Richard Gere strides through a hotel lobby, surrounded by people wearing laminated badges and carrying clipboards. He faces a bank of photographers, smiles, moves around slightly awkwardly, shakes everyone’s hand and then he is gone. The brevity of the moment is dictated by the fact there are crowds gathered outside the GFT waiting for one of Hollywood’s most successful leading men to walk the red carpet.
Richard Gere is famous for his career-defining roles in An Officer and a Gentleman, American Gigolo, Pretty Woman and Chicago. He also devotes a significant portion of his time to humanitarian work and supporting good causes.
This led him to his role in Time Out of Mind, a film that tells the story of a homeless man in New York in a gritty and soulful portrayal of urban poverty.
Gere plays George, a man who spends his days in search of his next meal and a place to rest on the streets of Manhattan.
Accepted into the largest men’s shelter in the borough, he makes a rare connection with a former jazz player who encourages him to reconnect with his estranged daughter.
The gala UK premiere of the movie today is the crescendo of a successful Glasgow Film Festival. Gere attended the screening and also participated in a public interview with Paul McNamee, editor of The Big Issue.
Gere took the opportunity to speak about homelessness, particularly in Manhattan where the movie is set.
“Look at New York – the shelter system doesn’t work. It’s warehousing of human beings. Permanent housing must be a priority” he said. The actor will meet with leading UK homeless charities during his visit to support the film.
Altitude Films, which is distributing the movie, will donate 10% of the UK profits from Time Out of Mind to Crisis and Centrepoint
Watch Richard Gere discuss Time out of Mind in Glasgow today in the clip below.
Pictures by Paul Gallagher for Glasgowist
