NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2000 — New daddy Richard Gere seemed more than prepared for his latest role in Robert Altman‘s “Dr. T and the Women.” Midway through the shooting, Gere left the set for three weeks because his girlfriend, Carey Lowell, gave birth to his first child.
Richard Gere plays a successful gynecologist whose patients consist largely of Dallas’ upper crust.
“I was supposed to be in the delivery room, but it was a C-section; and that was tense,” says Gere. “I had my son, Homer … Homer is my father’s name, which pleases him a little,” he beams.
The role of a popular Dallas gynecologist who adores women but can’t prevent his own life from falling apart seemed tailor-made for Gere, who has been a heartthrob since the earliest days of his career. It was a chance not only to work with Farrah Fawcett and Helen Hunt, both of whom play his love interests, but also an opportunity to work with Robert Altman, a craftsman in the business.
“He’s been making first-rate films for 40 years,” says Gere. “He understands creativity and has a sense of play. It takes a very good magician to throw some ‘fairy dust.’ And Bob throws a lot of ‘fairy dust,’ but he doesn’t throw it in your face. Also, he has a very acute bulls— barometer.”
Altman isn’t the only one. Speaking to one of the “sexiest men alive” (according to “People” magazine), you realize that Gere has worked hard to find peace and balance in his life. Buddhism has helped the actor weather the hits and misses of his career, his divorce to model Cindy Crawford and the longevity of his popularity. Now he focuses on his family.
“My mother was especially happy for me because years ago, she said [parenthood is] an experience that I want you to have in this life,” said Gere, who has no immediate projects lined up. “During the first seven months, I’ve been with him every day. That’s a great luxury. My father didn’t have that because he was working two jobs.”
He and Lowell may even consider having more kids because “we’re having such a great time with our little boy.” And when is the wedding?
“We will [get married] sometime but right now, we are so tired,” he laughed. “We can’t think of it right now.”
— Veronica Mixon
