Richard Gere Is 'Always Watching the Mind'
1 April, 2008
The Buddhist actor talks to Beliefnet about Tibet, the Dalai Lama, and how his life is infused with
mindfulness.
Interview by Valerie Reiss
At this point, the iconic actor is probably as well known for his Buddhist activism as for his award-winning
film roles. That's a huge boon to Tibetans and their compassionate practice exemplified by the Dalai
Lama. His advocacy for a Tibet with freedom of religion has led Gere to become chairman of the board of
directors for the International Campaign for Tibet, founder of the Gere Foundation, and a co-creator of
the Tibet House.
Now he opens up to Beliefnet about his meditation practice, what we should do about the Olympics in
China and his heartbreak at seeing the "compassionate, forgiving, patient" monks of Tibet "lose their
center" and resort to violence in recent protests.
What’s your overall impression of what’s going on right now in Tibet?
What makes me the saddest about this is to see Tibetans so pushed up against the wall that violence is
the only recourse. It’s very rare. This is not a place that they very easily go to, so one can assume that it’
s that bad for them that they’ve started to lose their center as compassionate, forgiving, patient people.
And it’s certainly not everyone there, but, clearly it looks like some people lost it.
How does that jell with the basic tenets of Buddhism?
Well, you’ve got to understand that the difference between Tibetans inside of Tibet who’ve been living
under this very oppressive system, [is that] they’ve been totally marginalized for now almost 60 years.
They’re very different emotionally. Their nervous systems are different than the ones who’ve grown up in
exile. They’re very different people than you see in Dharamsala.
In what way?
Well, they’re depressed, they’re angry, they’re afraid, they’re hopeless in many ways. They seem to have
lost a basic equanimity that is part of what we know of as Tibetans and we come in contact with outside of
Tibet. The kind of mental illnesses and violence that’s emerging in Tibetans in Tibet is really unheard of.
This is one of the saddest things.
And I would think even for the Chinese to see that Tibetans are left with this only avenue to express
themselves, it's got to tell them that they have done something wrong. Their policies have been wholly
destructive to the Tibetan mind and heart.
And how has this affected other Buddhists?
This uprising is not the majority of Tibetans, but it’s an indicator of what’s been happening to the
Tibetans. And as skilled as they are at transforming pain and suffering into compassion, into love, into
patience, there are elements who are lacking the ability in how to do that. It’s gotten that bad.
We know Tibetans that have spent 20 years, 25 years in solitary confinement, tortured almost every day
by the Chinese, who have been able to transcend it in some extraordinary way. And they’ve seen the
challenge as an incredible vehicle for their own transcendence. It gives them the ability to transcend the
last vestiges of ego. But these are extraordinary people who can do that.
The Dalai Lama tells a story about an older monk who escaped Tibet not long ago, and he came to see
him in Dharamsala, and he vaguely remembered him from the early ‘50s in one of the large monasteries
in Lhasa. And he hadn’t remembered him as being a particularly good monk. An average monk. He
started to talk to him about his experiences in Chinese prisons. The monk said, "I was in great danger."
And His Holiness was expecting him to tell stories of being tortured. And he asked, "In danger of what?
And the monk said, “Danger of becoming angry.”
And at that point, His Holiness knew that it really was an extraordinary monk.
Because in a way that’s the worst thing that a Tibetan monk can do.
When I saw the pictures yesterday of the Jokhang Cathedral in Lhasa and the group of monks there, you
could see the tears and the anxiety in these monks’ faces and in their voices, even--and they were
speaking Tibetan and Mandarin. Not even understanding the languages, you certainly could feel this
constriction in them, on the edge of hopelessness.
Is there anything that you’re doing differently right now?
I don’t know what any of us would do when we’re being tortured and how we would be able to maintain
our vows. The Tibetans have been extraordinary that way. And one of the sad ironies of the situation is
that the Tibetans have been very peaceful, and no one, really, has been paying any attention to them. It’
s unfortunate that it takes violence to get the kind of news coverage to the situation. It’s truly unfortunate.
But I think for those of us who are capable of still encompassing our vows, the Chinese need our prayers
as well. They’re acting out of ignorance and causing tremendous problems for their future and future
lives. We have to be mindful of them.
Do you think that’s a good way for people to be able to contribute? With lovingkindness prayers?
Oh, there’s no question. In the realm of prayer, praying for the Chinese may be the most effective.
What kind of prayer would you say?
That their actions would be in line with a positive future, for happiness, that they would achieve
happiness and the causes of happiness in the future. The only way you can do that is being altruistic,
creating merit.
Their actions in Tibet are based on ignorance—a literal kind of ignorance, of not understanding the
Tibetans, not understanding really what’s going on there.
This is an extraordinary opportunity for them right now to transform not only themselves but how they’re
perceived in the world. And as such, you know, we all have to encourage them, whether we’re president
of the United States or we’re doing our practice in our meditation rooms.
It is a crux moment. Clearly, the Chinese want to be respected in the world, and they deserve to have
their greatness. But these kind of actions, and the actions of the last five, six decades is not going to
achieve a lasting greatness for them. So, they need to break with their past and have a positive vision
that encompasses truth, freedom, and compassion for all people.
What do you think it would take to have a shift like that occur?
Well, it’s hard to say because the people that are now running the country came up through the
communist party. That does not foster free thinking.
It seems like the way this is going--because they seem to be so ill-equipped to make the kind of changes
that are necessary to transform themselves--that this kind of violence is probably going to manifest
again. Not just in Tibet, but we’ve seen it in China, as well. I think they’ve admitted to over 80,000
demonstrations of Chinese against the government last year. Now, if they admitted to 80-some thousand,
you can imagine how many there really were.
You’d think that any sane leader would look at the situation and go, "Okay, we need to take a deep
breath here, really look at ourselves, and look to the world."
'I don't think that boycotting is a positive strategy...'
And how can the U.S. and the general public use the Olympics to create peaceful change?
I’m of two minds about this. I don’t think that boycotting is a positive strategy, because I do think that just
interaction of peoples brings change in a much more evenhanded way, natural, organic way.
But in a case like this, it’s very hard, in the midst of this kind of brutality and this kind of violence, to
ignore it. And business as usual I don’t think is going to be appropriate this year.
It’s not enough to say that the Olympics is an athletic contest outside of politics, because it’s not. The
Chinese clearly are using the Olympics to recreate how they are viewed in the world and how they view
themselves. And they can’t have it both ways. If you want the spotlight, you’re going to have the spotlight.
So it sounds like you’re advocating the Middle Way, which is not boycotting, but not business as usual.
Well, I would leave boycott as a possibility. And it’s really up to the Chinese. They’re under the illusion
that they could keep the genie in the bottle and suggest to the world that they would be open to
journalistic scrutiny. And we’ve just seen that they’ve totally locked up Tibet. They had previously locked
up Mount Everest. There’s now not going to be any live coverage in Tiananmen Square. There may not
be live coverage of the Olympics itself.
I think they’re a little naïve, thinking that they can control these things. I was talking to friends who deal
with Chinese officials quite a bit, and they’re just so amazed that they are asked these tough questions
by international journalists. They’re so habituated to controlling everything that the idea of freedom is so
alien, they don’t even know what it is, nor do they see the strength that is inherent in a free press and
free discussion of peoples.
So it remains to be seen a little bit what will happen in the next couple of months.
If there is a continued "cultural genocide" with Tibetan Buddhism, how does that affect people
around the world who practice Tibetan Buddhism?
Well, the institutions are strong outside of Tibet. All the major monasteries have been rebuilt in India and
in Nepal. And they’re thriving to the degree they can as an exiled community. Tibetan teachers are
around the world right now. Part of their pain and suffering has been the joy and happiness of the rest of
the world as Tibetan Lamas and Tibetans move freely. Having great teachers amongst us has been
extraordinary for us. It wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
[But] Tibet is a cradle. Would it be like Jerusalem for a Christian being blown up and lost forever? It’s just
unthinkable. And it’s still filled with possibility. It’s still relatively untouched in terms of environment, and
architecture--outside of the major cities. There are vast areas of Tibet that are still Tibet, and they can be
saved.
There are some problems on this planet that seem to be intractable. This one does not. It could change
overnight. And it doesn’t have to change a lot. You know, it’s only a few degrees of difference to allow the
Chinese to enter into serious talks with the Dalai Lama. And very quickly, this whole thing could be over.
So the letters that we write to the president, the letters we write to our senators and congresspersons,
this is real stuff. They need to be encouraged. I spend a lot of time in Washington, and I know that,
basically, that entire city is on the side of the Tibetans, on the side of the Dalai Lama. But they certainly
can use the encouragement.
Well, there’s a tendency to tread lightly with the Chinese.
That’s true, but, as we saw with the Congressional gold medal in October, the Chinese lobbied very
heavily for that not to happen. They were furious. The president was courageous to actually give the
medal, in public, to the Dalai Lama and speak very forcefully, as he did.
Can you talk about your Buddhist practice outside of this?
You’re getting into territory that is so vast.
What do you mean?
Well, a daily practice is not just that. It’s all of the teachings you’ve ever had. You know, it certainly entails
sitting meditation, but it’s various levels of watching your mind, being present with the mind.
The last words of the Buddha were, “Tame your mind.” It doesn't mean destroy the mind, but tame it so it
can be used properly.
How many minutes do you meditate a day?
Well, that’s also a complex question because there’s sitting meditation, there are all kinds of other
meditations.
What about sitting?
Sitting, at least an hour.
Do you have any particular sutras that especially inspire you and keep you present and centered?
I don’t have a practice that doesn’t. I tend to be more taken with the teachings that have to do with
Bodhichitta, because they’re so emotional, whereas the Shantideva, the Bodhicaryavatara, you know,
there’s a great lama, Kuno Lama, who wrote an amazing piece called "In Praise of Bodhichitta."
His Holiness spoke for a few days on it. And it was impossible not to weep and hear these words
illuminated by someone like the Dalai Lama.
Are there any passages that you remember as inspiring?
Well, they’re all about motivation: “I will release all sanctioned beings from pain, set them all into final
bliss. To do that I will generate the positive mind of Bodhichitta.”
Are you in communication with the Dalai Lama right now?
No, I haven’t spoken to His Holiness, but I've spoken several times with his representatives in New York.
'He takes no pleasure in this violence...'
What’s your sense of how he’s doing?
He’s in great pain, not only for the Tibetans who are suffering now, but for the Chinese as well. He takes
no pleasure in this violence. At the same time, I think he is realistic that the Chinese have to understand
that this is real, what’s happening, and that it’s coming out of a lot of pain and suffering in the Tibetan
experience. And [the Chinese] have it within their ability to change it. And he himself would love to be part
of that change and help it happen for both sides.
What do you see as the future for all of this?
The visionary portrait is that this is the year the Chinese look at themselves. My positive image is that
Time magazine would have a picture of Hu Jintao and the Dalai Lama shaking hands on the cover as
Men of the Year, and the both of them would get the Nobel Peace Prize. And what a positive outcome for
China and for Hu Jintao and his legacy. And it’s right there. It’s right there for him to have.
And on a personal spiritual level, do you ever find yourself getting kind of overwhelmed with the task?
No. Being around His Holiness, you realize there’s a commitment to release all sentient beings in all
universes from pain and suffering. There’s no time limit to that. So you just keep moving. That kind of a
motivation gives boundless energy.
You said sitting is not the only way you meditate--how else do you bring mindfulness into your
life?
Well, mindfulness is a quality that’s always there. It's an illusion that there’s a meditation and post-
meditation period, which I always find amusing, because you’re either mindful or you’re not. The
meditation is just taking different forms. But it’s always watching the mind. It’s always watching the mind.
Watching the mind while you’re saying "Always watching the mind."
It never leaves you. It’s the quality. Now, there’s a certain point when one has achieved enlightenment,
that there’s no longer a watching quality. The dualism is gone. Since I’ve never been there, I wouldn’t
know how to characterize that. But until that happens, watching the mind, yes.
And is there anything else that would be important for people to know?
I don’t want another 20 years to go by before this builds up again. This is a decisive moment. And, as we
started this conversation, what hurts me the most is to see Tibetans who have no resort except violence.
The loss to us on this planet, the loss to us personally that this culture be destroyed, it’s unthinkable. It’s
unthinkable. I don’t know what would happen to us. There’s not an ancient wisdom culture that’s still alive,
that still is transforming all the negative emotions into love and compassion. Now, to see them start to
lose it inside of Tibet is truly heartbreaking.
It’s up to all of us to keep this alive and not wait until there’s another explosion, but keeping working on
this, because this is something that can be solved, especially this year when the Chinese care so much
about what people think about them.
1 April, 2008
The Buddhist actor talks to Beliefnet about Tibet, the Dalai Lama, and how his life is infused with
mindfulness.
Interview by Valerie Reiss
At this point, the iconic actor is probably as well known for his Buddhist activism as for his award-winning
film roles. That's a huge boon to Tibetans and their compassionate practice exemplified by the Dalai
Lama. His advocacy for a Tibet with freedom of religion has led Gere to become chairman of the board of
directors for the International Campaign for Tibet, founder of the Gere Foundation, and a co-creator of
the Tibet House.
Now he opens up to Beliefnet about his meditation practice, what we should do about the Olympics in
China and his heartbreak at seeing the "compassionate, forgiving, patient" monks of Tibet "lose their
center" and resort to violence in recent protests.
What’s your overall impression of what’s going on right now in Tibet?
What makes me the saddest about this is to see Tibetans so pushed up against the wall that violence is
the only recourse. It’s very rare. This is not a place that they very easily go to, so one can assume that it’
s that bad for them that they’ve started to lose their center as compassionate, forgiving, patient people.
And it’s certainly not everyone there, but, clearly it looks like some people lost it.
How does that jell with the basic tenets of Buddhism?
Well, you’ve got to understand that the difference between Tibetans inside of Tibet who’ve been living
under this very oppressive system, [is that] they’ve been totally marginalized for now almost 60 years.
They’re very different emotionally. Their nervous systems are different than the ones who’ve grown up in
exile. They’re very different people than you see in Dharamsala.
In what way?
Well, they’re depressed, they’re angry, they’re afraid, they’re hopeless in many ways. They seem to have
lost a basic equanimity that is part of what we know of as Tibetans and we come in contact with outside of
Tibet. The kind of mental illnesses and violence that’s emerging in Tibetans in Tibet is really unheard of.
This is one of the saddest things.
And I would think even for the Chinese to see that Tibetans are left with this only avenue to express
themselves, it's got to tell them that they have done something wrong. Their policies have been wholly
destructive to the Tibetan mind and heart.
And how has this affected other Buddhists?
This uprising is not the majority of Tibetans, but it’s an indicator of what’s been happening to the
Tibetans. And as skilled as they are at transforming pain and suffering into compassion, into love, into
patience, there are elements who are lacking the ability in how to do that. It’s gotten that bad.
We know Tibetans that have spent 20 years, 25 years in solitary confinement, tortured almost every day
by the Chinese, who have been able to transcend it in some extraordinary way. And they’ve seen the
challenge as an incredible vehicle for their own transcendence. It gives them the ability to transcend the
last vestiges of ego. But these are extraordinary people who can do that.
The Dalai Lama tells a story about an older monk who escaped Tibet not long ago, and he came to see
him in Dharamsala, and he vaguely remembered him from the early ‘50s in one of the large monasteries
in Lhasa. And he hadn’t remembered him as being a particularly good monk. An average monk. He
started to talk to him about his experiences in Chinese prisons. The monk said, "I was in great danger."
And His Holiness was expecting him to tell stories of being tortured. And he asked, "In danger of what?
And the monk said, “Danger of becoming angry.”
And at that point, His Holiness knew that it really was an extraordinary monk.
Because in a way that’s the worst thing that a Tibetan monk can do.
When I saw the pictures yesterday of the Jokhang Cathedral in Lhasa and the group of monks there, you
could see the tears and the anxiety in these monks’ faces and in their voices, even--and they were
speaking Tibetan and Mandarin. Not even understanding the languages, you certainly could feel this
constriction in them, on the edge of hopelessness.
Is there anything that you’re doing differently right now?
I don’t know what any of us would do when we’re being tortured and how we would be able to maintain
our vows. The Tibetans have been extraordinary that way. And one of the sad ironies of the situation is
that the Tibetans have been very peaceful, and no one, really, has been paying any attention to them. It’
s unfortunate that it takes violence to get the kind of news coverage to the situation. It’s truly unfortunate.
But I think for those of us who are capable of still encompassing our vows, the Chinese need our prayers
as well. They’re acting out of ignorance and causing tremendous problems for their future and future
lives. We have to be mindful of them.
Do you think that’s a good way for people to be able to contribute? With lovingkindness prayers?
Oh, there’s no question. In the realm of prayer, praying for the Chinese may be the most effective.
What kind of prayer would you say?
That their actions would be in line with a positive future, for happiness, that they would achieve
happiness and the causes of happiness in the future. The only way you can do that is being altruistic,
creating merit.
Their actions in Tibet are based on ignorance—a literal kind of ignorance, of not understanding the
Tibetans, not understanding really what’s going on there.
This is an extraordinary opportunity for them right now to transform not only themselves but how they’re
perceived in the world. And as such, you know, we all have to encourage them, whether we’re president
of the United States or we’re doing our practice in our meditation rooms.
It is a crux moment. Clearly, the Chinese want to be respected in the world, and they deserve to have
their greatness. But these kind of actions, and the actions of the last five, six decades is not going to
achieve a lasting greatness for them. So, they need to break with their past and have a positive vision
that encompasses truth, freedom, and compassion for all people.
What do you think it would take to have a shift like that occur?
Well, it’s hard to say because the people that are now running the country came up through the
communist party. That does not foster free thinking.
It seems like the way this is going--because they seem to be so ill-equipped to make the kind of changes
that are necessary to transform themselves--that this kind of violence is probably going to manifest
again. Not just in Tibet, but we’ve seen it in China, as well. I think they’ve admitted to over 80,000
demonstrations of Chinese against the government last year. Now, if they admitted to 80-some thousand,
you can imagine how many there really were.
You’d think that any sane leader would look at the situation and go, "Okay, we need to take a deep
breath here, really look at ourselves, and look to the world."
'I don't think that boycotting is a positive strategy...'
And how can the U.S. and the general public use the Olympics to create peaceful change?
I’m of two minds about this. I don’t think that boycotting is a positive strategy, because I do think that just
interaction of peoples brings change in a much more evenhanded way, natural, organic way.
But in a case like this, it’s very hard, in the midst of this kind of brutality and this kind of violence, to
ignore it. And business as usual I don’t think is going to be appropriate this year.
It’s not enough to say that the Olympics is an athletic contest outside of politics, because it’s not. The
Chinese clearly are using the Olympics to recreate how they are viewed in the world and how they view
themselves. And they can’t have it both ways. If you want the spotlight, you’re going to have the spotlight.
So it sounds like you’re advocating the Middle Way, which is not boycotting, but not business as usual.
Well, I would leave boycott as a possibility. And it’s really up to the Chinese. They’re under the illusion
that they could keep the genie in the bottle and suggest to the world that they would be open to
journalistic scrutiny. And we’ve just seen that they’ve totally locked up Tibet. They had previously locked
up Mount Everest. There’s now not going to be any live coverage in Tiananmen Square. There may not
be live coverage of the Olympics itself.
I think they’re a little naïve, thinking that they can control these things. I was talking to friends who deal
with Chinese officials quite a bit, and they’re just so amazed that they are asked these tough questions
by international journalists. They’re so habituated to controlling everything that the idea of freedom is so
alien, they don’t even know what it is, nor do they see the strength that is inherent in a free press and
free discussion of peoples.
So it remains to be seen a little bit what will happen in the next couple of months.
If there is a continued "cultural genocide" with Tibetan Buddhism, how does that affect people
around the world who practice Tibetan Buddhism?
Well, the institutions are strong outside of Tibet. All the major monasteries have been rebuilt in India and
in Nepal. And they’re thriving to the degree they can as an exiled community. Tibetan teachers are
around the world right now. Part of their pain and suffering has been the joy and happiness of the rest of
the world as Tibetan Lamas and Tibetans move freely. Having great teachers amongst us has been
extraordinary for us. It wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
[But] Tibet is a cradle. Would it be like Jerusalem for a Christian being blown up and lost forever? It’s just
unthinkable. And it’s still filled with possibility. It’s still relatively untouched in terms of environment, and
architecture--outside of the major cities. There are vast areas of Tibet that are still Tibet, and they can be
saved.
There are some problems on this planet that seem to be intractable. This one does not. It could change
overnight. And it doesn’t have to change a lot. You know, it’s only a few degrees of difference to allow the
Chinese to enter into serious talks with the Dalai Lama. And very quickly, this whole thing could be over.
So the letters that we write to the president, the letters we write to our senators and congresspersons,
this is real stuff. They need to be encouraged. I spend a lot of time in Washington, and I know that,
basically, that entire city is on the side of the Tibetans, on the side of the Dalai Lama. But they certainly
can use the encouragement.
Well, there’s a tendency to tread lightly with the Chinese.
That’s true, but, as we saw with the Congressional gold medal in October, the Chinese lobbied very
heavily for that not to happen. They were furious. The president was courageous to actually give the
medal, in public, to the Dalai Lama and speak very forcefully, as he did.
Can you talk about your Buddhist practice outside of this?
You’re getting into territory that is so vast.
What do you mean?
Well, a daily practice is not just that. It’s all of the teachings you’ve ever had. You know, it certainly entails
sitting meditation, but it’s various levels of watching your mind, being present with the mind.
The last words of the Buddha were, “Tame your mind.” It doesn't mean destroy the mind, but tame it so it
can be used properly.
How many minutes do you meditate a day?
Well, that’s also a complex question because there’s sitting meditation, there are all kinds of other
meditations.
What about sitting?
Sitting, at least an hour.
Do you have any particular sutras that especially inspire you and keep you present and centered?
I don’t have a practice that doesn’t. I tend to be more taken with the teachings that have to do with
Bodhichitta, because they’re so emotional, whereas the Shantideva, the Bodhicaryavatara, you know,
there’s a great lama, Kuno Lama, who wrote an amazing piece called "In Praise of Bodhichitta."
His Holiness spoke for a few days on it. And it was impossible not to weep and hear these words
illuminated by someone like the Dalai Lama.
Are there any passages that you remember as inspiring?
Well, they’re all about motivation: “I will release all sanctioned beings from pain, set them all into final
bliss. To do that I will generate the positive mind of Bodhichitta.”
Are you in communication with the Dalai Lama right now?
No, I haven’t spoken to His Holiness, but I've spoken several times with his representatives in New York.
'He takes no pleasure in this violence...'
What’s your sense of how he’s doing?
He’s in great pain, not only for the Tibetans who are suffering now, but for the Chinese as well. He takes
no pleasure in this violence. At the same time, I think he is realistic that the Chinese have to understand
that this is real, what’s happening, and that it’s coming out of a lot of pain and suffering in the Tibetan
experience. And [the Chinese] have it within their ability to change it. And he himself would love to be part
of that change and help it happen for both sides.
What do you see as the future for all of this?
The visionary portrait is that this is the year the Chinese look at themselves. My positive image is that
Time magazine would have a picture of Hu Jintao and the Dalai Lama shaking hands on the cover as
Men of the Year, and the both of them would get the Nobel Peace Prize. And what a positive outcome for
China and for Hu Jintao and his legacy. And it’s right there. It’s right there for him to have.
And on a personal spiritual level, do you ever find yourself getting kind of overwhelmed with the task?
No. Being around His Holiness, you realize there’s a commitment to release all sentient beings in all
universes from pain and suffering. There’s no time limit to that. So you just keep moving. That kind of a
motivation gives boundless energy.
You said sitting is not the only way you meditate--how else do you bring mindfulness into your
life?
Well, mindfulness is a quality that’s always there. It's an illusion that there’s a meditation and post-
meditation period, which I always find amusing, because you’re either mindful or you’re not. The
meditation is just taking different forms. But it’s always watching the mind. It’s always watching the mind.
Watching the mind while you’re saying "Always watching the mind."
It never leaves you. It’s the quality. Now, there’s a certain point when one has achieved enlightenment,
that there’s no longer a watching quality. The dualism is gone. Since I’ve never been there, I wouldn’t
know how to characterize that. But until that happens, watching the mind, yes.
And is there anything else that would be important for people to know?
I don’t want another 20 years to go by before this builds up again. This is a decisive moment. And, as we
started this conversation, what hurts me the most is to see Tibetans who have no resort except violence.
The loss to us on this planet, the loss to us personally that this culture be destroyed, it’s unthinkable. It’s
unthinkable. I don’t know what would happen to us. There’s not an ancient wisdom culture that’s still alive,
that still is transforming all the negative emotions into love and compassion. Now, to see them start to
lose it inside of Tibet is truly heartbreaking.
It’s up to all of us to keep this alive and not wait until there’s another explosion, but keeping working on
this, because this is something that can be solved, especially this year when the Chinese care so much
about what people think about them.
| Gere News |
 |  |  |  |  |
Town tells Gere to tear down fence
April 14, 2008
Print story Email to a friend Font size:BEDFORD, N.Y., April 14 (UPI) -- Town officials in Bedford, N.Y., have
told film star Richard Gere and his business partner the fence around their new country inn is too tall.
Gere and his business partner, Russell Hernandez ,had the 5-foot-high cedar fence constructed after locals
complained they didn't want to have to look at the inn's parking lot, the New York Daily News reported Monday.
Bedford officials, citing town code, then told Gere and Hernandez the fence is too high and want it torn down.
"It's a lovely building, but the fence sticks out like a sore thumb," Hazel Nourse, head of Bedford's zoning board,
said in the Daily News report.
"If they say you have to have a 4-foot fence, then that's what we'll do," Hernandez said.
Among celebrities who call Bedford home are Martha Stewart, Ralph Lauren and Glenn Close.
April 14, 2008
Print story Email to a friend Font size:BEDFORD, N.Y., April 14 (UPI) -- Town officials in Bedford, N.Y., have
told film star Richard Gere and his business partner the fence around their new country inn is too tall.
Gere and his business partner, Russell Hernandez ,had the 5-foot-high cedar fence constructed after locals
complained they didn't want to have to look at the inn's parking lot, the New York Daily News reported Monday.
Bedford officials, citing town code, then told Gere and Hernandez the fence is too high and want it torn down.
"It's a lovely building, but the fence sticks out like a sore thumb," Hazel Nourse, head of Bedford's zoning board,
said in the Daily News report.
"If they say you have to have a 4-foot fence, then that's what we'll do," Hernandez said.
Among celebrities who call Bedford home are Martha Stewart, Ralph Lauren and Glenn Close.
Gere must mend fences in dispute
Monday, April 14th 2008
Richard Gere is finding out the hard way that there's just no pleasing his persnickety neighbors in Westchester.
The "Chicago" actor recently opened a new country inn in the tony town of Bedford, home to domestic diva
Martha Stewart, designer Ralph Lauren and actress Glenn Close.
When neighbors complained that they didn't want to see the inn's parking lot, Gere had business partner Russell
Hernandez put up a 180-foot-long, 5-foot-high cedar fence.
Citing town code, Bedford officials have now told Gere the fence is a foot too tall and they want it torn down.
"It's a lovely building, but the fence sticks out like a sore thumb," said Hazel Nourse, head of Bedford's zoning
board.
Apparently realizing it's often useless to fight City Hall, Gere is ready to make amends.
"If they say you have to have a 4-foot fence, then that's what we'll do," Hernandez said.
Monday, April 14th 2008
Richard Gere is finding out the hard way that there's just no pleasing his persnickety neighbors in Westchester.
The "Chicago" actor recently opened a new country inn in the tony town of Bedford, home to domestic diva
Martha Stewart, designer Ralph Lauren and actress Glenn Close.
When neighbors complained that they didn't want to see the inn's parking lot, Gere had business partner Russell
Hernandez put up a 180-foot-long, 5-foot-high cedar fence.
Citing town code, Bedford officials have now told Gere the fence is a foot too tall and they want it torn down.
"It's a lovely building, but the fence sticks out like a sore thumb," said Hazel Nourse, head of Bedford's zoning
board.
Apparently realizing it's often useless to fight City Hall, Gere is ready to make amends.
"If they say you have to have a 4-foot fence, then that's what we'll do," Hernandez said.
Mira Nair to direct Richard Gere, Hilary Swank
April 16, 2008 19:29 IST
Mira Nair is set to direct Richard Gere and Hilary Swank in Avalon Pictures' Amelia Earhart biopic. The film
revolves around the rocky relationship between the famed aviator and her husband, publisher George Putnam.
Ron Bass has penned the screenplay and production is slated to begin later this month in Toronto, Nova
Scotia and South Africa, reports Variety.
Kevin Hyman, Ted Waitt and Lydia Dean Pilcher are producing while Swank and Bass are executive
producing.
Gere has also signed up for Millennium Films' cop drama Brooklyn's Finest, which is based on three
unconnected Brooklyn cops who wind up at the same location, despite different career paths. One has gone
undercover to crack drug gangs, another has engaged in graft and corruption while the third one has played
by the rules and put in his time on the force up until his retirement.
Don Cheadle and Ethan Hawke play the other two cops. Antoine Fuqua will direct from a screenplay by
Michael Martin.
April 16, 2008 19:29 IST
Mira Nair is set to direct Richard Gere and Hilary Swank in Avalon Pictures' Amelia Earhart biopic. The film
revolves around the rocky relationship between the famed aviator and her husband, publisher George Putnam.
Ron Bass has penned the screenplay and production is slated to begin later this month in Toronto, Nova
Scotia and South Africa, reports Variety.
Kevin Hyman, Ted Waitt and Lydia Dean Pilcher are producing while Swank and Bass are executive
producing.
Gere has also signed up for Millennium Films' cop drama Brooklyn's Finest, which is based on three
unconnected Brooklyn cops who wind up at the same location, despite different career paths. One has gone
undercover to crack drug gangs, another has engaged in graft and corruption while the third one has played
by the rules and put in his time on the force up until his retirement.
Don Cheadle and Ethan Hawke play the other two cops. Antoine Fuqua will direct from a screenplay by
Michael Martin.
Gere Joins Swank in Earhart Biopic
April 16, 2008
Richard Gere will star opposite Hilary Swank in the Amelia Earhart biopic ''Amelia,'' and has also joined Don
Cheadle and Ethan Hawke in the cop drama ''Brooklyn's Finest''
RICHARD GERE The actor will play Amelia Earhart's husband, author, publisher, and explorer George P.
Putnam
Mark Von Holden/WireImage
(Gere). Earhart went missing over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 during a solo trans-global flight attempt and
(Gere). Earhart went missing over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 during a solo trans-global flight attempt and
was declared dead in 1939. Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding) is directing the biopic from a screenplay penned
by Ron Bass (Entrapment).
by Ron Bass (Entrapment).
Gere has also just joined Don Cheadle and Ethan Hawke in Brooklyn's Finest, a drama about three
unconnected Brooklyn cops who all wind up at the same deadly location despite their different career paths.
One cop has gone undercover to crack drug gangs; another has engaged in graft and corruption; while
another has played by the rules and put in his time on the force up until his retirement. Antoine Fuqua
(Training Day) is directing. Gere is currently shooting Hachiko with director Lasse Halstrom (The Hoax).
(Variety)
April 16, 2008
Richard Gere will star opposite Hilary Swank in the Amelia Earhart biopic ''Amelia,'' and has also joined Don
Cheadle and Ethan Hawke in the cop drama ''Brooklyn's Finest''
RICHARD GERE The actor will play Amelia Earhart's husband, author, publisher, and explorer George P.
Putnam
Mark Von Holden/WireImage
(Gere). Earhart went missing over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 during a solo trans-global flight attempt and
(Gere). Earhart went missing over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 during a solo trans-global flight attempt and
was declared dead in 1939. Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding) is directing the biopic from a screenplay penned
by Ron Bass (Entrapment).
by Ron Bass (Entrapment).
Gere has also just joined Don Cheadle and Ethan Hawke in Brooklyn's Finest, a drama about three
unconnected Brooklyn cops who all wind up at the same deadly location despite their different career paths.
One cop has gone undercover to crack drug gangs; another has engaged in graft and corruption; while
another has played by the rules and put in his time on the force up until his retirement. Antoine Fuqua
(Training Day) is directing. Gere is currently shooting Hachiko with director Lasse Halstrom (The Hoax).
(Variety)
TOWN OF BEDFORD
www.bedfordny.info
AGENDA
BEDFORD ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
425 Cherry Street – 2nd Floor Conference Room
Bedford Hills, New York 10507
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2008
NEW APPLICATIONS:
an existing fence where the new fence results in a height of 5 feet where 4 feet is permitted located less
Block 2 Lot 1, R-4 Acre District. An already-installed solid cedar board concave fence as a replacement for
Article III Section 125-15A
www.bedfordny.info
AGENDA
BEDFORD ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
425 Cherry Street – 2nd Floor Conference Room
Bedford Hills, New York 10507
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2008
NEW APPLICATIONS:
an existing fence where the new fence results in a height of 5 feet where 4 feet is permitted located less
Block 2 Lot 1, R-4 Acre District. An already-installed solid cedar board concave fence as a replacement for
Article III Section 125-15A
Richard Gere and Hilary Swank coming to Dunnville to film scenes for "Amelia"
May 4, 2008
Dunnville will among the Toronto, Halifax and South African locations used in Amelia, a movie about the
life of pilot Amelia Earhart.
At the end of May, Richard Gere, who plays Amelia's husband, will spend a day in the area and Hilary
Swank, who plays Amelia, will be in Dunnville a bit longer.
About 300 people may have an opportunity to work with these actors because extras will be needed for the
scene sequence that will span May 26 to 28 if filming is on schedule.
Males and females of any age are invited to answer the call from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on May 21 at the
Dunnville recreation centre in the arena. Extras will receive $10.25 an hour and a typical day can be eight to
16 hours.
People,who are available on those dates, are invited to fill out an application and will have their pictures
taken.
While film publicist Joe Everett would not confirm it, the Dunnville airport is likely the location for shooting.
He told the The Chronicle that filming will involve a significant scene sequence of an aerial race featuring a
series of vintage planes flown in by the production company. The public will not be able to enter the area
because it will be a closed set, he added.
This week filming was under way in a Toronto neighbourhood. After shooting wraps up in Dunnville, the
crew will return to Toronto and will finish mid-June. Then the cast and crew will move to Halifax and use
the Newfoundland coast line for other scenes. Then they move on to South Africa.
Everett said the filming company will bring in trucks and trailers but will make every effort to not disrupt
Dunnville. With experience working in cities and small towns, he realized what kind of excitement will be
stirred up when actors and camera crews arrive.
"It's like the big circus coming to town," he said.
Other notable cast members are Ewan McGregor, who plays Gore Vidal's father, and Virginia Madsen,
who plays the ex-wife of Gere's character. Neither actor will be working in Dunnville.
May 4, 2008
Dunnville will among the Toronto, Halifax and South African locations used in Amelia, a movie about the
life of pilot Amelia Earhart.
At the end of May, Richard Gere, who plays Amelia's husband, will spend a day in the area and Hilary
Swank, who plays Amelia, will be in Dunnville a bit longer.
About 300 people may have an opportunity to work with these actors because extras will be needed for the
scene sequence that will span May 26 to 28 if filming is on schedule.
Males and females of any age are invited to answer the call from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on May 21 at the
Dunnville recreation centre in the arena. Extras will receive $10.25 an hour and a typical day can be eight to
16 hours.
People,who are available on those dates, are invited to fill out an application and will have their pictures
taken.
While film publicist Joe Everett would not confirm it, the Dunnville airport is likely the location for shooting.
He told the The Chronicle that filming will involve a significant scene sequence of an aerial race featuring a
series of vintage planes flown in by the production company. The public will not be able to enter the area
because it will be a closed set, he added.
This week filming was under way in a Toronto neighbourhood. After shooting wraps up in Dunnville, the
crew will return to Toronto and will finish mid-June. Then the cast and crew will move to Halifax and use
the Newfoundland coast line for other scenes. Then they move on to South Africa.
Everett said the filming company will bring in trucks and trailers but will make every effort to not disrupt
Dunnville. With experience working in cities and small towns, he realized what kind of excitement will be
stirred up when actors and camera crews arrive.
"It's like the big circus coming to town," he said.
Other notable cast members are Ewan McGregor, who plays Gore Vidal's father, and Virginia Madsen,
who plays the ex-wife of Gere's character. Neither actor will be working in Dunnville.
Carey Lowell arriving at Allure Magazine "Most Alluring Bodies" photography exhibition at skylight studios
new York May 7, 2008
new York May 7, 2008
Wild Coast sets scene for arrival of A-list stars
Barbara Hollands EAST LONDON CORRESPONDENT
The A-list stars will be filming part of biopic blockbuster Amelia on the Wild Coast in July and popular
coastal hotels Trennery‘s and Seagulls have been booked out to accommodate the international cast and
crew.
Seagulls manager Juan Sahd this week confirmed the Amelia team would be staying at the beachfront
hotel for four days.
“We have only just heard and are wonderfully excited,” said Sahd. “It will be a great experience for
everyone in the Qolora area.”
A staff member at Trennery‘s, famed for its mouthwatering seafood extravaganzas, also told Weekend
Post the Amelia team would be staying there.
Swank, 33, who is also the executive producer of the drama, and who scooped the best actress Oscar in
1999 for Boys Don‘t Cry and again in 2005 for her role in Million Dollar Baby, will star as Amelia
Earhart, the famed aviator who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932.
Earhart and her plane vanished five years later over the Pacific during an attempt to fly around the world.
Hollywood hunk Gere, 58, has been cast as author and explorer George Putnam, who married Earhart in
1931 and wrote her biography after she disappeared.
Amelia is directed by Mira Nair and also features Sideways star Virginia Madsen as Putney‘s first wife.
Excited locals are looking forward to the privilege of having the stars in their neck of the woods.
Barbara Hollands EAST LONDON CORRESPONDENT
The A-list stars will be filming part of biopic blockbuster Amelia on the Wild Coast in July and popular
coastal hotels Trennery‘s and Seagulls have been booked out to accommodate the international cast and
crew.
Seagulls manager Juan Sahd this week confirmed the Amelia team would be staying at the beachfront
hotel for four days.
“We have only just heard and are wonderfully excited,” said Sahd. “It will be a great experience for
everyone in the Qolora area.”
A staff member at Trennery‘s, famed for its mouthwatering seafood extravaganzas, also told Weekend
Post the Amelia team would be staying there.
Swank, 33, who is also the executive producer of the drama, and who scooped the best actress Oscar in
1999 for Boys Don‘t Cry and again in 2005 for her role in Million Dollar Baby, will star as Amelia
Earhart, the famed aviator who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932.
Earhart and her plane vanished five years later over the Pacific during an attempt to fly around the world.
Hollywood hunk Gere, 58, has been cast as author and explorer George Putnam, who married Earhart in
1931 and wrote her biography after she disappeared.
Amelia is directed by Mira Nair and also features Sideways star Virginia Madsen as Putney‘s first wife.
Excited locals are looking forward to the privilege of having the stars in their neck of the woods.
These pictures where taken on May 16, 2008.
Brooklyn's Finest - Official Poster
By DOREEN HOOVER
May 28, 2008
Karen Waltham thinks Richard Gere is charismatic and as handsome as ever.
The Dunnville business woman should know because the American actor was a guest at her bed and
breakfast on Monday night. Gere was making a quick stop in town to work on the motion picture
Amelia being shot at the Dunnville Airport this week.
"What a nice man he is and you remember how handsome he looked in Pretty Woman--well he's still
that handsome," Waltham told The Chronicle yesterday. "He also has charisma because I felt like a
16-year-old."
Waltham found out Gere would be staying at her bed and breakfast, Waltham's Way, late on Saturday
after being contacted by representatives from the film's production company. He was booked for two
nights, Monday and Tuesday, and took all three upstairs rooms.
As soon as Waltham knew Gere was coming to her Alder Street East home she decided to keep the
news to herself.
"When they called me they said to use my discretion," she said. "Eight hundred people showed up
when they were looking for extras so I figured if they knew Richard Gere was going to be here that
my yard would be peppered with people. No thank you."
Waltham said she expected Gere to arrive in Dunnville on Monday around 8:30 p.m., but he was held
up in New York and didn't arrive until 11 p.m.
"He came in and went upstairs and I showed him where everything is," Waltham said. "I asked what
he wanted for breakfast and he didn't want anything to eat--just a pot of tea. He was just wearing blue
jeans and runners and travelled by himself except for his driver. He seems to be a very independent
person."
Later while Waltham was sitting in her family room Gere came down and asked her for a battery for
his clock.
"He's so nice," she said. "I'll be 67 years old this year, but I could hardly fall asleep because I had
Richard Gere in my house. It was fun."
Since Waltham thought Gere would be returning to her bed and breakfast on Tuesday evening she
didn't get a photo of him on Monday. That's something that's a disappointment to her now because
after he left for the set at 6 a.m. on Tuesday she found out he would only be working on the film that
day and would then be heading to Toronto.
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"It's disappointing that I didn't get a picture, but I thought I would get it the next day on his way
home," she said. "He tricked me, but I won't hold it against him. This has all been so exciting." "It was
all very brief, but he makes an impression--he did on me anyway," Waltham added. "This has been the
thrill for the rest of my life."
May 28, 2008
Karen Waltham thinks Richard Gere is charismatic and as handsome as ever.
The Dunnville business woman should know because the American actor was a guest at her bed and
breakfast on Monday night. Gere was making a quick stop in town to work on the motion picture
Amelia being shot at the Dunnville Airport this week.
"What a nice man he is and you remember how handsome he looked in Pretty Woman--well he's still
that handsome," Waltham told The Chronicle yesterday. "He also has charisma because I felt like a
16-year-old."
Waltham found out Gere would be staying at her bed and breakfast, Waltham's Way, late on Saturday
after being contacted by representatives from the film's production company. He was booked for two
nights, Monday and Tuesday, and took all three upstairs rooms.
As soon as Waltham knew Gere was coming to her Alder Street East home she decided to keep the
news to herself.
"When they called me they said to use my discretion," she said. "Eight hundred people showed up
when they were looking for extras so I figured if they knew Richard Gere was going to be here that
my yard would be peppered with people. No thank you."
Waltham said she expected Gere to arrive in Dunnville on Monday around 8:30 p.m., but he was held
up in New York and didn't arrive until 11 p.m.
"He came in and went upstairs and I showed him where everything is," Waltham said. "I asked what
he wanted for breakfast and he didn't want anything to eat--just a pot of tea. He was just wearing blue
jeans and runners and travelled by himself except for his driver. He seems to be a very independent
person."
Later while Waltham was sitting in her family room Gere came down and asked her for a battery for
his clock.
"He's so nice," she said. "I'll be 67 years old this year, but I could hardly fall asleep because I had
Richard Gere in my house. It was fun."
Since Waltham thought Gere would be returning to her bed and breakfast on Tuesday evening she
didn't get a photo of him on Monday. That's something that's a disappointment to her now because
after he left for the set at 6 a.m. on Tuesday she found out he would only be working on the film that
day and would then be heading to Toronto.
Advertisement
"It's disappointing that I didn't get a picture, but I thought I would get it the next day on his way
home," she said. "He tricked me, but I won't hold it against him. This has all been so exciting." "It was
all very brief, but he makes an impression--he did on me anyway," Waltham added. "This has been the
thrill for the rest of my life."