Although careers rise and fall, talent usually finds it way back to the screen every once in a while in some shape or form.
Actors who've been away from the limelight usually get a second or third act in their career at some point, but Richard Gere has a not-totally-unfounded claim as to why he's being prevented from starring in films from major studios.
In an interview with THR, Gere explained that it's down to his work with the Free Tibet movement and China. "There are definitely movies that I can't be in because the Chinese will say, 'Not with him"... I recently had an episode where someone said they could not finance a film with me because it would upset the Chinese."
Gere famously was banned for life from entering China, owing to his highly visible support of Tibet, the Dalai Lama and admonishment of the ruling government in China - and even brought it up during an Academy Award speech in 1993.
As well as this, Gere even discussed an incident with a Chinese director he was due to work with that backed away from the film because of him. "We had a secret phone call on a protected line. If I had worked with this director, he, his family would never have been allowed to leave the country ever again, and he would never work," said Gere.
This isn't scare-mongering or excuse-making by Gere, either. China is the second-largest film market in the world right now, and Chinese production houses are funding every other major blockbuster in cinemas right now - so major studios wanting nothing to do with him because of his very public allegiances to China's perceived enemies isn't crazy talk.
Not that Gere cares about being in blockbusters, of course. According to him, he's no interest in "playing the wizened Jedi in your tentpole."
"I was successful enough in the last three decades that I can afford to do these (smaller films) now."
Via THR
