There are some stories that Hollywood would rather keep under lock and key. Among them the famous controversy over Richard Gere, one which has now lasted for three decades and which he still remembers today as if it were yesterday. The actor, personal friend of the Dalai Lama and defender of independence … from Tibetthen starred in one of the most high-profile gestures of the 1990s: a public denunciation of China’s occupation of Tibet and human rights abuses, calling on China to withdraw its troops. A speech that made the Academy extremely uncomfortable.
“I didn’t think there were any bad guys in this situation. I do what I do and I certainly don’t want to hurt anyone. I intend to hurt anger. I intend to hurt the exclusion. I intend to harm human rights violations, but I try to remain as faithful as possible to the idea of His Holiness…that everyone is redeemable, and that ultimately, everyone must be redeemed, or none of us are. So, in that sense, I don’t take it personally,” the actor admitted in an interview.
Oscar Gala
To situate yourself, you have to go back to the mid-90s: red carpet with maximalist glamour, jewelry that seemed inherited from Hungarian queens and men’s suits with wide lapels, dictated by pre-digital canons. Richard Gere, already one of the most recognized faces on the planet thanks to his films “Pretty Woman” and “An Officer and a Gentleman”, took to the Oscar stage as a presenter.
“I didn’t think there were any bad guys in this situation. I do what I do and, of course, I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
What happened next belongs in the pantheon of unexpected gala moments: Gere used the microphone to ask China to let the people of Tibet “live again as free and independent people”. As has been said for years, his comments did not really please the organizers. While some spectators applauded his courage, the industry reacted with that restraint that only Hollywood masters, polite smiles in public, whispers in the hallways.
From that point on, the idea began to circulate that Gere had been banned from the Oscars. However, what rather there was an institutional cooling: fewer invitations, less presence, more distance. Nothing official, nothing signed, nothing recorded. Simply that invisible label that Hollywood places on those who break the live script.
Over time, the Academy itself has changed its codes. Today, it is common to see intense speeches, calls to action and clear positions. But Gere was ahead of his time.
The so-called veto failed to stop what Gere has always been, an actor with one foot in spiritual Tibet and another on the red carpet. His career evolved, combining commercial cinema and independent and humanitarian projects. Gere is currently promoting the documentary “The Wisdom of Happiness,” based specifically on the life of the 89-year-old spiritual leader. “I must devote my last energies to presenting it. At the very least, it will leave an imprint on the minds of those who see it.
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