During a trip to New York, Karine Gombeau, a resident of France, went for a stroll through the streets. In one of the alleys, she noticed a homeless man who was walking next to the garbage cans and clearly looking for food.
Karine walked into the nearest diner, bought a pizza, and handed the package to the man without thinking. When she opened the paper the next day, she realized she had met Richard Gere, whom she had mistook for a beggar. Karine immediately noticed the number of homeless people in the city compared to Europe. Since the man in the alley touched her more than others, she decided to help him sincerely.
Due to her limited English proficiency, the woman did not understand any of the man’s explanations. After handing him a package, the Frenchwoman wished him a good day and continued walking around the city. While the actors are working on the streets of the city, paparazzi follow them all the time. A series of photos appeared the next day in the newspapers. From the papers, Karine learned that Gere had just finished a shoot and didn’t want to change his character during his lunch break.
Her inability to recognize Gere only indicates how well and carefully the make-up artists and stylists worked on his image. A film was being shot nearby when Karine and her family happened to be in this part of the city by accident. Later, Gere admitted to reporters that he had been seriously influenced by a woman’s kindness.
