Richard Gere Opens Up About His Upbringing in a ‘Methodist House’—and How His Father’s Faith Led to His Own Discovery of Buddhism

Hollywood star Richard Gere has shed some light on his decades-long commitment to the Buddhist faith, revealing how growing up in a Methodist household led him to discover his own religious path as a young actor living in New York.

Gere, 76, who relocated to Spain from his home in the U.S. at the end of 2024, opened up about his personal faith in an interview with GQ, while discussing a new movie that he has made about the Dalai Lama, "Wisdom of Happiness."

When asked how he was drawn to Buddhism more than five decades ago, Gere explained that his first introduction to faith and religion began when he was a young boy growing up in Syracuse, NY.

His father, Homer, was a devout member of the Methodist church and had originally intended to become a minister, before pursuing a career in insurance. Gere noted that his dad maintained the same caring persona throughout every aspect of his life.

"I grew up in a Methodist house, with deeply compassionate people," he shared. "Everyone thought my dad was going to become a minister. He didn't, but he was very involved with the church, and, for most of his life, insurance was his profession, and he sold insurance like he was a minister—he was protecting people. And in the community, if you had a problem, you go to Homer Gere."

While Gere marveled at the way in which his father managed to bring "light and a sense of hope and belonging" to people in his community, he explained that he never fully aligned with the Methodist faith, and began exploring other religions that better represented how he wished to live his life.

"As I left college and became an actor in New York, I started taking it more seriously and really reading and thinking about it," he said. "Zen Buddhism was the first system that struck me, and I was lucky to find good teachers in New York to study with. So most of my 20s was having a daily meditation practice in the Zen tradition."

Several years after he began practicing Buddhism, Gere had the opportunity to meet the Dalai Lama during a trip to Dharamsala in India—a meeting that would ultimately evolve into a 40-year relationship between the two men.

However the actor explained that "Wisdom of Happiness," which he produced, is not about that connection, but rather about the "life and history" of the Dalai Lama himself, who is the only voice heard throughout the 90-minute film.

Gere—who has been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump—said that he hopes the movie will serve as a kind of "medicine" for viewers in a time when the world is filled with so much negativity.

"The world has fallen off a cliff—everywhere. I travel a lot, and it's not just in the U.S.," he said. "People are living in a dissonant, crazy reality.

"So I think the film is actually functioning as medicine, as a corrective of, 'OK, time out. Let's look at who we are right now. How did we get here? How can we stop this?'"

Since moving to Spain one year ago, Gere—who relocated with his wife, Alejandra, and three of their four shared children—has been increasingly critical of Trump and his policies, going as far as to brand the president "a bully and a thug" during an event in February.

"We're all part of a universe of overlapping pain and sadness and joy. ... I see this world that we're in now forgetting that," he said while accepting the International Goya Award in recognition of his ongoing humanitarian work. "This very foolish tribalism is starting to take us over, where we think that we're all separate from each other.

"And we have unfortunately elected officials that don't inspire us in the way that we want to be inspired. I'm coming from a place now ... we're in a very dark place in America where we have a bully and a thug who is the president of the United States.

"But it's not just in the U.S., it's everywhere."

Still, Gere has admitted that there are plenty of things he misses about living in the U.S. full time, particularly his adult son, Homer, who was named for his grandfather and who is pursuing his own acting career in New York City, just like his dad.

"I miss my family and friends. I was just in New York visiting my friends and my oldest son," he revealed in a May interview with El Pais.

"We went to Pennsylvania, to the small town where my father and mother came from, and we visited their grave. I need to somehow feel connected to my history, to my best friends, to stay in contact with all of it."

But the actor noted that watching his wife "blossoming" in Spain has been reward enough for making the move—explaining that he wanted to return the favor she did for him by joining him in the U.S. when they began their romance.

"Alejandra gave me six or seven years in the U.S.; she dropped everything to be with me and create a life together," he said. "But I could see it was important for her to come back, that she really missed her family and friends. She’s blossoming here."

Although Gere noted that he has never lived permanently abroad, he said that he has created a sense of belonging in his new Madrid dwelling by ensuring that he has access to the creature comforts he needs most—specifically his "office, piano, guitars, and books."

"In a way, I’ve taken my world and put it here," he said.

While the family has quickly laid down roots in what El Pais described as a "chalet in the exclusive Madrid neighborhood of La Moraleja," Gere's wife noted that they are not set on spending the rest of their days in the city.

She told the publication that they plan to "stay ... for a few years," describing Madrid as a "city that has ... a very special energy."

Gere previously revealed that the family has retained a residence in the U.S., explaining in an April 2024 interview with Vanity Fair that he would be keeping a property "in the countryside in New York," although he neglected to reveal exactly where it is.

Meanwhile, his other home in the area—a sprawling estate in New Canaan, CT, which he purchased from singer Paul Simon—was sold for $10.75 million in November 2024, a move that later sparked uproar when it was revealed that the buyer was planning to tear the historic abode down to make way for a nine-plot subdivision.

Simon's daughter, Lulu, slammed Gere over the demolition of her childhood home in a series of scathing Instagram Stories posts, accusing the actor of reneging on his promise to protect the property when he purchased it.

"Just in case anyone was wondering if I still hate Richard Gere—I do!" she wrote alongside a picture of herself flashing a peace sign at the camera.

"He bought my childhood home," she went on. "Promised he would take care of the land as [a] condition of his purchase. Proceeded to never actually move in and just sold it to a developer as nine separate plots.

"Hate! Him!" she concluded the post, which also featured a news story about Gere's real estate deal.

Lulu then continued her tirade with a rather sinister warning for Gere, sharing an image of the actor surrounded by photos of her late pets, while writing: "I hope my dead pets buried in that backyard haunt you until you descend into a slow and unrelenting madness."