From Brad Pitt to Sharon Stone, here are 5 Hollywood actors banned by China

China has stepped up censorship of American films, expanding it from cutting a few scenes to banning an entire film in recent times. The move which poses the risk of spiralling polarity in the world has seen many film scripts altered to suit the needs of "the dragon".

The restrictions have not only been limited to feature films and productions but also expanded to many Hollywood celebrities including some fan favorite actors. Notably, the Asian giant has a gigantic film market valued at more than USD 7.4 billion.

Hollywood actors banned by China 

Brad Pitt: In 1997, Pitt portrayed the role of the 14th Dalai Lama’s tutor in the film Seven Years. The film, however, offended the ruling communist party for its portrayal of the Chinese occupation of the Tibetan Plateau. As a result, the Hollywood megastar faced a ban on entry to Chinese territory, which was only lifted in 2016.

Richard Gere: During the 1993 Academy Awards, Gere made an impromptu speech about the human rights abuses that China had inflicted on Tibet. As a result, Beijing imposed a ban on the actor. Many major studios also stopped casting Gere anymore as they want Chinese distribution to increase their profit. 

Sharon Stone: In 2008, Stone, while speaking at the Cannes Film Festival, said that the Sichuan Earthquake was the result of bad karma built up by the Chinese for oppressing the Dalai Lama. The natural disaster had killed at least 90,000 people. 

Harrison Ford: In 1992 Ford - a human rights advocate - was involved in Tibetan issues. Meanwhile, his wife at the time, Melissa Matheson, worked with Martin Scorsese on the script for the film Kundun which focused on the story of the 14th Dalai Lama. In 1995, Ford testified before the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the need for Tibetan independence and highlighted all of China’s human rights abuses. Since then, the couple has been banned from entering China.

Anastasia Lin: In 2016, Lin starred in The Bleeding Edge, a Canadian-Chinese film about human rights violations in China. Lin-a Chinese-Canadian citizen has been involved in multiple campaigns calling out Beijing for its blatant human rights abuse. 

(Image: AP)