Movies - TV
Richard Gere's Oscars Ban, Explained
By VALERIE ETTENHOFER
Richard Gere didn't show his face at the Academy Awards ceremony for two decades after he was reportedly blacklisted from the awards following a political speech he gave in 1993.
Gere was a huge deal in the early '90s, and he was picked to present the Oscar for Best Art Direction. He used this moment to talk about human rights violations in China.
In a preamble to his scripted speech, Gere, a Buddhist and activist, directly addressed Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and cited China’s record of reported human rights violations.
The audience at the Oscars applauded his speech, but producer Gil Cates hated it, calling it "arrogant" and telling the LA Times that he wouldn't invite Gere back.
The ban didn't last forever, as the actor attended the Oscars again in 2013, but he's been denied roles or had his movies buried because he could tank a film’s overseas box office.