Richard Gere opened up about the two-decade long ban from Academy Awards he faced as a consequence of outspoken support for Tibetan independence during the 1993 ceremony.
At the Oscars event, Gere went off-script while presenting the award for Best Art Direction.
He condemned China’ human rights record and called for freedom for Tibet.
His remarks singled out former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping which drew applause from the audience.
However, American Gigolo drew flak from the Academy officials who felt the Oscars should remain apolitical.
Speaking in a recent interview, Gere said he never took the ban 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,” he explained in the candid chat with Variety.
The actor emphasized that compassion led to his advocacy, and it aligned with the teachings of the Dalai Lama (whom he considers a close friend).
He added that he tries to stay true to the Dalai Lama’s philosophy that everyone is redeemable, “I mean to harm anger. I mean to harm exclusion. I mean to harm human rights abuses,”
Though, he has never discussed the Oscar controversy with Dalai Lama.
The Pretty Woman alum returned to the stage after the ban ended in 2013 to present awards for Best Original Song and Best Original Score.
At the time, he joked, “Apparently, I’ve been rehabilitated. It seems if you stay around long enough, they forget they’ve banned you.”
