Richard Gere's homeless experience in his own words — the challenging living situation explored

Richard Gere is a Hollywood star with an impressive decades-long career.

But the celebrated star once experienced what it is like to live on the streets and as we approached World Homeless Day, many fans will be unaware of Richard's plight to gain insight into homelessness.

In 2014, Richard posed as a down-and-out, sitting on street corners for 45 minutes at a time, looking a shadow of his movie-star self. 

At the time, he was creating a documentary-style film about street life called Time Out of Mind.

Richard played a man struggling with mental health who had to survive in New York by eating out of dumpsters, begging for money and sleeping on benches. 

© The Movie Partnership

He made heartbreaking discoveries. 

"It was bizarre," he said of people finding him unrecognizable. "As long as I was in character, I could see people from two blocks away, making a judgment based on how I was dressed. I was very visible to them. 

"People are afraid of being sucked into a black hole of failure and misery. But then it touches something deep in all of us. None of us are that secure that it couldn’t be us also."

© The Movie Partnership

Richard is a longtime activist for New York's Coalition of the Homeless and can't express how challenging it is for those living rough. 

"Being homeless subjects you to a dehumanizing experience," he told The Big Issue. "Navigating shelters involves the bureaucratic nightmare of being processed, somewhat like a criminal, in order to have somewhere to sleep. 

© The Movie Partnership

"Too many homeless are warehoused for a night and then tossed out in the morning. To be successful the approach should be toward more permanent housing. It should be about community, with a friendly face, a generosity of spirit and a great sense of patience. Those are the qualities that can save a life."

When he passes a homeless person, he doesn't ignore them, insisting even if you can only offer eye contact or "a silent thought of 'I wish you happiness'" that can make them feel human. 

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"If Richard Gere, who has money and fame – and in this situation everyone thinks kindly about me – if I can stand on a street corner and be treated like garbage? That’s a profound lesson for me personally but for an audience it should be as well," he reiterated to the outlet. 

"It radically changed my view of myself and of the social fabric around me."

© Getty

World Homeless Day is recognized on October 10, 2024.