Richard Gere began his professional film career in 1975, appearing in the crime thriller “Report to the Commissioner.” In 1976 and 1977, he secured notable supporting roles in “Baby Blue Marine” and “Looking for Mr. Goodbar,” before securing his first leading role in 1978’s “Bloodbrothers,” a coming-of-age drama about two Italian-American brothers living in the Bronx. That same year, Gere appeared in Terrence Malick’s dreamy “Days of Heaven,” more or less securing him as a permanent Hollywood fixture. Gere has been working steadily ever since, using his affable on-camera charm and approachable good looks to remain one of the industry’s most reliable movie stars. His high-profile marriage to model Cindy Crawford in 1991 only added to the actor’s status as a sex symbol.
Gere often takes roles that require more razzle-dazzle than deep acting range, but Gere has been nominated for Golden Globes and Emmys, and won a SAG Award, so he’s no slouch as a thespian. And his career continued apace. The 75-year-old actor appeared in “Oh, Canada” and “Longing” in 2024, and will soon appear in the Paramount+ series “The Agency” alongside Michael Fassbender and Jodie Turner-Smith.
He also, it seems, has rather eclectic taste as a filmgoer. In 2017, Rotten Tomatoes interviewed Gere about his five favorite movies, and he listed two of his own (which is always a bold choice), including, surprisingly, a not-exactly-well-known effort of his from 2016. Gere also listed three international stone-cold classics that one can readily find on the Criterion Channel and that are frequently rewatched by film students.
The list of Gere’s favorite movies is below.