This is the moment Richard Gere stormed the stage to help turn on the Christmas lights in Murcia on Friday.
The Pretty Woman star, 76, shouted ‘hola, Murcia!’ repeatedly before greeting ‘los chicos y las chicas’ (the boys and the girls), who were standing beside him.
‘It’s all about the children,’ he said, referencing the young cancer patients who had bravely taken to the stage to be honoured before the switch on ceremony.
Thousands of residents and visitors gathered in Plaza Circular for the event, with Gere adding a serious sprinkle of celebrity.
Moments before Gere’s appearance, Mayor Jose Ballesta and the director of the Aladina Foundation announced a gymnasium for children with cancer that will be housed at the Virgen de la Arrixaca Hospital.
Gere was then brought out to much applause. After greeting the crowd, he slipped into Spanglish as he heaped praise on Ballesta, describing him as ‘wonderful’, ‘sweet’ and ‘simpatico’ (nice).
Ballesta asked Gere if there was still room for hope in this world today.
Gere said that, looking out to the crowd, he could see a sea of lights, saying that it reminded him of ‘who we really are.’
He continued: ‘We are all creatures of light, we’re not creatures of darkness. No matter what the bad guys tell you.
‘We were born creatures of light and we will always be creatures of light. It’s nice to have these celebrations, when we can remember, that that’s exactly who we are.
‘And when that light emerges, all of us come together as one.’
He added: ‘So hopefully when the light goes on, on this incredible tree right here, we can imagine that all of our teeny little lights, comes together with everyone else’s light, and we can imagine this extraordinary garden that this world could be, if we do the work to make that happen together.’
