Richard Gere Reveals He's 'Happier Than Ever' After Moving to Spain with Wife Alejandra Silva and Their Kids

"The truth is that you are seeing us in our momentum," Gere said of the couple

Richard Gere is getting candid about his life in Spain with wife Alejandra Silva.

The Pretty Woman star, 75, shared in an interview with Elle España that he has found new fulfillment since moving to the country with his wife, 41, and their children, which includes their sons Alexander, 5, and James, 4, and Silva’s son Albert, 11. 

"The truth is that you are seeing us in our momentum. We are happier than ever," Gere told the outlet. "[Alejandra], because she is at home and I because, if she is happy, I am happy."

The Agency actor — who met Silva in Italy in 2014 after his divorce from ex-wife Carey Lowell, whom he shares son Homer James, 24 — also shared that what keeps him and his wife united is their  common interest in environmental work. The couple have collaborated together on the Sierra a Mar project in Mexico and other projects, which have earned them recognition.

Related: Richard Gere Jokes About Becoming Bilingual Ahead of 'Great' Move to Spain with Wife Alejandra Silva and Their Kids

"We can all minimize this sense of ego, of the self. And that's when true change occurs,” he explained of the work.

“My wife shines for her open-mindedness and her genuine sense of gratitude," he added. “So connecting with that, however you do it, whether you consider it spirit or religion, love or compassion ... it's infinite."

Silva told Elle España that she and her husband have been in step with each other ever since they first met in Positano on the Amalfi Coast, and that they have further aligned their dreams and goals since marrying in 2018. 

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

“We are like soul mates,” Silva said. “We have the same values, we see the world in the same way and from the first moment we felt like we have known each other for a long time. And this only happens once, if it happens at all ... We were united by the karma of our past lives.”

Gere first shared his plans to move to the European country during an April 2024 interview withVanity Fair Spain. The actor said the move to his wife's home country was to allow her to be closer to her relatives.

"For Alejandra, it will be wonderful to be closer to her family, her lifelong friends and her culture," he said of Silva. "She was very generous in giving me six years living in my world, so it is only fair that I give her at least another six living in hers."

Gere then made an appearance on the Today Show in November 2024 just ahead of their move and explained, “My wife is Spanish, and we’re going there for her family, her friends, her culture. The kids are bilingual, so it’s really going to be great for them.”

The following month, he and Silva were photographed while out and about in Madrid together.

Related: Who Is Richard Gere's Wife? All About Alejandra Silva — and Why the Couple Is Moving to Spain

Gere, who had breakout roles in 1980's American Gigolo and 1982's An Officer and a Gentleman, shared last month on an episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast how he made “a subconscious choice on my part to step back” and act in lower-profile projects.

“I said, ‘Enough. I don't really like all this attention ... I don't wanna be looked at,’ ” the actor recalled of his decision. 

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

However, he also noted that he stood by his acting "choices" in the past. “I made some choices — not that I'm ashamed of it — but there were choices not to be in the big game. They were to be in a smaller game.”