Richard Gere Talks MotherFatherSon

At MIPCOM, Richard Gere, known for his blockbuster roles in films such as American Gigolo, An Officer and a Gentleman and Pretty Woman, spoke to TV Drama about his starring role in BBC Studios’ upcoming drama MotherFatherSon.

Gere started working in film in the ’70s in supporting roles until the opportunity arose for the lead in American Gigolo in 1980. His career then took off thanks to movies like An Officer and a Gentleman, Pretty Woman, Primal Fear and Chicago, for which he won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award.

As has happened with other well-known actors in the entertainment industry, Gere was wooed by television’s charms and decided to star in BBC Studios’ MotherFatherSon. In the series, Gere plays Max, owner of one of the world’s most influential media conglomerates, where his son Caden, editor of the company’s flagship publication, crumbles under the weight of his father’s expectations.

“The reality is, I’ve never done anything on TV that was something I was convinced of,” Gere said when asked about why he decided to return to television. “One thing [I worked on] many years ago on television was to help get financing for a show on HIV and AIDS. [MotherFatherSon] is the first thing that I’ve done that I’ve committed to.”

He went on to explain that he considers this series more like an eight-hour movie that tells a very deep, dense story. “I don’t see this as television at all. It’s a novel.”

“The world is so turned upside down in terms of movies right now that this is where the most interesting stuff is being done for an actor—it’s television. And there’s no stigma about it at all,” Gere added. “Certainly for me, I don’t have to work, I do what I want to. This was something where I thought, this is going to be five or six months of my life, but I think it’s worth it.”