The pretty-boy actor who starred in Pretty Woman and the very first two-time winner of People's "Sexiest Man Alive" award, Gere is better known these days as Hollywood's most prominent Buddhist.

Gere was raised in Philadelphia and started out his career as a musician, earning his first acting break on Broadway playing Danny Zuko in the musical Grease. Although he landed roles in critically respected dramas like Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Gere didn't really find his niche until the early '80s when he landed suave leading roles in romantic dramas like American Gigolo and An Officer and a Gentleman. His smooth and unthreatening ladies-man persona soon made him a ladymag favorite-he was the first man to appear on the cover of Vogue-and found his way to romantic comedy superstardom thanks to his role opposite Julia Roberts in 1990's Pretty Woman. He since branched out with turns in thrillers like Primal Fear and Unfaithful. Wimpy romantic roles, though, remain his bread and butter-witness Runaway Bride and Nights in Rodanthe. He returned to his Broadway roots by tap-dancing through Rob Marshall's big-screen version of Chicago in 2002.

Aside from his ability to make women of a certain (middle)age swoon, Gere is best known for being proudly, vocally, obnoxiously Buddhist. Ever since an inspiring book about Tibetan Buddhism helped cured his depression in the '70s, he's been Hollywood's leading exponent of the religion, and a major activist for Tibet. He's been pals with the Dalai Lama since the '80s, founded Tibet House with Robert Thurman (noted Buddhist scholar and father of Uma Thurman), and also heads a non-profit called Healing the Divide.

Married to Cindy Crawford from 1991 to 1995, Gere is now married to Law & Order alum Carey Lowell. The couple has one son, Homer. [Image via Getty]