Some attractions are hard to explain. So much is purely subjective. I hear puzzled men say, "What is it about Richard Gere that women find so attractive anyway?" Whatever attraction he holds is by no means universal for women, either. A close female friend of mine cringes at the mention of his name. "He looks like a rat!" she shudders. "Long snout and beady eyes!" Another woman responds, "Oooh, I could eat him with a spoon!"

Among male film critics he is much maligned. Cruising movie review websites and chat strands, I found people out there (mostly men) who seem vehemently offended by Mr. Gere. I was amused to find that these people seem to go out of their way to come up with extreme language in which to couch their disdain for the man. Some examples: noxious, patented swagger; runs the gamut from smug to smarmy; preening; callow; oleaginous. And get this: unshakable histrionic fraudulence! I admit I had to go look up oleaginous and smarmy - these guys must be wearing out their thesauruses! The extent to which they'll go to smear the man indicates the visceral nature of their reaction to him.

Some of the more venomous reviews left me wondering momentarily if I were somehow insane or blind to feel the way I do about Richard Gere. But I'm happy to report that I was also uncovering at an equal rate some more humane and downright flattering reviews, that reflected my own feelings more closely. What a relief! It's difficult to remain in the presence of fear and loathing for very long.

Beauty - of any kind - is in the eye of the beholder, and I know there are plenty of people out there (especially women) whose very souls are stirred when they watch Richard Gere. Being one of that group, I thought I'd put pen to paper (well, fingers to keyboard) to try explaining what might be in the minds and hearts of the women who find this man such a pleasure to behold.

Just so we don't go meandering aimlessly through the clouds here, let's focus on these areas:

• his acting;

• his physical being;

• the more intangible assets we women think we see in him, as well as those indefinable feelings we have;
  
  

• some down-to-earth facts about his behavior in the world.

The Actor

Recently an acquaintance of mine put it succinctly: "Let's face it - the guy CAN act."

Looseness

One can see in almost any of Richard's performances some combination of the mannerisms we've become familiar with - a certain walk; a playful, surprised stagger; a set of the jaw; a furrow between the brows; a blink; a tiny sidewise movement of the head; the inevitable smile behind the eyes; the endearing innocence of the raised eyebrows . . . Even though I've seen all these behavioral traits in him time and again, still I find that in any particular role, his physical movements seem spontaneous and fluid, and natural within that role. There's nothing mechanical-looking going on. The body language and facial expressions seem appropriate. This
is a knack not all actors have. I think it's an important but much overlooked aspect of good acting.

Gere has said he approaches roles by thinking and dreaming about them a lot, and then going in very loose. A very interesting statement. The technique appeals to me; I think I would do it the same way. When I create anything - whether it be in the visual arts or the written word - I do approach it initially much this way. It sounds to me like a very artistic approach, a right-brain approach.

Nuance

Speaking of movement, I think Richard is very good at little physical nuances that lend credibility to a role - for instance, almost imperceptible muscle movements of the face, and tiny changes in what radiates from the eyes. He uses his face well. I've seldom seen someone who could so completely transform his face with such minimal muscle movement! With Richard, even a tiny tilt of the head expresses so much. Some of his films showcase these tiny nuances - a feast for the eyes and emotions! I love it when a director and cameraman are aware they have an actor with this kind of ability, and actually use it to enhance the film. First Knight is a good example of this - lots of beautiful closeups revealing a great knack for subtle facial expression. This kind of acting is anything but heavy-handed.

Ah, the love scenes!

What I'm about to say will come as no surprise to women who've been watching this man with pleasure over the years. Whether it's love or just plain sex, Richard Gere knows how to do these scenes. He knows how to be with a woman. He's got instincts, this man. He does it the way it should be done. Hollywood has long known that Gere and love scenes go well together.

If I were to begin to analyze what it is that makes him so good . . . well, it might get a little steamy in here (and out there where you are)! Just go check out First Knight, Sommersby, Pretty Woman, American Gigolo, Breathless, Yanks, or Looking for Mr. Goodbar, for some nice examples of intimate scenes. You'll see what I mean.

One thing I will say, though - the man definitely knows how to kiss! There are kisses, and there are kisses. Lots of actors make a big show of kissing, and wind up looking like they're engaging in a mutual torture session. Women can always recognize a truly good kiss on the screen, and it doesn't have to be showy. Those little nuances come into play again. Gere makes it look right, and you can bet women in the audience are picking up on all those small movements and expressions, the ones that convey caring, tenderness, connection, passion.

He also knows how to be passionate without being unbelievable. Take for instance that kiss toward the end of First Knight. My friend calls it "that hungry kiss." Well put. Wildly passionate, yet very believable, especially given the story. All the emotion Lancelot had wanted to share with Guinevere up until that moment, as well as all the emotion he knew he'd never share with her again - all the frustration and desperation - was poured into that one hungry kiss.

Many of Richard's love scenes appear very earnest. When paired with a suitable partner, sparks can fly, and Gere positively exudes an erotic force. The scenes don't have to be lengthy or explicit to convey intensity. I give much credit to actresses who can do love scenes with him, use and build on what he brings to the scene, and still retain enough composure to keep their mind on acting!

I wish I could string all of Richard Gere's love scenes onto one tape. What a treasure that would be.

Arrogance

Let's tackle the ever-popular criticism that Gere exudes arrogance on screen, regardless of the role. He has definitely been successful at portraying arrogance when called for, I think due in part to his strong self-confidence. A member of a musical family, he received training in music from early in life (he plays four or five instruments, and sings well). I personally believe when a child is steeped in musical training, and takes to it, that child will feel and exhibit an almost unshakable self-confidence throughout life. Remember also that Richard was trained as an athlete - he was a gymnast in high school, and won a gymnastics scholarship. I believe athletic training has a similar impact on kids. Now, blend music and athletics with the fact that he's probably always been considered a really good looking person. I can understand how he'd grow up feeling very confident indeed, even full of himself! I think he probably was cocky when he entered the Hollywood scene. Perhaps he's so good at portraying arrogance because he has been arrogant.

Whether he's exhibited it in every role, however, is another question. In one review a critic accused him of "forever strutting and preening." He was certainly strutting and preening in American Gigolo. The part called for it, and it probably looked authentic because it came quite naturally to him. But, I honestly can't say I see arrogance in every part I've seen him do.

In fact, in most of the parts he's played he's given us not one-dimensional characters, but patterns and textures within characters. If people would just get off this fixation on arrogance, they'd see it. Even in Primal Fear, where the character was purported to be so driven by arrogance, what I saw on that screen was complex - a somewhat arrogant, extremely smart, crafty, capable and ambitious lawyer who was perhaps jaded, but certainly practical about operating within the realities of life (doesn't equate with simple "strutting and preening"). I see the transformation that took place in that character as more on the subtle side too, not stark and glaring, and I think that was correct, else it wouldn't have been believable. In fact, Gere made the character sympathetic, not detestable, and I think that was correct too.

He says proudly that most of the characters he's portrayed have undergone some internal transformation, some catharsis, and he takes some pride in that. When I survey his films, I see he's right about that, and I like that he values it. I think he's done a good job of portraying those transformations.

I believe he deserves credit for being able to make even arrogant characters sympathetic. In First Knight Lancelot is indeed arrogant at the beginning of the film. He says, "I know when a woman wants me; I can see it in her eyes." Now, that kind of dialogue has a lot of potential to sound not only obnoxious, but stiff and stupid. But he actually made it relaxed and believable, if not charming!

And I am still amazed that he managed to play the nasty cop in Internal Affairs in a way that elicited some sympathy, in spite of the fact that the character was a womanizer, a cold-blooded murderer, and just about the most corrupt person I can imagine! He made a great bad guy, because he wasn't just bad (that would have been easier to portray) - he was complex, human. While he was running his crime machine he was still caring for people around him. He still loved his children. Check out the scene where his small daughter is giving a pretend tea party in the midst of a very intense conversation he's having with his police partner, played by Billy Baldwin. It's a gorgeous scene. What a perfect demonstration of the two opposite sides of the man's character at once. It's the coexistence of the two conflicting aspects that makes a character like that so disturbing. And it's the inevitable progression toward self-entrapment and self-destruction that happens because of the conflict between his two sides that makes the film build in intensity. All that would not have been possible with a one-dimensional performance.

I'm going to go so far as to say that, in some cases, what critics see as arrogance is a gross misinterpretation. I know I'm disagreeing with just about everybody when I say I think Breathless was a neat little film. Almost camp. I absolutely adored his performance. And I did not see Jesse as arrogant. That's just too pat, too simple! What I saw instead was spontaneity, exuberance, electricity, restlessness, ingenuity, eccentricity, conceit, vulnerability, irresponsibility, sweetness, sensuality, immaturity, love of life, and an occasional underlying awareness that he was full of shit. In fact, I'd also use almost the same set of words to describe his character in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, subtracting the awareness and adding some arrogance and some darker qualities to the list. The point, though, is that these portrayals are filled with texture. At first glance, the characters may not appear to be deep, but they are.

I believe Richard Gere's Hollywood aura was cast in the public's collective eye when he was cast first in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) and then 3 years later in American Gigolo. It wasn't until 1990, in Internal Affairs, that he again played a character dominated by that same flaw. In those intervening years, there were eight other films, eight different roles. But public perception seems to have stayed focused on those two previous performances. They were, after all, pretty groundbreaking performances.

He had played those two characters on the big screen very well, and we all know what a powerful impression a good performance on that giant screen can make. In addition, he'd also been marketed that way - he continues to be marketed that way! Once cemented in people's minds, that aura has carried forward to this day, in spite of all the other work he's done (Days of Heaven; Miles From Home; Sommersby; Mr. Jones; Blood Brothers; Yanks; Power; Cotton Club; An Officer and A Gentleman; And the Band Played On).

I see depth, hard work and integrity in his performances.

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The Physical Mr. Gere

This part is pure fun! Hard to avoid being gushy about all this, but if you're a woman, and a Gere fan, it won't be unpleasant, I promise! If this stuff makes you squirm, you might want to move down to the next section. I'm going to talk about each feature. Each little thang that goes to make up the whole, the overall impression, which in turn evokes our response.

The Face

This man has a fine-looking face! It's hard to describe what is so touching about that face. The total is far greater than just the sum of the individual features.

The overall shape of his face is very pleasing, indeed. Square forehead, prominent cheekbones, angular jaw - balanced, strong, masculine, yes. There've been studies done that indicate women are generally attracted to men with strong-looking jaws. He's got one. But don't we admirers also see a softness in that line? Follow the line of the cheekbone down into the jaw - graceful, a work of art.

Even though he's approaching 50, there are still (and I think will continue to be) moments when Richard's whole face can look positively boyish - smooth and full and boyish. Even when his chronological age is apparent, he's still often glowing of face and twinkling of eye.

Just for fun (and pleasure), pop First Knight into the VCR and fast forward to the scene I mentioned earlier, after Lancelot rescues Guinevere in the forest, and they're walking along, with him leading his horse (about 1700 on the counter from the beginning of the movie). He asks about the reward, she tells him he'll get it as soon as they find her escort; he replies he doesn't want money, he wants her. She says (a great line, by the way) "I'm not to be had for the wanting, sir." Okay, get ready now. He says "Why not? I want you, you want me . . . I can tell when a woman wants me. I can see it in her eyes." She replies, "Not in my eyes." Watch closely for the following 10 seconds as Lancelot LOOKS into her. Look at his face, his eyes. Well? Need I say more? And that face was 45 years old when that was shot - amazing. (By the way, keep watching, because immediately thereafter, we are treated to an attempted kiss that will probably make you squirm with delight!) If you're searching for yet another glimpse of that smooth, glowing face, try 1560 on the counter ("So, who's to know? . . . I hold her for you, you hold her for me.")

The Nose

No one will ever convince me that that nose is "too big." Forget the size (he ain't Jimmy Durante) - what about the shape? From any angle, it looks to me like something one would want to capture in marble. (It's a little non-symmetrical, but that's okay. Features that are too perfect are just not that appealing. Fabio?-Yuck.) I find Richard Gere's nose to be one of his most attractive and sensuous features.

The Mouth

We come to the mouth - almost nondescript. Lovely lower lip, and very nice on the whole. I think the way he uses his mouth is what makes it attractive. Great smile. Let me add, though, that his one crooked little tooth on the top in the front is enough to melt my heart. I'm at a loss for explaining that one!

The Eyes

It's interesting that Richard Gere's eyes, taken alone and separate from any other feature of his face, and subtracting whatever emotion might come from them at any given moment, really are not that striking. Everybody says they're small, and they do indeed appear so. We sometimes associate lovely eyes with large lids, which he certainly doesn't have. Yet those eyes have a magnetism. I'm at a loss to explain this one, too, except to say that something shines from those deep brown eyes, depending on the emotion inside, and sometimes there's a wonderful, excruciatingly tender and often serene smile in those eyes. One of my friends says he has mischievous eyes. Maybe that, too. Can serenity and mischief combine? I think they can.

The Eyebrows

Let's talk about those eyebrows. If there's anything about Richard that I would term "cute," it's this. Those eyebrows can be very disarming and boyish. There's a charm to them. And I think they complete the impact of the eyes.

The Hair

Well, we can't ignore that legendary hair, can we? I have long been an admirer of Richard Gere's hair. What's not to love? Just the right amount of wave and body. I wish I had that hair! Short or long, it always complements his face very well. And since it's turned silvery, it looks even better!

The Neck

This is embarrassing. Am I the only one out here who feels incredibly drawn to that neck? Gorgeous neck. Well-! On to the rest.

The Rest. . .

Let's get this out of the way first: get your hands on Looking For Mr. Goodbar, set your VCR counter to 0000, fast forward to about 3520, and watch until about 3760. If you're still able to breathe, fast forward to about 4130 and watch till about 4350. Draw your own conclusions. That's all I have to say about that!

Now, witness how well the man wears clothes. This guy looks good in almost anything. His film wardrobe has run the gamut from Armani suits through farm work clothes to those ridiculous plaid pants in Breathless. I venture to say he even looked good in them! And he fills out a t-shirt better than any man I've ever seen. I'm sure his early gymnastic training helped him develop his very adequately pleasing body. He's a bit on the shorter, stocky side, but he's fortunate enough to be well-proportioned. When he's leaner, he looks quite virile indeed. When he's heavier, he's still very pleasant to look at, and his face, carriage and mannerisms begin to bear more of the substance of his attraction.

Ripening

There's quite a difference between the Gere of Days of Heaven and American Gigolo and that of First Knight and Primal Fear. Without doubt, he was very beautiful when he was younger, and believe me, I have a healthy appreciation for it! But I also appreciate the character that's found its way into the man's face over the years. I like the way he's aging. Just like the proverbial wine . . .

In addition, the guy still seems as agile as he ever was. First Knight provides lots of nice examples. He jumps up on that (rather large) horse from a standing position, without the aid of a stirrup! (one instance about 1890 on the counter) He seems very light on his feet. He looks great running the gauntlet, and swordfighting. Absolutely great - very quick, strong and precise (and with the greatest facial expressions! - check out the very first rescue scene, around 1470 - one of my favorites).

Physical characteristics can go only so far in expressing a person's identity, though. It's when those physical attributes are enlivened by an inner light that the whole impression becomes very powerful indeed.

Intangible Assets and the Ethereal Gere

To try to pin down what makes Richard Gere attractive is to delve into the ethereal - into a realm where things elude definition and explanation. That's why I titled this section as I did. But after I'd named it, I realized that Mr. Gere himself carries a certain ethereal quality.

My dictionary defines ethereal as "highly refined - delicate - airy." How is it that I feel this describes Richard Gere, at the same time that "urgently male" and "intensely sexy" also describe him?

What Is Sexy?

There's more to sexiness than can be attributed merely to one's sex. Richard Gere tends to exhibit an inherent, obvious sexuality and sensuality. What is it, exactly?

Our culture's been abuzz of late with the idea that in order to be truly acceptable to a woman, a man must be sensitive. A lot of women would describe sexiness as a combination of deep tenderness and intense strength. But many men are confused about how to accomplish this. They don't know what to do with their masculinity in the face of it; and they haven't the slightest idea how to mesh masculinity with sensitivity.

Well, Gere seems to have achieved it, practically seamlessly, and apparently without effort. He gives the impression that he's been tuned-in to women since the day he was born. Thereís a real delicacy in the way he executes parts of some scenes with women. Maybe this natural fusion of masculinity and sensitivity explains the extreme disdain (jealousy?) with which he is regarded by so many men. But it also explains why so many women find him so overwhelmingly attractive.
I've heard men speculate that women are attracted to Richard Gere because he's "dangerously sexy." This is another carryover from Goodbar and Gigolo. It's also a male interpretation. And it's not accurate. When I take into account all of Richard's performances, and the overall intangible impressions I've gleaned from them, I cannot apply the word "dangerous" to his appeal.

He's only dangerous if you fear a man who is so at ease with himself that he might actually put you at ease; if you fear a man who is exuberant about living and might actually make you feel wonderful to be alive; if you fear a man who is so in touch with his own sexuality that he might put you in touch with yours (and would probably care a lot about helping you get there!); if you fear a man who is very tender and intensely male at the same time. Women don't fear any of these things, they long for them!

And all these things just seem to flow out of Richard Gere on screen. I believe that his ability to portray them on screen is a result of having the characteristics already within himself - but that's beside the point. The performances are convincing to women. I see actors attempting to achieve it all the time, with varying degrees of success. Richard Gere just does it. He IS it.

As if this sexuality weren't enough of an attraction, wait - there's more! We have only to add his musical abilities (I believe music connects more directly with the heart and soul than any other discipline); his athletic abilities (so attuned to his body and the way it moves through the world); his artistic abilities (photography, etc.); his philanthropic work on behalf of AIDS victims, human rights and vanishing traditional cultures; and his spiritual awakening, and - don't look now, but we've got an incredibly powerful mix here. Not threatening or dangerous, but powerful and exciting.

The Politics of Experience

Like many of the characters he's played, I believe Richard Gere has undergone his own catharsis, his own transformation. One effect I think I see is that his discovery of Buddhism has given him humility, and has calmed some of his restless spirit - real enhancements for one so abundantly blessed with other qualities.

With his finding Buddhism came his discovery of the turmoil and pain being experienced by the world's tribal peoples whose cultures are on the brink of disappearing. Check out his work with Survival International. Asked what we can do to address these problems, he replies, "the first thing is to feel." He also suggests we begin demanding that government act on behalf of our hearts. He recently donated a $50,000 appearance fee to Survival.

He has toured Central America in the wake of some of the bloodiest repression the world has known, working with a group that was helping children deal with the trauma they'd witnessed. Just this past December he received a Harvard award for AIDS activism. He has established the Richard Gere Foundation, which recently awarded a grant to the SABRE organization to buy and donate 17,000 books to schools for Tibetan refugees.

About Tibet, he says "It's hard for tourists to see the pain and suffering and fear . . . [that accompany] the systematic destruction of a people." In an additional effort to lend support to the Tibetan people, Richard Gere Productions has joined with the Drepung Loseling Monastery to sponsor a worldwide exhibition of sacred music, dance and art, "The Mystical Arts of Tibet," the stated purpose of which is to promote world healing and an awareness of ancient culture.

He says we have a "responsibility to hold the hands of our less well-off brothers and sisters."

Clearly, his heart's in the right place.

An acquaintance of mine recently shared with me a belief expressed by Neitzche: that our behavior is a better indication of who we are than our motivation is. So, while we can't ever presume to know Mr. Gere's motivations and whatís going on inside him, we can know him by his outward behavior. His heartfelt philanthropic work for his chosen causes shows us a thoughtful, sincere man of compassion.

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Closing Thoughts

I can't feel an attraction to a performer without feeling something from them as a person, aside from their talent and what they've produced as an artist. We in the public don't ever really know any celebrity. Still, occasionally one can sense things about people.

To a great extent, how we're going to feel about or respond to any film or actor is determined before we set foot in the theatre. We're going to like what we already lean toward, be moved by what we already feel. But occasionally we'll be surprised with something that touches us particularly deeply.

All I can say is, this actor moves me - he touches something in me. He speaks to me.

If something about someone calls out to you, pay attention to that. Honor it, cherish it. It's a connection between two souls. It says something about the beauty not only of that person, but of yourself.

Some attractions are hard to explain. So much is purely subjective. But that's as it should be. If you feel compelled to care about this man, you'll find that you love caring about him. It's exquisitely easy.

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"copyright March 1997 by Myrrh Sagrada"

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