Richard Gere never knew where he wanted his career to go.

Richard Gere

Richard Gere

The 68-year-old Hollywood actor has starred in a number of varied movies, from 'American Gigolo' to 'Pretty Woman' - and was even in the musical adaptation of 'Chicago' - but Gere admitted he said it makes his life "more interesting".

Speaking to The I Paper, Gere said: "Maybe my agent had a plan, but I never did. That's probably why you see it going in so many directions. Which I like. It makes it more interesting for me to discover my life, my career, whatever I do, as it's happening.

"It's always filled with surprises. I've been extremely fortunate that way."

Gere's latest movie 'The Dinner' - helmed by Oren Moverman - follows two couples who are dining at an upscale restaurant and during the course of their meal their polite discourse disguises the fact that they are all struggling with family issues.

Gere stars alongside Laura Linney in the new movie, which is his third collaboration with the actress as well as Steve Coogan and Rebecca Hall, and said Coogan goes into some "very dark territory".

He said: "He's very brave and goes into some very dark territory - not just emotionally, but psychologically as well.

"You think he's initially the truth-teller in our story and then the film shifts and you realise that he has some really serious problems and the movie starts to take on another point of view. Oren is always interested in people in extremis; he's interested in society, how people fit into society and the responsibility of culture and society to the individual. 'The Dinner' is about that. Who are we responsible to, and on what level? Are we here just to protect our closest family, or even just our kids? Or do we teach them responsibility for our actions? So you have this argument coming from four different points of view."

The Dinner is out in cinemas from 8th December