Down and out in NYC: Richard Gere rifles through trash cans in scruffy clothes... but don't worry, it's only for a new movie

ARCHIVE 28 March, 2014 14:27

He shot to fame in the early 1980s in films American Gigolo and An Officer And A Gentleman, where he attracted a huge female following for his on-screen charisma and matinee idol good looks.

But Richard Gere looked almost unrecognisable from his dapper characters of yesteryear as he filmed scenes for his new role as a homeless man in Time Out Of Mind on Thursday.

The 64-year-old actor sported a woolly hat, drab grey coat, green trousers, white shirt, scarf and scuffed shoes as he rifled through trash bags in Queens, New York City.

As you've never seen him: Richard Gere looked a far cry from his dapper role in An Officer And A Gentleman or Pretty Woman as he filmed on location for Time Out Of Mind in Queens on Thursday

Unshaven, the actor also sported cuts on his eyebrow and cheek while rifling through an old suitcase.

His co-star Steve Buscemi joined him in the scene later, gesticulating to the baggage on the ground.

Gere plays a man 'who enters a shelter when he runs out of housing options, then struggles to put the pieces of his life back together and fix a troubled relationship with his estranged daughter,' according to a report on Deadline.com.

Down at heel: Gere rifles through clothes in a suitcase, with fake cuts on his cheek and eyebrow

Bin man: The 64-year-old actor plays a man who enters a homeless shelter when he runs out of homeless options

A far cry from Pretty Woman: The actor plays a man down on his luck

Back in the day: Gere as Zack Mayo in 1982 hit An Officer An A Gentleman

Directed by Oren Moverman, the film is also being produced by Gere, who admitted to Deadline he had been 'obsessed' with the project for 'many years now.'

'It is a profoundly human story that we are determined to make into a powerful film that speaks to everyone,' he said.

'I am proud and delighted to be collaborating with the brilliant writer/director Oren Moverman in telling this emotional and uncompromising story of loss, connection and the possibility of redemption.'

Moverman added: 'Richard is an actor I’ve admired for a long time and I am honoured to be working with him on a movie that doesn’t pussyfoot around social issues while telling a very accessible, human tale about a dispossessed man who is also a father, a lover, a friend and a statistic that deserves our attention.'

Gere has recently been filming in India for the sequel to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2 alongside original cast members Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton.

The sequel will focus on hotel owner Dev Patel who is juggling his plans for expansion with his impending marriage, according to The Wrap.com.

It's been a somewhat tumultuous year for Gere following his split from wife Carey Lowell last September.

Stars of the show: Gere was joined by his co-star Steve Buscemi to film the scene

Time change: Fans are more used to Gere in roles such as Edward Lewis in Pretty Woman and Julian Kaye in American Gigolo

The couple had been married for 11 years and have a teenager son - Homer.

According to People, Gere and Lowell had been living apart for some time before the split.

A friend told the website: 'They'll do everything possible to keep things amicable and put their child first.'

Gere had previously been married to model Cindy Crawford they divorced in 1995 after a four year union.

Casual costume: The Boardwalk Empire actor sported a baseball cap, denim jacket and hoodie for his scene