February 5, 2025 4:59 am

Paul Schrader Reveals Why He Cast Richard Gere Against Type in 'Oh Canada'
Paul Schrader Reveals Why He Cast Richard Gere Against Type in 'Oh Canada'

Paul Schrader Reveals Why He Cast Richard Gere Against Type in ‘Oh Canada’

Oh, Canada reunites director Paul Schrader with American Gigolo star Richard Gere almost 45 years later. Oh, Canada sees Gere play Leonard Fife, an acclaimed documentary filmmaker and ex-pat with increasing dementia who is close to death. Fife decides to take part in a documentary by his students where he essentially confesses his many life sins, including multiple affairs and the various lies he has told about himself. It is a very different role for Gere, who, thanks to American Gigolo, became a sex symbol and is typically known for playing charming leading men in movies like An Officer and a Gentleman, Pretty Woman, and Runaway Bride.

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​In a role that might have traditionally gone to Anthony Hopkins or Tommy Lee Jones, Paul Schrader wanted an actor audiences wouldn’t expect. Read More