series
• The Runaway Bride (Nancy Drew), a Nancy Drew Files novel
• Runaway Brides, an album by Brides of Destruction

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Not to be confused with Julie Roberts or Juliet Roberts. For the British Home Shopping host, see Julia Roberts (QVC presenter).

Julia Roberts
Roberts at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Jesus Henry Christ
Born	Julia Fiona Roberts (1967-10-28) October 28, 1967 (age 44) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1987–present
Religion	Hindu
Spouse	Lyle Lovett (m. 1993–1995; divorced) Daniel Moder (m. 2002–present; 3 children)
Family	Eric Roberts (brother) Lisa Roberts Gillan (sister) Emma Roberts (niece)

Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman (1990), which grossed $464 million worldwide. After receiving Golden Globe Awards and Academy Award nominations for Steel Magnolias (1989) and Pretty Woman, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Erin Brockovich (2000). Her films My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), Mystic Pizza (1988), Notting Hill (1999), Runaway Bride (1999), Valentine's Day (2010), The Pelican Brief (1993), Ocean's Eleven (2001), and Ocean's Twelve (2004) have collectively brought box office receipts of over $2.4 billion, making her one of the most successful actresses in terms of box office receipts.^[1]

Roberts had become one of the highest-paid actresses in the world, topping the Hollywood Reporter's annual "power list" of top-earning female stars from 2005 to 2006. Her fee for 1990's Pretty Woman was $300,000;^[2] in 2003, she was paid an unprecedented $25 million for her role in Mona Lisa Smile (2003). As of 2010, Roberts's net worth was estimated to be $140 million.^[3]

Roberts has been named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" eleven times, tied with Halle Berry. In 2011, she was named one of the "100 Hottest Women of All-Time" by Men's Health.^[4] In 2001, Ladies Home Journal ranked her as the 11th most powerful woman in the United States, ahead of then national security advisor Condoleezza Rice and former first lady Laura Bush.^{[5][clarification needed][dead link]} Roberts has a production company called Red Om Films.

Early life and family[link]

Roberts was born in Atlanta, Georgia, at Crawford Long Hospital (now Emory University Hospital Midtown), to Betty Lou (née Bredemus) and Walter Grady Roberts.^[6][7] She is of English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, German, and Swedish descent.^[8][9] Her parents were Baptist and Catholic,^[10] and she was raised Catholic.^[11][12] Her older brother, Eric Roberts (from whom she was estranged until 2004), sister, Lisa Roberts Gillan, and niece, Emma Roberts, also are actors. Julia's parents, one-time actors and playwrights, met while performing theatrical productions for the armed forces. They later co-founded the Atlanta Actors and Writers Workshop in Atlanta, Georgia, off Juniper Street in Midtown. While her mother was pregnant with Julia, she and her husband ran an acting school for children in Decatur, Georgia. The children of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King attended the school. As a thank-you for their service, Mrs. King paid the hospital bill when Julia's mother gave birth to Julia.^[13] Julia's mother filed for divorce in 1971 with the divorce being finalized early in 1972.^[14] Roberts lived in Smyrna, in 1972, where she attended Fitzhugh Lee Elementary School, Griffin Middle School, and Campbell High School.^[15] Her mother married Michael Motes and had a daughter, Nancy Motes, in 1976. Julia's father died of cancer when she was ten.^[16]

Roberts wanted to be a veterinarian as a child. She played clarinet in the band in school. After graduating from Smyrna's Campbell High School, she headed to New York to pursue a career in acting. Once there, she signed with the Click Modeling Agency and enrolled in acting classes.

Career[link]

1986–1989[link]

Roberts made her first big screen appearance in the film Satisfaction (1988), released on February 12, 1988, alongside Liam Neeson and Justine Bateman, as a band member looking for a summer gig. She had previously performed a small role opposite her brother, Eric, in Blood Red (1986) (she has two words of dialogue), filmed in 1987 and released in 1989. Her first television appearance was as a juvenile rape victim in the initial season of the series Crime Story with Dennis Farina, in the episode titled "The Survivor", broadcast on February 13, 1987. Her first critical success with moviegoers was her performance in the independent film Mystic Pizza in 1988;^[17] that same year, she had a role in the fourth season finale of Miami Vice. In 1989, she was featured in Steel Magnolias, as a young bride with diabetes, and received both her first Academy Award nomination (as Best Supporting Actress) and first Golden Globe Award win (Motion Picture Best Supporting Actress) for her performance.^[17]

Roberts in 1990

1990–2000[link]

Roberts became known to worldwide audiences when she co-starred with Richard Gere in the Cinderella/Pygmalionesque story, Pretty Woman, in 1990.^[17] Roberts won the role after Michelle Pfeiffer, Molly Ringwald, Meg Ryan, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Karen Allen, and Daryl Hannah (her co-star in Steel Magnolias) all turned it down.^[18] The role also earned her a second Oscar nomination, this time as Best Actress, and second Golden Globe Award win, as Motion Picture Best Actress (Musical or Comedy).^[17] Her next box office success was the thriller Sleeping with the Enemy, playing a battered wife who escapes her abusive husband, played by Patrick Bergin, and begins a new life in Iowa. She played Tinkerbell in Steven Spielberg's Hook in 1991, and also played a nurse in the 1991 film, Dying Young. This work was followed by a two-year hiatus, during which she made no films other than a cameo appearance in Robert Altman's The Player (1992). In early 1993, she was the subject of a People magazine cover story asking, "What Happened to Julia Roberts?"^[19] She was offered the role of Annie Reed in Sleepless in Seattle (1993), but turned it down.^[20]

Roberts co-starred with Denzel Washington in The Pelican Brief (1993), based on John Grisham's 1992 novel of the same name.^[17] In 1996, she appeared in season 2 of Friends (episode 13 "The One After the Superbowl"). Roberts recorded her scenes from January 6–8, 1996.^[21] She had a relationship with cast member Matthew Perry at the time,^{[22][23][24][25]} and an audience member said about their on-screen kiss, "Julia looked at Matt and said 'I'm glad we rehearsed this over the weekend'."^[26] She was offered the role of Lucy Eleanor Moderatz in While You Were Sleeping (1995), but also turned it down.^[20]

Roberts co-starred with Liam Neeson in Michael Collins (1996).^[17] Over the next few years, she starred in Stephen Frears' Mary Reilly (1996), followed by My Best Friend's Wedding in 1997. In 1998, she appeared on Sesame Street opposite the character Elmo, demonstrating her ability to change emotions. She was offered the role of Viola de Lesseps in Shakespeare in Love (1998), but turned it down.^[20] She starred with Hugh Grant in Notting Hill (1999). That same year she also starred in Runaway Bride, her second film with Richard Gere. Roberts was a guest star on the Law & Order television series episode "Empire" with series regular Benjamin Bratt (at that time her boyfriend). She earned an nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.^[27] Also in 1999 she starred in the critically panned film Stepmom (1998) alongside Susan Sarandon.^[28]

Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy García, Julia, cast of Ocean's Eleven along with director Steven Soderbergh in December 2001

2001–2005[link]

In 2001 Roberts received the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Erin Brockovich, who helped wage a successful lawsuit against energy giant Pacific Gas & Electric. While presenting the Best Actor Award to Denzel Washington the following year she made a gaffe, saying she was glad that Tom Conti wasn't there. She meant the conductor, Bill Conti, who had tried to hasten the conclusion of her Oscar speech the previous year, but instead named the Scottish actor.^[29] Roberts teamed with Erin Brockovich director Steven Soderbergh for three more films: Ocean's Eleven (2001), Full Frontal (2002), and Ocean's Twelve (2004). Later in 2001 she starred in the road gangster comedy, The Mexican, giving her a chance to work with long-time friend, Brad Pitt. In 2005 she was featured in the music video for the hit single "Dreamgirl" by the Dave Matthews Band; it was her first music video appearance.^[30]

2006–present[link]

Roberts had two films released in 2006, The Ant Bully and Charlotte's Web. Both films were animated features for which she provided voice acting. Her next film was Charlie Wilson's War (2007), with Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman, directed by Mike Nichols and based on the book by former CBS journalist George Crile; it was released on December 21, 2007. Fireflies in the Garden (2008), also starring Ryan Reynolds and Willem Dafoe, was released at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2008 and was subsequently shown in European cinemas; it did not get a North American release until 2011.

Deployed troops show Julia Roberts the controls of an F-15.

Roberts made her Broadway debut on April 19, 2006 as Nan in a revival of Richard Greenberg's 1997 play Three Days of Rain opposite Bradley Cooper and Paul Rudd. Although the play grossed nearly US$1 million dollars in ticket sales during its first week^[31] and was a commercial success throughout its limited run, her performance drew criticism. New York Times' critic Ben Brantly described her as being fraught with "self-consciousness (especially in the first act) [and] only glancingly acquainted with the two characters she plays."^[32] Brantley also criticized the production of "Greenberg's slender, elegant play," writing that “it's almost impossible to discern its artistic virtues from this wooden and splintered interpretation, directed by Joe Mantello."^[32] Three Days of Rain received two Tony Award nominations in stagecraft categories. In 2009, Lancôme announced that Roberts would become their global ambassador for their company.^[33] Julia starred with Clive Owen in the comedy-thriller Duplicity for which she received her seventh Golden Globe nomination. In 2010, she appeared in the ensemble romantic comedy Valentine's Day, with Cooper, and starred in the film adaptation of Eat Pray Love. Eat Pray Love^[34] had the highest debut at the box office for Roberts in a top-billed role since America's Sweethearts.^[35] Later in the year, she signed a five-year extension with Lancôme for GB£32 million (US$50 million).^[36] In 2011, she co-starred as Mercedes Tainot opposite Tom Hanks who directed and played the title role in the romantic comedy Larry Crowne.^[37] The movie has received generally bad reviews with only 35% of the 175 Rotten Tomatoes reviews giving it high ratings,^[38] although Roberts' comedic performance was praised.^[39] Roberts appeared in the 2012 Tarsem Singh adaptation of Snow White, called Mirror Mirror, playing the Evil Queen.^[40]

American Girl films[link]

Roberts has brought to life some of the books from American Girl as films, serving as executive producer alongside her sister Lisa. The company's product lines and services are focused on pre-teen-girl characters from various periods of American history, embodied as dolls and featured in narratives including books and movies. Roberts has produced four movies.^[41]

Personal life[link]

Relationships[link]

Julia Roberts in Paris, September 2010

Roberts has reportedly had romantic relationships with actors Jason Patric, Liam Neeson, Dylan McDermott, and Matthew Perry.^[42][43][44] She was briefly engaged to actor Kiefer Sutherland; they broke up three days before their scheduled wedding on 11 June 1991. On June 25, 1993, she married country singer Lyle Lovett; the wedding took place at St. James Lutheran Church in Marion, Indiana.^[45] They separated in March 1995 and subsequently divorced.^[46] From 1998 to 2001, Roberts dated actor Benjamin Bratt.^[47]

Roberts and her husband, cameraman Daniel Moder, met on the set of her film The Mexican in 2000, while she was still dating Bratt. At the time, Moder was married to Vera Steimberg. He filed for divorce a little over a year later, and after it was finalized, he and Roberts wed on July 4, 2002, at her ranch in Taos, New Mexico.^[48] Together, they have three children: twins Hazel Patricia Moder and Phinnaeus "Finn" Walter Moder (born November 28, 2004) and Henry Daniel Moder (born June 18, 2007).^[49]

Beliefs[link]

Roberts disclosed in a 2010 interview for Elle magazine that she believes in and practices Hinduism.^[50][51][52] Roberts is a devotee of Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaj-ji). A picture of Neem Karoli Baba drew Roberts to Hinduism.^[53]

Charities[link]

Roberts has given her time and resources to UNICEF as well as to other charitable organizations. On May 10, 1995, Roberts arrived in Port-au-Prince, as she said, "to educate myself".^[54][55] The poverty she found was overwhelming. "My heart is just bursting", she said.^[54] UNICEF officials hoped that her six-day visit would trigger an outburst of giving: $10 million in aid was sought at the time.^[54][55]

In 2000, Roberts narrated Silent Angels, a documentary about Rett syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder, which was shot in Los Angeles, Baltimore and New York. The documentary was designed to help raise public awareness about the disease. In July 2006, Earth Biofuels announced Roberts as a spokeswoman for the company and as chair of the company's newly formed Advisory Board promoting the use of renewable fuels.

Filmography[link]

References[link]

Notes

Further reading

• Mark Bego. Julia Rica's Sweetheart (New York: AMI Books, 2003)
• Paul Donnelley. Julia Roberts Confidential: The Unauthorised Biography (London: Virgin, 2003)
• Frank Sanello. Julia Roberts: Pretty Superstar (Edinburgh: Mainstream 2000)
• James Spada. Julia: Her Life (New York: St Martin's Press, 2004)

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Julia Roberts

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Julia Roberts

• Julia Roberts at the Internet Movie Database
• Julia Roberts at the Internet Broadway Database

Richard Gere
Gere in Venice, 2007
Born	Richard Tiffany Gere (1949-08-31) August 31, 1949 (age 62) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1973–present
Notable work(s)	Pretty Woman, Dr. T & the Women, Chicago, Primal Fear, First Knight
Religion	Buddhist
Spouse	Cindy Crawford (1991–1995) Carey Lowell (2002–present)
Children	Son

Richard Tiffany Gere^[1] ( /ˈɡɪər/ GEER; born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and a starring role in Days of Heaven. He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol. He went on to star in several hit films including An Officer and a Gentleman, Pretty Woman, Primal Fear, and Chicago, for which he won a Golden Globe Award as Best Actor, as well as a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the Best Cast.

Early life[link]

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Gere is a descendant of Mayflower Pilgrims Francis Eaton, John Billington, George Soule, Richard Warren, Degory Priest, William Brewster, and Francis Cooke.^[1] His paternal great-grandfather had changed the spelling of the surname from "Geer".^[1] Gere's mother, Doris Ann (née Tiffany, born 1924),^[1] was a homemaker, and his father, Homer George Gere (born 1922),^[1] was an insurance agent for the Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and had originally intended to become a minister.^[2] Gere is their eldest son and second child.^[1] In 1967, he graduated from North Syracuse Central High School, where he excelled at gymnastics and music, playing the trumpet.^[2] He attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst on a gymnastics scholarship, majoring in philosophy, but did not graduate, leaving after two years.^[2][3]

Career[link]

Gere first worked professionally at the Provincetown Playhouse on Cape Cod in 1971 where he starred in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. His first major acting role was in the original London stage version of Grease in 1973.^[2] He began appearing in Hollywood films in the mid 1970s, co-starring in the thriller Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) and playing the leading role in director Terrence Malick's well-reviewed 1978 film, Days of Heaven.^[2] In 1980, Gere appeared in the Broadway production of Bent. He became a major star that year with the film American Gigolo, followed by the romantic drama An Officer and a Gentleman, which grossed almost $130 million in 1982.^[4]

After 1982, Gere's career experienced several box office failures^[5][6] until it strengthened with the release of both Internal Affairs and Pretty Woman in 1990. Gere's status as a leading man solidified and he went on to star in several successful films throughout the 1990s, including Sommersby (1993), Primal Fear (1996), and Runaway Bride (1999) which reunited him with his Pretty Woman co-star Julia Roberts.^[5] Richard also took a leading role in the 1997 action movie The Jackal, playing Declan Mulqueen.

People magazine named Gere the "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1999. In 2002, he appeared in three major releases: the horror thriller The Mothman Prophecies, the drama Unfaithful, and the Academy Award-winning film version of Chicago,^[2] for which he won a Golden Globe as "Best Actor – Comedy or Musical". Gere's 2004 ballroom dancing drama Shall We Dance? was also a solid performer that grossed $170 million worldwide^[7] though his next film, 2005's Bee Season, was a commercial failure.^[8]

Gere was Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals' "Man of the Year" for 2006. In 2007, he co-starred with Jesse Eisenberg and Terrence Howard in The Hunting Party, a comic thriller in which he played a journalist in Bosnia. The same year he also starred with Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, and Cate Blanchett in Todd Haynes' semi-biographical film about Bob Dylan, I'm Not There.

Gere co-starred with Diane Lane in the romantic drama Nights in Rodanthe, released in 2008. The film was widely panned by critics^[9] (even making #74 on The Times Worst Films of 2008 list),^[10] but grossed over $84 million worldwide.^[11]

In December 2010, Gere was honored for his lifetime achievement from the 34th Cairo International Film Festival.^[12]

In 2012, Gere was the 67th recipient of The George Eastman Award for distinguished contribution to the art of film for his distinguished acting career as well as his global humanitarian leadership.

Personal life and activism[link]

Gere presented with a Khata by the 14th Dalai Lama

Gere was married to supermodel Cindy Crawford from 1991 to 1995. In 2002, he married model and actress Carey Lowell. They have a son, Homer James Jigme Gere, who was born in 2000 and is named after Gere's father.^[2]

Gere was raised by Methodist parents;^[13] his interest in Buddhism began when in his twenties.^[14] Gere first studied Zen Buddhism^[14] under Kyozan Joshu Sasaki.^[14] After having studied Zen for five or six years,^[14] Gere traveled to Nepal in 1978 with the Brazilian painter, Sylvia Martins^[15] where he met many Tibetan monks and lamas.^[15] He then met the 14th Dalai Lama in India^[14] and became a practicing Buddhist of the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism^[14] and an active supporter of the Dalai Lama.^[2] Gere visits Dharamsala, the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile, regularly.^[16]

Gere is also a persistent advocate for human rights in Tibet; he is a co-founder of the Tibet House, creator of The Gere Foundation, and he is Chairman of the Board of Directors for the International Campaign for Tibet. Because he strongly supports the Tibetan Independence Movement, he is permanently banned from entering the People's Republic of China.^[17][18] Gere was banned as an Academy Award presenter in 1993 after he denounced the Chinese government in his capacity as presenter.^[19][20] In September 2007, Gere called for the boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games to put pressure on China to make Tibet independent. He starred in Free Tibet-themed Lancia commercial featuring the Lancia Delta.^[21] On June 27, 2011 Richard Gere meditated in Borobudur temple.^[22]

Gere Visits USAID HIV / AIDS "Operation Lighthouse" Project In Mumbai, as part of USAID.

Richard Gere actively supports Survival International, an organization dedicated to protecting the rights and lands of tribal peoples throughout the world.^[15] He contributed some of his writing for the book, We Are One: A Celebration of Tribal Peoples, released in October 2009.^[23] Richard Gere discusses the persecution and loss of land of the Jummas, as an example of a tragic story that repeats itself in different continents of the world. He calls attention to the crime against their peaceful culture and how it reflects on our own relationship with nature and capacity to survive.^[24] The royalties from the sale of this book go to the indigenous rights organization, Survival International.

Gere campaigns for ecological causes and AIDS awareness. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Healing the Divide, an organization that supports global initiatives to promote peace, justice and understanding.^[25] He helped to establish the AIDS Care Home, a residential facility in India for women and children with AIDS, and also supports campaigns for AIDS awareness and education that country. In 1999, he created the Gere Foundation India Trust to support a variety of humanitarian programs in India.^[26]

On April 15, 2007, Gere appeared at an AIDS awareness rally in Jaipur, India. During a live news conference to promote condom use among truck drivers, he embraced Bollywood superstar Shilpa Shetty, dipped her, and kissed her several times on the cheek.^[27] As a result of that gesture, a local court ordered the arrest of Gere and Shetty, finding them in violation "public obscenity" laws. Gere, who quickly fled the country, has said the controversy was "manufactured by a small hard-line political party." About a month later, a two-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, KG Balakrishnan, described the case as "frivolous" and believed that such complaints (against celebrities) were filed for "cheap publicity" and have brought a bad name to the country. They ruled that "Richard Gere is free to enter the country. This is the end of the matter."^[28]

In June 2008, Gere appeared in a Fiat commercial for the European market, driving a new Lancia Delta from Hollywood to Tibet. The commercial concluded with a tagline of "New Lancia Delta: the power to be different". The commercial was reported in Chinese newspapers, and Fiat apologized to the PRC.^[29] Branding expert John Tantillo argued that Fiat had foreseen the controversy the ad would cause and hoped to benefit from press coverage it would receive, labeling it "adpublitizing".^[30]

Honours and awards[link]

On 17 May 2012 Albanian President, Bamir Topi awarded with the "Medal of Gratitude" Mr. Richard Gere with citation: "With gratitude and honor outstanding personality of the world art, great humanist and activist for the protection of human rights, which unmasked and the American public made ​​known, and further, inhuman crimes, ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, in 1999, the Serbian military machine against the Albanian civilian population living in its land".^[31]

Political views[link]

Invasion of Iraq[link]

Gere has stated that the decision to go to war in Iraq was one that the American people were not in support of and that the administration at the time “bullied” Americans into the decision. He blamed the situation on a very “poor president”.^[32]