The Pretty Woman actor shares his oldest son with ex-wife Carey Lowell. Richard Gere is one proud dad! After returning to the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this month with his family beside him, he’s celebrating brand new milestones.
The Golden Globe-winning actor, 74, brought along the oldest of his three sons, 24-year-old Homer Gere, to the Cannes premiere of his film Oh, Canada, plus his wife Alejandra Silva.
He appeared on Good Morning America on Tuesday, May 28 to discuss his family life and his upcoming film Longing, and spoke fondly of reintroducing his son, who typically keeps away from the spotlight, to the public eye.
Richard revealed, in fact, that just this past weekend, Homer had graduated from Brown University, and received congratulations from GMA anchors Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan, and Whit Johnson.
“He’s 24 now and he just graduated from Brown, just this weekend. So that’s a milestone,” he gushed. “But I never took him to anything like this before.”
“We didn’t live in LA, I didn’t take him to festivals. I just wanted him to be a kid,” the star explained. “And he thanks me now, he says, ‘Thanks for not doing this before!’”
US actor Richard Gere and his wife Spanish Alejandra Silva arrive for the screening of the film “Oh Canada”, alongside Homer Gere and Uma Thurman
Richard revealed that his son Homer graduated from Brown University days after their Cannes appearance
The new graduate last made an appearance on the carpet with his dad almost a decade ago, at the 2014 Giffoni Film Festival in Italy when he was still a teenager. When Michael asked if Homer, who has shown an interest in acting, intended to follow in Richard’s footsteps, the dad-of-three responded: “Oh, I don’t know.”
“About a year and a half ago, he started acting in little films at school. And making films, and writing them, directing them, production design, and doing other things. He understands how much fun it is, and it is kind of addictive. I love making movies.”
US actor Homer James Jigme Gere (R) kisses his father US actor Richard Gere after the screening of the film “Oh Canada”
“We didn’t live in LA, I didn’t take him to festivals. I just wanted him to be a kid.”
The Runaway Bride actor has been married three times, first to supermodel Cindy Crawford from 1991 to 1995, and then to actress Carey Lowell from 2002 to 2016, with whom he shares Homer.
In 2018, he tied the knot with publicist and political activist Alejandra, and they’ve since welcomed two sons, five-year-old Alexander and a second four-year-old, whose name they have yet to reveal.
Richard shares his son Homer with his ex-wife Carey Lowell
In a prior interview with Vanity Fair Spain, the star spoke about his son’s growing interest in the performing arts and the screen mirroring his parents’ own, saying: “As it happens, he just started acting too. He has suddenly become interested and seems to enjoy it. He’s been writing and directing little movies, so we have this new thing in common.”
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In a 2015 interview with The Hindustan Times, he confessed that his decision-making for movie roles was heavily influenced by James, and he has since been even more intentional about the act with his two younger sons.
Alejandra Silva and Richard Gere
The actor shares his two youngest sons with wife Alejandra Silva
“My film decisions are mostly mine, but I’m very careful about not being away from my son, Homer James Jigme Gere, for very long,” he shared. “So, if I have to be away for long I talk to him about it, and if there is a problem, I don’t take up the project. And I have done that. Your family is more important than anything.