Antonio Banderas invites Hollywood star Richard Gere to see his Gypsy stage show in Malaga

Gypsy, the fourth musical directed by Antonio Banderas at his Malaga theatre, had a big-name star in the audeince yesterday. Actor Richard Gere attended one of the performances of the play starring Marta Ribera, whom he expressly congratulated for her performance. The American actor, winner of a Golden Globe, extended his congratulations to the rest of the cast despite the fact that his Spanish does not allow him to understand all the dialogues. He also congratulated Banderas' commitment to the CaixaBank Soho theatre, which he described as "beautiful", according to sources consulted.

Gere, who has been living in Madrid since last year, came to Malaga with his Spanish wife, Alejandra Silva, and they checked in to the Hotel Miramar. On the decision to move to Madrid, Gere admitted a few months ago: "For me, coming to Spain is a great adventure because I've never lived full-time outside the United States. And I think it's also very interesting for my children. For Alejandra, it's wonderful to be closer to her family, her lifelong friends and her culture. She was very generous to give me six years living in my world, so I think it's only fair that I give her at least another six years living in hers."

Banderas and Gere have maintained a close bond for years. At an event organised by Elle in November, the star of hits like Pretty Woman and An Officer and a Gentleman revealed the origin of their friendship: the actor from Malaga recently confessed to him that he sold a photograph of the two of them to the paparazzi to buy a plane ticket to Los Angeles. "It was the first time he came to Los Angeles, so the credit for his international career is entirely mine," he joked about the fame the star of The Skin I Live In has achieved on the other side of the Atlantic.

In 2022, Gere was one of the guests at the charity gala organised by the Starlite Foundation, hosted by Banderas and Sandra García-San Juan. On that occasion the protagonist was Alejandra Silva, awarded for her participation in the NGO Open Arms. "I am very excited for the recognition, after the pandemic and after having had such a hard time, for a work that is not only mine," she said at the time.

Gere began his film career in the mid-1970s, but it was with the arrival of the 1980s that he began to stand out as an actor thanks to his participation in the film American Gigolo, directed by Paul Schrader, and Officer and Gentleman, directed by Taylord Hackford; in both cases these were roles previously rejected by John Travolta. In 2002, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented him with an Honorary Oscar in recognition of his career.