Gere’s start in movies came from a few bit parts during the seventies in TV movies like “Chelsea D.H.O.” His breakthrough came in 1978 when he played Bill in “Days of Heaven,” and then he hit the big time thanks to “American Gigolo.”
He never looked back, starring in hit after hit, including famous romance films “An Officer and a Gentleman” and “Pretty Woman.” His career brought him more than hits: in 2002, his role in “Chicago” helped earn him both a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Our Little Secret
The Geres are pretty good at timely announcements to the general public. Nobody knew Alejandra was pregnant with Alexander for several months. It wasn't until December of 2018 – just two months before the birth – when she finally confirmed that she had a little life inside her.
And even then, she did it in a way that is undoubtedly unique and required a few long plane trips to Tibet.
The Dalai Lama's Blessing
When she was finally ready to announce the baby officially, Silva decided she needed Alexander blessed by none other than His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism.
When the Dalai Lama had, incredibly, blessed the baby, Silva posted on Instagram. A woman of the people. She said they wouldn't announce until the Dalai Lama had done so. She then said she was thrilled, in both Spanish and English.
Gere & the Silva Family
Gere and Silva set the bar high when it comes to celebrity stunts. The actor's fans were suitably shocked and surprised. But there's plenty more to tell about the long relationship between Gere and Silva. The two first met because Gere is a longtime friend of the Silva family, and the two first met when Silva was only a child. Boy.
However, in 2014 the two met again, and the situation was a lot different. They were still more than forty years apart in age. That being said, Silva was also an adult and managed a hotel in Italy.
The Reunion
It was at that time when a mutual acquaintance happened to reunite the now-happy couple. At that first re-meeting, the fireworks were already flying. Both Richard and Alejandra described a strong connection between them. Gere took the first step, bringing a big bouquet to Alejandra, at which time she agreed to a date.
Gere hasn't stopped with the romantic gestures since then, either. Of course, for anyone familiar with Gere, that shouldn't be a surprise...
A New York Native
While he was born in Philadelphia, Gere spent most of his childhood in New York state. He went to high school in Syracuse, where he was part of the gymnastics team, of all things. He was so good at it, in fact, that he got a scholarship to the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
The future movie star never ended up getting his degree – he had initially picked philosophy to study – and instead found his way onto the stage to take the first step toward stardom.
Pretty Woman
Gere's start in movies came from a few bit parts during the seventies in TV movies like "Chelsea D.H.O." His breakthrough came in 1978 when he played Bill in "Days of Heaven," and then he hit the big time thanks to "American Gigolo."
He never looked back, starring in hit after hit, including famous romance films "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "Pretty Woman." His career brought him more than hits: in 2002, his role in "Chicago" helped earn him both a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
An Unusual Friendship
Despite this fame, Gere hasn't been in many movies since his red-carpet years. It's due to his friendship with the Dalai Lama. You see, since Hollywood has been getting more and more funding and direction from China, Gere has started getting fewer roles.
China believes Tibet is theirs, and since Gere disagrees, movies with him in it falter on the international stage. Gere hasn't backed down, but there are a few movies he's been in, Indies such as 'Norman" and "Three Christs."
His Star-Studded Romances
Gere has been a mainstay of the tabloid pages since he hit the big time, and it's mostly because of his star-studded romantic life. Before he started to settle down, he had relationships with actresses Penelope Milford, Priscilla Presley, and Kim Basinger, all before marrying model Cindy Crawford in 1991.
He and Crawford only stayed together for four years. Still, it was less than a decade before Gere married former Bond girl Carey Lowell in 2002 – that relationship ended after a little more than a decade itself, and with a long and painful divorce.
A Practicing Buddhist
This movie star took the seldom walked path of changing religious beliefs from Methodist to Tibetan Buddhism. Starting in his twenties, Gere became interested in the religion when he met a few monks.
As we already know, he would eventually meet with the Dalai Lama – by then, Gere had been a practicing Buddhist for decades. He's now become an activist on behalf of Tibet, which means he's banned from ever entering China.
Alejandra Silva
Alejandra Silva was born in the Spanish region of Galicia. Still, she grew up in Madrid, where her father, Ignacio, had the high-powered position of vice president to the world-famous soccer club Real Madrid.
Silva had done plenty to make herself known in the business world even without her family's help, not only working as a hotel manager in Italy when she and Richard met, but she also worked as a sales and marketer for an aviation company.
Her Childhood
Silva certainly didn't spend her entire childhood in Spain. She gained many of her qualifications through a school in Dorset in the United Kingdom but then went on to study marketing and advertising in her native country.
But there's much more to this woman than business acumen – she's also put her talents to use creating good things for the world as an activist. She's applied herself to several different causes and maintains that work to this day.
The Beautiful Life Fund
Silva has a strong belief in doing right by people and by the world. She's found (and founded) numerous worthy causes to promote. In 2007 she joined the Czech model and actress Karolina Kurkova, getting involved with the Beautiful Life Fund, which provides for the welfare of children.
A few years after that, she worked with Real Madrid's African Initiative Project, which organizes soccer competitions to help disadvantaged children integrate into communities. Her skills as a marketer and businesswoman helped both organizations grow.
Her Past Loves
Like her current husband, Silva has had more than one shot at love. In 2012 Silva married Govind Friedland, who had made his way to millions as a mining magnate.
It was only thanks to Friedland that Silva ended up in possession of the Hotel Villa Treville in Positano, on the Amalfi Coast of southern Italy. While working as the manager, Silva eventually had her vital run-in with Gere, leading her down yet another unexpected life path.
Their Solid Connection
After the meeting in 2014, Silva told the U.K. Publication Daily Mail, “A friend introduced us; we looked at each other and felt a solid connection.”
The glance lasted more than a second; we're led to believe. Apparently, the couple couldn't stop looking at each other all night and are still up to the looks to this day.
Their Love Grew
Love blossomed between the pair quickly, and Silva even packed up and moved to New York City so she could be with Gere. As Silva and Richard grew closer, Silva found herself turning toward his religious beliefs, too. During an interview with "Hello!" magazine, she talked about her conversion to Buddhism.
She mentions she'll be eternally grateful to Richard for introducing her to the religion, and that her life has undoubtedly changed. We assume she means for the better.
A Complicated Beginning
However, the relationship between the two wasn't all smooth sailing. Both members were struggling with divorces while they were courting.
In the same interview with "Hello!" Silva had some things to say: “Love stories with a complicated beginning, where you have to overcome difficulties together, can bring you closer... In the beginning, he was more convinced than me. But from very early on, we felt that we were destined to be together.” Gere seems to have had the future in mind.
A Messy Divorce
While Gere and then-wife Carey Lowell filed for divorce in 2012, it took four years for everything to get finalized. After ten years of marriage, Gere was prepared for a big payout, especially since, at the time, Gere had a worth of almost a quarter of a billion dollars.
This was the reason for the slow proceedings, while custody of their child, Homer, went quickly and painlessly. The details of the divorce agreement weren't made public.
Silva's Divorce
Silva's own divorce dealt with an even more considerable sum of money since Govind Friedland is the heir to a $350 million fortune, and well-off in his own right. Married from 2012 to 2015, Silva and Friedland didn't last too long, and the proceedings went much smoother than Gere's divorce.
The two seem to have parted amicably, and Silva is sometimes pictured with her son from the marriage, Albert. Love might have failed, but their friendship continues.
A 30 Year Age Gap
While the two divorces were somewhat problematic, we're sure you've noticed another potential sticking point in this relationship. The age gap has Richard more than thirty years older than Silva.
Silva doesn't think it's a big deal, and in her interview with "Hello!" she said that she wouldn't have it any other way. “He has promised me at least twenty good years!” How Richard knows he'll make it that long is an interesting detail – but why twenty years? What's going to happen then?
Talk of the Town
With more than seventy years under his belt at this point, it's no wonder a few eyebrows go up when the two are out together.
Yet it's clear to everyone who spends time with them that they are very much in love – there's no part of this relationship that is under the table. Both have fielded questions about the age difference – thirty-three years – and have summarily waved them off.
Turning Heads
Criticisms have come Gere's way for not only marrying someone so young, but she's even someone he met when she was still a child.
In addition, with Gere's children growing, some have wondered if it was a good idea. Gere seems to be healthy, but time catches up with everyone, and at best, Gere has thirty years to spend with his new family.
Against All Odds
Silva has said that Richard still has plenty of energy and is, in all likelihood, much more active than her. She has to work hard to keep up with him, according to her. Is Richard Gere even human?
How could a man in his seventies look so good and be so active? Those close to the couple report they are very much in love. Silva has commented that he knows she loves him madly. “I think I bring him stability. Above all, it helped I wasn't an actress or a model. I never had any interest in that.”
Her Undeniable Love
Silva doesn't seem to want to stop heaping praise on her man. She does seem to love him:
“He is the most humble, sensitive, affectionate, attentive, funny, generous man that I've ever met. What can I say? I'm so in love! How would you feel if each morning you were asked, 'What would make you happy today?' Not a day goes by that he doesn't mention how important I am to him. I feel very lucky.”
Popping the Question
It seems clear that their love is real. It comes as no surprise that the two ended up getting married. Silva has fond memories of when Richard popped the question: “This was really a private moment, just for the two of us, but what I can tell you is that he asked me to marry him in the most romantic hotel I've ever been to, in St. Paul de Vence, on my birthday. I get emotional just remembering it.”
Richard is going about this the right way: a relationship is not a public event.
Happily Ever After
The marriage between these two sweethearts came in April 2018, and the fairytale wedding is another one of Silva's favorite memories. They held the event at Richard's ranch in New York state. Silva reported that she felt like the luckiest woman alive.
The couple did everything they could to make the event something spectacular for themselves and all of their guests. They wanted something both exotic and opulent for their big day, and Silva reported she did feel like she was in a fairytale.
Out of a Fairytale
The couple put in tons of work to get the ranch looking like something out of Indian myths. They brought in tents from Jaipur, an Indian state capital, and adorned the entire area with a mixture of colorful flowers and Tibetan prayer flags.
Their family and close friends arrived several days – up to a week – beforehand, so there was plenty of time and help for getting everything prepared. However, one of the significant additions was transportation to take the guests to the wedding.
The Bride & Groom Arrive
Richard and Silva turned up to the main event in a tuk-tuk, a small vehicle used in many southern and south-eastern Asian countries as personal transportation, taxis, and delivery services. “Richard was driving,” Silva told "Hello!" “It was very funny since nobody was expecting it."
Silva also told us how Gere reacted upon seeing her in her wedding dress for the first time. We're sure you can come up with the emotions on your own – start with “the most spectacular woman he had ever seen” and work from there.
A Union of Souls
This union of loving souls runs more than skin deep. Both members of this couple have a desire to help others in need – recall Silva's humanitarian work – and they have both taken it upon themselves to commit to Buddhism and the Tibetan people.
Silva says that Richard was able to see her commitment to being a humanitarian, being a good person, and a good woman, and their work together has become a romantic dream they both enjoy.
Cinco de Mayo
But the lavish and colorful wedding wasn't the only thing the couple did to celebrate their new union. Even into the following month of May, they threw a big party at their ranch – which is apparently called “Pound Ridge," to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
This bash had a bunch of extra-special VIPS: a group of Tibetan monks. Why the monks were there, or what they thought of the event, remains unknown.
The Happiest Man in the Universe
When conducting his interview with "Hello!" magazine, Richard had plenty of his praise for Silva. He certainly didn't hold back his feelings, saying that he was the happiest man in the universe – how could he not be?
He was excited to share his feelings with the magazine, and this movie star had plenty of good things to say about the most important person in his life. He practically jumped at the chance!
Through the Ups and Downs
This legendary actor even listed some of Silva's best qualities. “I'm married to a beautiful woman who is smart, sensitive, committed to helping people, who's fun, patient, who knows how to forgive, who's a great cook – and who makes the best salads in the world!”
If you read between the lines, you can see this relationship is real – it has its ups and downs. Silva has called Gere considerate and loving, but Gere says Silva is forgiving. Neither of these people is perfect, but they choose to highlight the other's best qualities.
Her Greatest Qualities
Gere continued listing some of his favorite attributes of Silva's. He added that she was a vegetarian, a great mother, and she meditates. She, according to Gere, has the touch of an angel, and she's Spanish.
He says this is an excellent trait because she's from the land of kings and queens, and also famous artists such as Cervantes and Buñuel. All good things, Richard, all good things. We guess the Spanish thing is just enjoying what you have, but there's nothing wrong with it.
He Writes Her Songs
Of course, Gere's new wife wasn't about to stop lavishing praise on the man. She's said that Richard makes her feel like the luckiest woman in the world and that she does sometimes feel like she's living in a true fairytale.
She's gone on and on about how wonderful their romance and new life together is, adding that, of course, she feels happy with Richard – the man writes a new song for her every day! Where does he find the time?
Looking Forward to the Future
However, there are plenty of other people who have added their comments about the couple. The romance is clear to anyone who knows them. Guests who were at their wedding reported to "People" magazine that the couple was “extraordinarily happy.”
The source went on to say that the two looked extremely comfortable together, that the two have fun together, and that they're looking forward to their future together.
The Next Generation of Geres
The couple didn't take too long on the next generation. Their next blessing came in the form of their son, Alexander, as mentioned above in February 2019, and the new addition was joyous news for Silva and Gere.
However, even after this addition to their family, the couple shocked the tabloids with a significant revelation about their relationship and family in the fall of 2019. Yes, it's true: the family is expecting baby number two.
Keeping Quiet
It was the Spanish magazine "Hola!" to first break the news. Silva was already expecting a second child with Gere, and though the couple had kept quiet about the new life inside Silva – similar to their first child, which they only announced after the Dalai Lama blessed it – but they finally let the information go and said the child was due the following spring of 2020, according to the magazine.
The child came, and the happy couple is now happy parents to a pair of children, but there's more to the story.
A Secret Piece of the Puzzle
In April 2020, Gere and Silva revealed their child to the world, a second boy, and again healthy. The parents settled down to raise their children and bond with the newcomer at Pound Ridge – yet Gere and Silva had a secret they hadn't yet revealed to the world.
There was, in fact, a piece of information about the child that the couple kept to themselves.
Gender Reveal
When the couple made the announcement, they only revealed the child's gender. No one knew what they had named the son, and, though they had announced the birth in April, no one was sure when the child was born.
It seems like Gere has bucked the trend of Hollywood stars being a little TOO forthcoming with details – most likely because Silva is a much more private person and raised to keep things more to herself.
Their Children's' Siblings
Alexander wasn't the first time either of these two has found themselves caring for a young one. Both of them have children from previous marriages – Gere has an adult son Homer, from his last marriage with Carey Lowell.
Silva has a son named Albert, which she gave birth to during her previous marriage. Four boys out of four might not be unheard of, but it's pretty unlikely. Maybe they have a technique.
Homer James Jigme Gere
At only twenty years old, Homer James Jigme Gere is already displaying his father's charm and good looks. With a Hollywood father and an actress and model mother, there was no doubt that Homer would find his way into the spotlight, but he's fared relatively well through it all.
Even when his parents decided to part ways in 2013, Homer handled the situation well and supports his parents' decision to separate. It's never easy for a child – even one nearing adulthood – to take his parents' divorce so well.
Their Public Appearances
Homer has made several public appearances alongside his father, and as we'll learn later, Richard still thinks the world of his first child. Homer and Richard both showed up at the largest children's film festival in Europe, the “Giffoni Film Festival,' in Italy.
Gere was honored with a special award, and even though Homer was wearing a casual outfit, he happily walked the red carpet with his father. In 2017 Homer and Richard went vacationing with Silva, who got along well with her future stepson.
Staying Out of the Limelight
Silva's first son, Albert, was born in 2012 while Silva was married to Govind Friendland, though like Gere and his second wife before too long, they were in divorce proceedings. Albert – as well as his father – stay out of the limelight for the most part.
Since Govind is a mining expert, geological engineer, and founder and chairman of the company GoiEx Uranium, and a director and co-founder of Ivanhoe Industries, which is the parent company for several solution-based companies dealing with water exploration, mining, oil, gas, and manufacturing.]
She Loves Her Kids
We've learned that Silva and Gere had long hoped for a child of their own before they were even married. Silva mentioned the idea to "Hola!" all the way back in 2015, before she reconnected with Gere, saying she was hoping to have a second child one day.
It's no surprise that she now has three. At the same time, Gere is equally happy to have welcomed his third child as well. What we have here is a couple of proud parents.
A Male Role Model
While many men would be hesitant or concerned about having a child at such an advanced age, the seventy-year-old Gere isn't worried.
When the U.K. Newspaper "The Sunday Times" asked him if he had any worries – about being there to teach his son about growing into a man, giving him a positive male role model, or just doing the simple things like playing catch – he had a brief answer: “Not at all. No.”
Senior Dad
Gere certainly isn't the first senior to bring new life into the world. He isn't even the first Hollywood A-lister to become a new father at such an advanced age.
Charlie Chaplin may be the oldest of the bunch, having sired son Christopher at the age of seventy-three. Robert de Niro is also on the list and was older than most at sixty-nine when his daughter Helen came into the world. Gere stands in good company.
Dedicated to His Children
Gere is dedicated to all of his children, and that isn't forgetting his oldest son Homer, or his first son with Silva, Alexander. Gere spoke about his son Homer around the time he welcomed Alexander into the world with the website Bang Showbiz NZ, saying, “He's very sweet, very sensitive, very smart. He's smarter than me, stronger than me, faster than me, taller than me, better than me. He's great. I love him.”
Gere seems like such a happy guy. But, Richard, Homer is in the prime of his life, and you're in your seventies. Of course, he's faster and stronger than you.
Proud Parents
Silva has brought plenty of new additions to Gere's life. The two sons are just the beginning, and the Hollywood star feels the love every day!
Bang Showbiz NZ asked if it was love at first sight between Gere and Silva, and he confirmed it. “Instant from my side. I instantly became happy, just looking at her. It was one of those powerful things.” What can we do but wish this happy couple and young parents the best?
Lessons Learned
The big surprise might be another child, but there's no reason to disregard this little bit of celebrity news. There are a few life lessons we can take from the romantic story of Richard and Alejandra.
It's always possible to find love, even if you feel your years creeping up on you. Even if your previous romantic life hasn't been a treat, the perfect someone might be out there looking for someone just like you.
A Love Like Theirs
While neither Silva nor Gere had a life that hit the skids, it's always possible to end up enjoying your experience even more. This unlikely couple had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to come together and produce plenty of love, and both of them are much happier for it.
May we all find our Silva, or our Gere, out there somewhere. As this happy couple shows us, it's certainly possible for anyone to do it.