And the Oscar goes to…
In a Dec. 3 interview with Variety, Richard Gere reflected on his reported 20-year absence from the Academy Awards.
“I never really took it personally,” said the 76-year-old Pretty Woman star.
He continued, “I didn’t feel like there were any villains involved. I simply do what I do, and I never intend to hurt anyone. What I stand against is anger, exclusion, and human rights abuses. I try to remain aligned with the values of His Holiness,” he added, referencing his longtime friend of 45 years, the Dalai Lama.
Richard Gere was seen kissing the hand of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama during a prayer ceremony honoring the leader’s 90th birthday at the Main Tibetan Temple in McLeod Ganj, near Dharamsala, on July 6, 2025.
The An Officer and a Gentleman star said he strives to live by the Dalai Lama’s teachings — particularly the belief 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.”
Gere’s reported two-decade absence from the Oscars traces back to 1993, when he used his time as a presenter to speak out against what he called China’s “horrendous, horrendous human rights issue” in Tibet.
Richard Gere attended the Goya International Award photocall at Charles V’s Palace in the Alhambra on Feb. 7, 2025, in Granada, Spain.
Back in 1993, Gere was slated to present the nominees for Best Art Direction — a category eventually won by Howards End. But instead of sticking to the script, he used the moment to make a passionate plea.
“…if something miraculous — really kind of movie-like — could happen here,” he said during the broadcast, “where we could all send love and truth and a kind of sanity to Deng Xiaoping right now in Beijing, that he will take his troops and take the Chinese away from Tibet and allow people to live as free, independent people again.”
Following that speech, the Primal Fear star didn’t return to the Oscars stage as a presenter until 2013 — marking a two-decade gap.
A photo from 1987 shows Richard Gere alongside the 14th Dalai Lama in New York City.
Gere served as an executive producer on the 2025 documentary Wisdom of Happiness, centered on the Dalai Lama. Over the years, he has frequently advocated for Tibetan rights and even urged a boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His activism has led to him being barred from entering China.
Despite the long history of political fallout — including his Oscars controversy — Gere said it’s not something he discusses with the Buddhist leader.
“It’s never really come up,” he said. “Sometimes, if I receive an award, they’ll mention it to him and he’ll send a note saying he’s happy for me. But that’s about as close as we get to talking about movies.”
