Richard Gere confirmed for first major TV role
LOS ANGELES: Richard Gere has been officially confi rmed for his fi rst major TV role in “MotherFatherSon”.
The eight-part original drama, which is being made by BBC Studios Drama London for BBC Two, will also star Helen McCrory (“Peaky Blinders”, “Harry Potter”) and Billy Howle (“Witness for the Prosecution”, “On Chesil Beach”) and was written and created by Tom Rob Smith, whose credits include “Child 44”, “London Spy” and FX’s recent hit “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”.
“It’s been almost 30 years since I worked in television,” Gere said on Tuesday in a statement. “I’m so pleased to be working now with the BBC on this extraordinary eight-hour project with such talented people and which resonates so much to the time we live in.”
“MotherFatherSon” will see Gere play Max, a charismatic self-made American businessman with media outlets in London and around the world.
McCrory will play Kathryn, a British heiress who has been estranged from Max following the breakdown of their marriage some years before.
Their 30-year- old son, Caden ( Howle), runs Max’s UK newspaper and is primed to follow in his father’s footsteps as one of the most powerful men in the world.
But when Caden’s selfdestructive lifestyle spirals out of control, the devastating consequences threaten the future of the family, its empire and a country on the brink of change.
James Kent, who helmed 2014’s critically lauded “Testament of Youth”, has been confi rmed as the series’ lead director.
“Telling this story was always going to depend upon gathering an extraordinary cast,” said Smith. “Richard Gere has starred in some of the most famous movies of all time. His roles are iconic and complex. He’s joined by the remarkable Helen McCrory, showcasing heartbreaking
It’s been almost 30 years since I worked in television. I’m so pleased to be working now with the BBC on this extraordinary eight-hour project with such talented people and which resonates so much to the time we live in. Richard Gere, actor
emotional tenderness and immense power. And completing the central family is Billy Howle, one of the most exciting young actors I’ve ever had the privilege of watching perform. Under the brilliant direction of James Kent, the show promises to be something special for the BBC.”
“MotherFatherSon” will be distributed internationally by BBC Studios. Filming will begin this summer in London and on location in Spain.