Legendary actor shares truth behind his 20-year Oscars ban
The Academy Awards allegedly weren't too impressed with his speech during the 1993 ceremony.
The Academy Awards have had many iconic moments over the years, such as the Chris Rock-Will Smith slap that was seen around the world.
READ: Meghan Markle in touch with hospitalised father says spokesperson
Many Hollywood stars and industry professionals have chosen to use the stage to speak up about their passions and beliefs, whether it's acting, politics or activism.
It is not uncommon for some celebrities to face backlash after an awards ceremony speech, but very few have been banned from the event.
READ: Top four South African banks closing ATMs
Richard Gere, known for his roles in 'Pretty Woman' and 'Chicago', was a firm fixture in Hollywood during the 80s and 90s, earning multiple Golden Globe nominations.
It was only a matter of time before he got the Oscar nomination that everyone expected.
READ: Acting legend Judi Dench says loss of sight is 'a crusher'
Unfortunately, his speech at the 1993 Academy Awards would result in him being added to the blacklist.
Gere had fostered a close relationship with the Dalai Lama, and during his presenting slot at the awards ceremony, fired some serious shots at the Chinese government, speaking passionately about the treatment of Tibetan people and lambasting former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping.
READ: The 2026 Golden Globes nominations are here!
He also called on the attendees to "send love and truth and kind of sanity to Deng Xiaoping right now in Beijing".
His speech landed him in hot water and resulted in a 20-year ban from the awards.
READ: Kim Kardashian shares why she wore diamonds to robbery trial
Gere's ban ended in 2013, and he made his first appearance on the Oscars stage then.
At the time, he told HuffPost: "Apparently, I've been rehabilitated. It seems if you stay around long enough, they forget they've banned you."
READ: Brendan Peyper 'hard launch' sy nuwe verhouding
According to some sources, the "ban" never even existed.
The Daily Mail reported that Gere was invited several times during that period but didn't attend due to 'scheduling conflicts'.
Meanwhile, in 2007, a spokesperson for the Academy's press office told GQ: "We don't ban presenters. There's no such thing as a ban."
READ: South African private schools face serious SARS change
As per the Los Angeles Times, Gilbert 'Gil' Cates, the late producer of the awards ceremony, said: "Does anyone care about Richard Gere’s comments about China? It’s arrogant."
Also referring to Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, who, like Gere, deviated from their script, Cates added: "I wouldn’t invite them to my home, and I won’t invite them to a future show."
READ: Say goodbye to these 16 major DStv channels
In a recent interview with Variety, Gere spoke about his new project, 'Wisdom of Happiness', a documentary about his longtime friend, the Dalai Lama.
Gere is the executive producer, and during the interview, he spoke about the 1993 scandal.
I didn’t take it particularly personally. I didn’t think there were any bad guys in the situation. I do what I do and I certainly don’t mean anyone any harm. I mean to harm anger. I mean to harm exclusion. I mean to harm human rights abuses, but I try to stay as close to where His Holiness comes from… that everyone is redeemable, and in the end, everyone has to be redeemed or none of us [are]. So in that sense, I don’t take it personally.
Tune in to 'The Drive with Rob & Roz', on weekdays from 16:00 – 19:00. Stream the show live here or download our mobile app here.
Listen to Jacaranda FM:
- 94.2
- Jacaranda FM App
- http://jacarandafm.com
- DStv 858/ OpenView 602
Follow us on social media:
Image: AFP