Richard Gere was prohibited from entering China following a contentious Oscars statement

Richard Gere

Richard Gere went from being one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading men to a small-time actor because he said bad things about the Chinese government, he said. Richard Gere, who turned 73 today, used to be a big star.

He played iconic roles in movies like Pretty Woman. Fans haven’t seen much of the actor in mainstream movies since the 1990s, which he said was because he spoke his mind about Tibet.

Gere was one of the most popular leading men in Hollywood in the 1990s. His face was on the posters for many romance movies, such as Runaway Bride and Somersby. Even though Gere was a Hollywood heartthrob, he said it was hard for him to get work in mainstream movies after he went off script at the Oscars.

Award for Art Direction

Gere gave the award for Art Direction, which went to Ian Whittaker and Luciana Arrighi for the movie Howards End, at the 1993 Academy Awards. Gere didn’t just read what was written on the teleprompter. Instead, he took the spotlight to criticize the Chinese government.

The actor started his speech by saying that he was amazed by how many people were watching the award show. He said, “It’s being watched in China right now.” Gere said, “I wonder if Deng Xiaoping is watching this right now with his kids and grandkids, knowing what a terrible situation there is for human rights in China.” Not just to their people, but also to Tibet.

The future in Hollywood was already ruined

“If something miraculous and kind of like a movie could happen here where we could all send love and truth and a kind of sanity to Deng Xiaoping right now in Beijing, he will take his troops and take the Chinese out of Tibet and let these people live as free, independent people again.”

Gere quickly went back to the speech that was written on the teleprompter, but his future in Hollywood was already ruined. The actor didn’t go to the Oscars again, either as a nominee or as a presenter, for 20 years.

After this, it got harder and harder for Gere to find work in mainstream movies. For example, he was not allowed to do press for 1997’s Red Corner. In 2017, he told the Hollywood Reporter, “I get calls out of the blue saying, ‘We don’t want you doing press.'”

MGM wanted to make a deal with the Chinese that would cover everything. He said, “China told them, ‘If you put this movie out, we won’t buy it.'” So they got rid of it.”

“There are movies I can’t be in because the Chinese will say, ‘Not with him.'” Someone told me recently that they couldn’t fund a movie with me because it would upset the Chinese.

China is becoming a more profitable market for Hollywood movies

China is becoming a more profitable market for Hollywood movies. In 2020, it was the biggest box office market in the world. Because he has been a vocal critic of China’s government, the actor has become bad for business in the country. As the problems he was having at work in Hollywood got worse, the star turned to make independent films, but he still had problems there.

He said about one independent film with a Chinese director, “If I had worked with this director, he and his family would never have been able to leave the country again, and he would never work.”

Gere said that his international success with movies like “Pretty Woman” gave him the money and chance to work on independent movies and that the fact that he seems to have been kicked out of Hollywood has only made him more active.

The Buddhists has close ties to Tibet

The actor said that his limited future in Hollywood “hasn’t changed my life at all.” Instead, Gere has gotten some of the best reviews of his career in the independent film industry.

The Buddhist has close ties to Tibet and may even be friends with the Dalai Lama, the leader of Tibet who lives in exile. In 2008, the actor from the movie “Arbitrage” called for the Beijing Olympics to be skipped. He also started The Gere Foundation and helped start the Tibet House US.

Looper’s words after his Oscar speech

On the website for The Gere Foundation, the actor tells readers to “let your heart motivate you.” He writes, “This is how I got involved. I have been able to help in ways I never thought possible because I let my concern for the Tibetans and their culture guide me.

Follow your heart, join in, and help in any way you can.” Looper says that after his Oscar speech, the actor was told he couldn’t go to China. But the news source said that Gere is not the only Hollywood star who has been banned from the country. Brad Pitt also got himself into a similar situation by accident.

Pitt played the 14th Dalai Lama’s teacher in the 1997 movie Seven Years in Tibet. According to reports, Chinese officials were upset with how China was shown in the movie. Because of this, most of the people who were in the movie were banned from China, but Brad Pitt was able to go back in 2016.

Ammaji