American Gigolo star Richard Gere might have been on the short list to play Christian Grey if the Fifty Shades of Grey adaptation were made in the ‘80s or early ‘90s, but these days he’s tackling less risque fare.

VIDEO: Richard Gere on 'Marigold Hotel' Sequel Beating 'Fifty Shades': 'We're Much Sexier'

The actor recently checked into the The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, a film about a group of seniors who find new life and adventure at a hotel in India. The sequel recently knocked Fifty Shades of Grey off the top of the box office charts in England, leading many to wonder if the film industry is overlooking a more mature demographic.

"How funny, I didn't know that," Gere laughed when told the box office news. "We're much sexier, much sexier."

"We can't offer bondage, but we can offer a lot of other things," the film’s director John Madden told ET. "We offer not quite as many shades of grey in our film, but some very distinguished heads, I think."

The original 2012 film was surprisingly successful, grossing $136 million worldwide on a $10 million budget, which came as no shock to AARP The Magazine’s West Coast Editor Meg Grant.

"He presented an interesting group of people in their 60s and 70s, still falling in love with each other and taking new jobs, who liked to party and dance," Grant told ET. "The grown-up audience just loved it."

VIDEO: This Is What Happens When Three Grandmas Smoke Weed for the First Time

The success of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has also motivated more mature movies apart from the sequel. Liam Neeson's reign as an action hero has continued into the actor’s 60s, with his latest film Run All Night. This spring we’ll also see Gwyneth Paltrow’s mom Blythe Danner in a leading role in I’ll See You In My Dreams as well as a romantic comedy, Ruth & Alex, starring Diane Keaton and Morgan Freeman.

"We grew up going to movies in movie theaters," Grant said of senior cinema audiences. "We've got the extra cash nowadays and the time. We like watching actors of our age entertain us. We want to support that."

VIDEO: Three Grandmas Watch 'Fifty Shades of Grey'

Speaking of mature moviegoers, see what happened when ET took three grandmas to see Fifty Shades of Grey in the video below!