Richard Gere was not officially banned from the Oscars but was unofficially excluded for about 20 years following off-script remarks in 1993 criticizing China's human rights violations in Tibet.

The 1993 Incident

While presenting the Best Art Direction nominees at the 65th Academy Awards, Gere deviated from the script to denounce China's "horrendous human rights violations" and urge leader Deng Xiaoping to withdraw troops from Tibet. This activism, tied to his role as a Buddhist and chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet, also included organizing a related press conference. The Academy producer Gil Cates reportedly vowed not to invite Gere back, alongside actors like Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins for similar political comments that night.

Unofficial Blacklist Duration

Gere did not return to the Oscars until around 2013, spanning nearly two decades of absence despite his prominence from films like An Officer and a Gentleman. Unlike Will Smith's formal 10-year ban in 2022, no official Academy statement addressed Gere's exclusion. His advocacy also led to a lifetime ban in China and career impacts, such as lost financing for China- related projects.