This high school student would go on to become one of Hollywood’s most successful stars after captivating audiences with his charming looks and inimitable acting skills.
The Golden Globe-nominated actor’s silver screen career began in the late 1970s, after he emerged as a handsome heartthrob with his first roles: a supporting role in the Diane Keaton film Looking For Mr. Goodbar and a starring role in the classic film Days of Heaven.
In 1980, at the age of 29, he had risen to fame thanks to his breakthrough role as high-end male escort Julian Kay in Paul Schrader’s crime thriller American Gigolo, which cemented his status as a leading man and sex symbol throughout Hollywood.
The actor was also known for being briefly married to supermodel Cindy Crawford for four years in the ’90s.
Later in his career, the star was paired with Julia Roberts, one of the most popular actresses in the world at the time, and played her lead role in several romantic films, demonstrating the success of their on-screen chemistry.
Can you guess whose yearbook photo this is?
Pictured in 1967, this high school student would go on to become one of Hollywood’s most successful stars after captivating audiences with his charming looks and inimitable acting ability. Can you guess who he is?
It’s Richard Gere! The actor, now 75, has an estimated net worth of $120 million and has teamed up with Gen Z’s handsome heartthrob Jacob Elordi in his upcoming film.
The star-studded drama Oh, Canada – which reunites Gere with his American Gigolo director Paul Schrader – opens in theaters on Friday, December 6.
Although Gere recently left Hollywood behind and moved to Spain with his wife and their sons, he remains booked and busy.
He most recently starred in the Apple TV+ drama Longing, which was released this summer.
The silver screen star was married to supermodel Cindy Crawford from 1991 to 1995, before tying the knot with Carey Lowell.
In the past, he was also rumored to be dating or dating Priscilla Presley, Barbra Streisand, Kim Basinger, and Diane von Furstenberg.
He married his current wife Alejandra Silva in 2018, who is 33 years his junior.
The couple share sons Alexander, five, and James, four, while Richard also shares son Homer, 24, with ex-wife Carey Lowell. He also has a stepson, 11-year-old Albert, from Alejandra’s previous marriage to Govind Friedland.
That’s right, it’s Richard Gere, 75. The Golden Globe-nominated actor’s silver screen career began in the late 1970s; pictured on November 21 in New York City
In 1980, he rose to fame at the age of 29 with his breakthrough in American Gigolo; depicted in a film still from 1980
The silver screen star was a charming teenager in his 1962 7th grade yearbook portrait
The star was on his school’s gymnastics team when he was a sophomore at his high school in New York; Pictured second from left in 1965
Gere had the same genteel charm as the characters he would later play in Hollywood. Even in high school he was successful and in 1966 he was vice president of his school’s student council
Acting was always his passion. He is depicted here as The King in his school’s 1967 performance of The King And I during his senior year
Gere is seen in the center of the back row during his school’s performance of The King and I
In his career, some of Gere’s most memorable roles came when he was paired with Julia Roberts.
The two first starred together in the 1990 romantic comedy Pretty Woman.
The iconic film grossed $450 million worldwide and remains one of the most beloved romantic films of all time.
Their on-screen chemistry was a huge success, and the actor was also paired with her again in 1999 for their rom-com Runaway Bride.
Gere earned a Golden Globe nomination after starring in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman, one of the most popular romantic dramas of the early ’80s.
Although best known for his work on screen, Gere is also a well-known talent on stage.
He has previously worked on Broadway and won a Golden Globe Award for his role as lawyer Billy Flynn in the 2002 film adaptation of the musical Chicago.
He also received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for his performance in the Oscar-winning film alongside Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Gere is seen on the far left in the back row along with his fellow classmates in a 7th grade high school yearbook portrait
Gere was seen in the top row, far right, in a group photo from their gymnastics team yearbook
In a homeroom photo, Gere posed next to his peers in the middle row and far right
Gere is seen in the center of the back row in a Ski Club yearbook photo for his freshman year of high school circa 1966
In addition to his on-screen achievements and critically acclaimed career in entertainment, Gere is also known for his activism and his long-time advocacy for human rights, environmental issues and animal welfare.
Gere is also known as an outspoken and sometimes controversial advocate for Tibet since the 1980s, ever since the devout Buddhist met the Dalai Lama.
He was a strong supporter of Tibetan culture and human rights and was even a founding member of Tibet House US.
In 1993, Gere added part of an Oscar presentation speech to include criticism of China. The brief digression from his teleprompter speech led to him being banned from the Academy Awards for twenty years, and he has since struggled to find work in big-budget films, fearing that his presence will lead to the films being closed in China will be banned.