Richard Gere: Buddhism calms me

Richard Gere uses Buddhism to "dominate" the anger that used to plague him.

The 66-year-old star became interested in the religion when he began asking big questions about the universe and science as a young man. His 15-year-old son Homer is currently considering the same things, and Richard wonders if he might embrace spirituality too.

"Buddhism has taught me to look inside myself more deeply, to worry less and less about the opinions of others and to share the pain and the joy or other human beings. It's also been very helpful in enabling me to dominate the anger I carried with me as a young man. If I get angry, I run the risk of hurting someone's feelings and I can't forgive myself on the rare occasions when I allow that to happen," he told British magazine Hello!

Homer's mother is Richard's estranged wife Carey Lowell - the pair are currently getting divorced. Both are very involved in Homer's life though, with Richard calling the boy one of the "most purely beautiful events" in his life.

He loves watching how the teenager thinks about life, as his excitement is infectious. It's made Richard try to forget about the things that drag him, and other adults, down, as he will no longer consider anything "petty, selfish or corrupting".

"You learn patience and openness and generosity: coming from where I was - a very impatient man - to where I am now, it's been a major transformation. But mainly, I've understood the feeling of joy. You usually don't pay any attention to it because we're so busy, but joy is everywhere and at the core of that joy is love," he explained.