THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 8, 1995 TAG: 9507080087
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 181 lines
IT HASN'T BEEN a good year for Richard Gere. His split from supermodel Cindy Crawford is among the more publicized in recent years, and he admits that he is ``still hurting.''
On screen, he hasn't had a big commercial hit since 1990's ``Pretty Woman'' with Julia Roberts turned out to be the top-grossing romantic comedy in movie history. His Civil War romance, ``Sommersby,'' (co-starring Jodie Foster and filmed in Virginia) was a critical success but, otherwise, there has been a steady stream of duds, including ``Mr. Jones'' and ``Final Analysis.''
In his personal life, his frequent trips to India to visit, and meditate, with the Dalai Lama reportedly clashed with his wife's more urbane interests. (One of her friends commented, ``Cindy is not into eating yak butter.'')
Things reached the fiasco stage when the couple took out a full-page ad in the London Times to declare that they were heterosexual, in love and monogamous. The ad also stated that they were looking forward to having a family, did not have any kind of prenuptial agreement and wished the press would respect their right to privacy. The couple's breakup came only a few months later.
It wouldn't have been surprising if he didn't show up for the interview.
There are many questions, though, that need to be answered about his new movie ``First Knight,'' a $60-million retelling of the Arthurian legend of Camelot. Gere plays Sir Lancelot opposite Sean Connery's King Arthur with new star Julia Ormond (``Legends of the Fall'') as Queen Guinevere. This time, Lancelot is neither French nor aristocratic. As played by Gere, he is a dashing rogue - a loner and an outsider. He comes to Camelot for the express purpose of wooing Guinevere and only eventually realizes the moral values of the Round Table.
William Baldwin was originally considered for the role of Lancelot but, according to director Jerry Zucker, ``the huge financing for the picture was not available at that time. Since the part of Lancelot was originally written for a 22-year-old, I was a little concerned about Richard's age. He's 45 and he kept saying, `This is going to be my last hurrah as an action hero.' But Richard Gere is a great romantic leading man. Audiences have to believe that this woman would conceivably leave Sean Connery for him. Richard is fine for the part.''
Gere is a native of Syracuse, N.Y. from what he calls a ``very normal, middle class family.'' He dropped out of the University of Massachusetts to join a theater company in New England. In the '70s, he got to Broadway by way of a role in the musical ``Grease.'' His greatest disappointment was losing a role in ``The Lords of Flatbush,'' the 1974 movie that brought Sylvester Stallone and Henry Winkler to fame.
Gere's cocky attitude and his good looks quickly helped him get roles in ``Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' and ``Days of Heaven.'' ``American Gigolo'' made him a star in 1980. ``An Officer and a Gentleman,'' in 1982, cemented his position.
Gere, smiling broadly and with a touch of mischief, does show up for the interview.
You have claimed this will be your last chance to play a big action hero. Do you mean this?
No, what I said was that this was going to be the last time I'm going to be in great shape. But actually, I have stayed in pretty good shape. What was great about this movie is that it tries to function on the same level as Shakespeare, taking place on a grand canvas dealing with both human foibles and deep emotions but also using low comedy and goofball stuff and adventure stuff - and, hopefully, big ideas. No one wanted the battle stuff to be just gore. It is more meaningful when you put it in the context of spiritual societal transcendence. You don't get that in scripts often.
Bob Anderson, who has trained movie actors in sword fighting back to Errol Flynn, said that you are one of the best he's trained. Was this difficult?
Bob is an amazing creature. He's about 70 years old and moves like a 40-year-old. He's this very tall, striking man with flowing hair like a lion. He was very patient with me. The broadsword is a very heavy, hacking weapon and I, at first, used it like an ax. But if you work at it long enough, it begins to flow, like an extension of your body. It becomes fluid. We were missing each other by only a half an inch, so there had to be great trust.
Did you develop any new swashbuckling techniques?
I looked at all the old films, and I was concerned that we not just repeat them. Sword duels can be cliches. So, yeah, we invented new things. One thing is this little hook on the end of my sword that I could use to flip the swords. It took me weeks and weeks to get that, but, in the end, I could do it anytime, anyplace.
Is it true that you were injured during the filming?
In one day I was in three different hospital for three different injuries. I got knots all over my hands. I got a chipped tooth. The worse mishap was when my horse got scared by the lights and bolted his head back and hit me. It was like being hit in the head with a hammer. There was blood all over the place, but it was a clean cut. Five days later, they took the stitches out and it was fine.
Have you had experience riding before this?
Yeah, but these horses were too good for me. I have my own horse but these are like the Ferraris and Maseratis of the breed. The slightest miscue and they'll do another trick. I had to prepare a great deal to handle them.
Julia Roberts became a star in one of your films and it looks as if it will happen again with Julia Ormand? What is it about her?
Looks like I only work with Julias. (He laughs). For this part, we needed a trained actress who can also do everything. It's a very poetic script. This Guinevere is very physical - has to ride horses and all that. Julia could do it all, and, besides, she looks like a princess. She has all the right stuff.
Will you make a sequel to ``Pretty Woman?''
Julia Roberts and Garry Marshall (the film's director) and I met a month ago and went over a script. It had possibilities, but it wasn't ready. Personally, I don't think the sequel will ever happen. It's hard to recreate something like that.
It hasn't been a good year for you and your marriage.
Thank you for bringing that up.
Have you learned anything from the experience?
I'm still getting over it. It's still fresh. Making ``First Knight'' was a good thing to happen. I was making the film just at the time that the breakup occurred. It gave me an outlet.
Is there anyone new on the horizon?
Oh, I'm going to tell you that? Do you really think? Puuuleeze!
So do you think you were a victim of press coverage?
I just told you, man. It's like anyone who goes through something like that. It takes a long time. The magazines, more than the newspapers, distort things. After I met Julia Roberts for that script conference, one of them said we were getting married. We met for one business meeting.
So what is your next film?
I'm working right now on a very good piece called ``Primal Fear.'' It's a suspense thing. Today is my day off from filming.'' After that, I may do ``The Hundredth Monkey.'' I've been trying to get it filmed for years. I play a man who thinks he's a whale.
You've only done one comedy. (``Pretty Woman'') Why do you think this is?
I guess no one thinks I'm funny.
What is your favorite film of all time?
I used to always say Vittorio De Sica's ``The Bicycle Thief.'' Lately, I say Federico Fellini's ``Amarcord.'' I could see that over and over. I love that image of the peacock in the snow.
There have been reports that you are giving up the film career and going to Tibet to become a monk. Is there anything to this?
I already am a monk, but I'm not celibate. That's not my way. I just believe in the monk's way of searching the mind. I go to Dharamusala in northern India several times a year. That's where the Tibetan Buddhist exile community is. You can't go into Tibet anymore. Actually, I first got interested in ``First Knight'' because I thought of Camelot as being like Lhasa, the former capital of Tibet that was overrun by the Chinese.
What is it that you said on the Academy Awards show that so upset the producers?
I've been adamant about the destruction that the Chinese have brought upon the Tibetan people and their whole culture. They've killed a million and a half Tibetans, destroyed the monasteries, sold the artifacts and trashed the country. The rest of the world allowed it because the Chinese have some kind of economic blackmail going on. We look the other way, and most Americans don't even know about it. The Academy Awards people got mad because I spoke out on this.
How is it that Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, even though they spoke on political issues, got invited back to the Oscars and you didn't?
I guess I'm just too dangerous. MEMO: GERE FILMS
``Report to the Commissioner'' (1974)
``Strike Force'' (1975)
``Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977)
``Days of Heaven'' (1978)
``Bloodbrothers'' (1978)
``American Gigolo'' (1979)
``Yanks'' (1979)
``Beyond the Limit'' (1983)
``Breathless'' (1983)
``King David'' (1985)
``No Mercy'' (1986)
``Power'' (1986)
``Internal Affairs'' (1990)
``An Officer and a Gentleman'' (1982)
``The Cotton Club'' (1984)
``Miles from Home'' (1988)
``Pretty Woman'' (1990)
``Rhapsody in August'' (1991) (cameo appearance)
``Final Analysis'' (1992) (also executive producer)
``Sommersby'' (1993) (also executive producer)
``Intersection'' (1993)
``And the Band Played On'' (1993)
``Mr. Jones'' (1993) (also executive producer)
``First Knight'' (1995)
ILLUSTRATION: Color photos from Columbia/Tristar
KEYWORDS: INTERVIEW by CNB