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A special bond between Richard Gere and his father has always existed
thanks to the ideals his father, the older Gere, instilled in him as a
child.
Richard is renowned for his endearing personality; after all, he was a top
heartthrob in Hollywood in the 1980s and 1990s. Richard was raised in
Syracuse, New York, while being born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on
August 31, 1949. Richard's father, Homer George Gere, was an insurance
agent, and his mother, Doris Ann, was a stay-at-home mom, according to an
interview he gave with "Inside the Actor's Studio" in 2002.
Richard is a decedent of William and Mary Brewster and John and Elinor
Billington, two pilgrims who traveled to New England aboard the Mayflower,
according to the General Society of Mayflower Descendants.
Even his parents, Homer and Doris, were referred to be "exceptional" people
by Richard. He stated to the Independent in 2007 that "my parents are great
people."
The actor claimed that despite their little financial resources, his
parents always managed to provide for them with the greatest things in
life.
"They offered my four brothers and sisters and I tremendous chances in
terms of school, music, and everything else we had an interest in, somehow
making it happen, he added.
They located the teachers, he continued. The struggle it took for us to
have an education and music teachers was tremendous because we weren't
raised with a lot of money."
Richard has always been proud of his father's work with Meals on Wheels as
a volunteer. The recipient of the Golden Globe for Best Actor has even
participated in a number of Meals on Wheels programs over the years to
inspire others to volunteer as well. Even in 2018, he went with his father
to give lunch.
"He was there for his neighbors when they needed him. Richard noted in a
2018 Meals on Wheels film, "Now at 84, he's still there. The same year,
Meals on Wheels was founded, and Richard and his father Homer sat down to
discuss how it began and the difference it has made in their lives as well
as the lives of others.
"I recall my dad. You and your mother bought this hatchback vehicle. I
offered to pay for you to get a really nice automobile, and you said, "Well,
no, this works for me." Why, I (said)? In another video produced by the
charity, Richard remembers why: "Because it's the correct height to put the
meals in.
Richard questioned his father about the genesis of the Meals on Wheels
initiative. There was somewhat of an abandoned home, Homer said. That's how
Meals on Wheels got its start. We take care to meet people's needs as they
age."
The award-winning actor continued by saying that his father's love for
assisting in feeding others was sparked by human contact. On the other side,
his father said:
"I think it's impossible not to feel good about your life when you see
someone else benefiting from it in some manner."
Richard's father instilled in him the value of giving back from an early
age. In an interview with Page Six in 2019, Richard stated, "He's one of
those persons who his entire life... anytime someone else was hurting he was
there to some degree." Richard claims that his father always went out of his
way to assist others, regardless of whether he had any money on hand.
Richard remarked, "That was all around me the whole time I was growing up.
If he didn't have money, it was a grin or an embrace or anything he had to
help out."
Richard and Homer discussed Meals On Wheels' aim to assist individuals in
need during the height of the COVID-19 epidemic in 2021.
"Many older citizens are now helpless and alone due to COVID-19. For more
than 25 years, my dad was directly involved with meals on wheels," Richard
remarked. It produced this sensation of kinship.
In 2022, Homer celebrated his 100th birthday, and Richard made sure to mark
the occasion with lunch at Pastabilities in his father's North Syracuse
neighborhood.
Richard Gere visited Pasta's tonight to commemorate his father Homer Gere's
100th birthday, according to a post on Instagram by Pastabilities.
Homer had previously worked as a fire volunteer in his community in
addition to volunteering for Meals on Wheels. After the passing of Richard's
mother Doris in 2016, the actor frequently travels to North Syracuse to
check on his father.
Richard immortalized his love for his father by naming his only child with
his ex-partner Carey Lowell, Homer James Jigme Gere, as if his love for him
wasn't already obvious from his affirmations in various interviews. Jigme is
a Tibetan word that meaning "fearless," and Richard and Lowell named their
kid after both of their fathers, Homer and James. Both are interested in the
teachings of the Dalai Lama, the head of the Tibetan Buddhists.
Richard is still a devoted father to all three of his kids, two of whom he
shares with Alejandra Silva, his current spouse. Yes, he learned it from his
father!
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