RICHARD GERE plays Lancelot, the solitary wanderer who became a knight.
Gere began acting at the University of Massachusetts, where he was a philosophy major. After spending full seasons with the Provincetown Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theater, he performed in a number of New York plays, notably the title role in "Richard Farina: Long Time Coming and Long Time Gone," in addition to two plays by Sam Shepard, "Back Bog Beast Bait" and "Killer's Head."
His career was established with performances in the Broadway rock opera "Soon" and the New York production of the British farce "Habeus Corpus," and he won widespread recognition playing Danny Zuko in the Broadway and London productions of the hit musical "Grease."
An accomplished classical actor, Gere's many credits include the Lincoln Center presentation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and London's Young Vic Theatre production of "The Taming of the Shrew."
Gere's motion picture debut came in 1978 with the Oscar-honored "Days of Heaven," for which he received the Italian equivalent of the Academy Award. His subsequent films include "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" with Diane Keaton, "Bloodbrothers," John Schlesinger's "Yanks" and "American Gigolo."
Gere returned to the Broadway stage in "Bent," winning the Theatre World Academy Award and rave reviews for his role as a homosexual prisoner at the Dachau concentration camp who loses his life rather than deny his identity.
His next film was the 1982 blockbuster "An Officer and a Gentleman," followed by "Breathless," "Beyond the Limit," "The Cotton Club," "Power," "No Mercy," "Miles From Home" and "Internal Affairs." In 1990, he starred opposite Julia Roberts in the year's top-grossing picture, "Pretty Woman."
Gere, who made a guest appearance in legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's "Rhapsody" in August, has also been executive producer on his most recent pictures, "Final Analysis," "Mr. Jones" and "Sommersby."
