Why Richard Gere Was Banned From The Oscars

From Will Smith slapping Chris Rock to protesters streaking across the stage, the Oscars have featured plenty of jaw-dropping moments throughout the years. However, "Pretty Woman" star Richard Gere is one of the few Hollywood actors to hold the distinct honor of being banned by the Academy and an entire country — all because of one controversial speech.

In 1993, Gere was brought in to present the Oscar for best art direction, only to use the platform to go off-script and lambast the Chinese government over human rights abuses toward its own people and Tibetans. The actor has always been passionate about the cause, and his charity, the Gere Foundation, has a history of supporting Tibet and other humanitarian causes. Hence, his political stance was hardly surprising. That said, voicing his opinions on a public stage was enough to get him booted from the Oscars for 20 years.

Gere returned to the ceremony in 2013 to reunite with the cast of "Chicago," effectively ending his exile. While speaking to HuffPost, the actor said he stuck around long enough for the Academy to forget he was ever prohibited from attending an event. However, Gere's politically motivated speech annoyed influential people outside the entertainment industry, as he was also banned from visiting China.

Richard Gere's Oscars speech didn't go down well with the Chinese government, as he was subsequently banned from entering the country for life. Instead of trying to make amends with the nation's officials, however, he continued to protest against the regime, even calling on the Chinese government to address its history of human rights abuses in the lead-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This didn't help him mend any fences.

Furthermore, Gere believes his views on China have forced him to focus on independent projects. Reflecting on his career in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he revealed that the biggest entities in entertainment won't touch him as they rely on their movies performing well in the Eastern country, and he's too much of a risk to gamble on.

In the same interview, Gere elaborated on how the China ban has affected his indie projects as well. The "Chicago" alum said he was supposed to star in a low-key flick, only for the film's Chinese director to turn him down, fearing that his family would be forbidden from leaving the country. Despite this, Gere continues to advocate for human rights and has remained true to his beliefs.

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