Richard Gere Says He Isn't In Major Films Anymore After His Fall Out With China

Sep 08, 2021

Richard Gere is known for his charming ways, after being one of Hollywood's leading heartthrobs in the 1980s and early '90s. The 72-year-old began his acting career not long after dropping out of college, where he was on a gymnastics scholarship and was majoring in philosophy. 

Not long after leaving college Gere got involved in theater. Originally getting his start by appearing in theater productions in the late '60s and early '70s in both Seattle and Cape Cod, it wasn't until Gere landed the role of Danny Zuko in the original London stage version of the popular and beloved musical "Grease" that he would have his industry breakthrough.

Gere moved to Hollywood soon after his theater breakthrough and after appearing in the 1980 movie "American Gigolo" his career only continued to rise. He starred in some of the era's best romantic films including "An Officer and a Gentleman," "Internal Affairs," and of course, the iconic, "Pretty Woman." With two Golden Globe nominations under his belt, Gere had Hollywood at his fingertips.

But while Gere continued to act into the '90s and '00s, his star was nowhere near as strong as it was in his peak during the '80s and early '90s. If you ask the actor, there's a clear reason for that and it has to do with his being outspoken on a series of issues regarding China, starting in 1993.

Decades later in 2017, Gere opened up in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter about how he believes his activism caused him to be shunned by mainstream Hollywood, leading him to focus on more independent films in the decades since.

Alongside his glamorous movie career, Richard Gere has practiced Tibetan Buddhism for decades. He's spoken about his meditation practice in the past and he even considers the Dalai Lama a friend. 

With his interest in Tibet, Gere became more vocal in his support for the country and began to publicly denounce China's influence over Tibet. This led him to make an unexpected statement at the 1993 Academy Awards as he was about to present the award for Art Direction. 

Taking to the stage, the handsome actor begins by talking about the fact that the Oscars are streamed to countries all over the world, before considering whether people in China would be watching, specifically former Chairman Deng Xiaoping. He goes on to mention the "horrendous, horrendous human rights situation there is in China, not only towards their own people but to Tibet as well." Despite gaining the applause of the audience, the stunt didn't impress the producer of the awards show Gil Cates, who was furious, vowing to ban Gere from the Oscars in the future.

However, barely a few years later, Gere starred in the movie "Red Corner" (1997), in which he played an American lawyer who's wrongfully accused of murder in China. After starting to promote the movie, about which he told the Hollywood Reporter "everyone was happy with the film," he says he got a call from the heads of MGM telling him they didn't want him to do press. He explains:

"MGM wanted to make an overall deal with the Chinese. China told them, ‘If you release this film, we’re not buying it.’ And so, they dumped it.”

The film was still released, although it was mired in controversy and was ultimately censored in China. 

These incidents are just a few examples of when Gere has stood for what he believes is right, while his career has felt the repercussions. He also called for a boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, while two foundations he's involved with — International Campaign for Tibet and The Gere Foundation — have caused him to be banned from China for life. Opening up about the topic to the Hollywood Reporter in 2017, Gere stated:

“There are definitely movies that I can’t be in because the Chinese will say, ‘Not with him. I recently had an episode where someone said they could not finance a film with me because it would upset the Chinese.”

China is a huge market for Hollywood and the bottom line, it seems, is that Gere doesn't sell well there due to his outspoken criticism of the country and its government. In another example, Gere told HR about being ousted from an independent movie that wasn't even being financed by the big studios. He explains:

“There was something I was going to do with a Chinese director, and two weeks before we were going to shoot, he called saying, ‘Sorry, I can’t do it.' We had a secret phone call on a protected line. If I had worked with this director, he, his family would never have been allowed to leave the country ever again, and he would never work.”

But despite being persona non grata at both Hollywood awards shows and in China, Gere doesn't seem fazed, stating that he prefers to make indie movies anyway. He told HR:

“The studios are interested in the possibility of making huge profits. But I’m still making the same films that I was making when I started. Small, interesting, character-driven and narrative-driven stories. It hasn’t impacted my life at all.”

Are you a fan of Richard Gere? Did you know about his criticism of China, which the actor believes is to blame for his being shunned by Hollywood? If you learned something from this, pass it on to those you know so they can read about it too.