Richard Gere: "Trump is like a disturbed child who likes to destroy things."

BarcelonaRichard Gere He greeted the group of journalists he was scheduled to meet with this Wednesday at the door of a room in the Hotel Casa Fuster with big smiles and handshakes for everyone, a good sense of humor and a closeness that, he later explained, had a purpose. "If I had been sitting and looking at my phone, the atmosphere of the interview wouldn't have been the same, would it?" he said. "A smile and a greeting change everything. Kindness is the value we all share." It's an attitude that ties in with the Dalai Lama's speech in Wisdom and happiness, the documentary produced by Gere and presented at the BCN Film Fest, which gives voice to the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and, through his words and archive images, tells his personal story and summarizes his philosophy. A simple and accessible homily that repeatedly claims the right of Tibetan culture to exist, a cause that Pretty Woman and American gigolo has embraced for decades

One of the ideas that the Dalai Lama repeats most in the documentary is that we are all equal.

— As His Holiness says, we are all equal in the sense of wanting to be happy and get away from suffering. You see it in animals, in children, in everyone. Power, money, and fame are ephemeral. One day you're rich and the next day you're poor; one day you're famous and the next day you're not; one day you have everything you want and the next day you lose it. What's important are the deep psychological and metaphysical connections. In terms of quantum realities, in emotional terms, what matters is love and compassion, not thinking about yourself. This is what His Holiness does: there isn't a moment, not even when he's dreaming, when he doesn't think about how to help others. Not just helping people, but also animals and spirits, everyone. And as he says, he wasn't born on a lotus flower; he's worked for it. He's ninety years old and still gets up at 3:30 in the morning to meditate.

How do you reconcile this altruistic, other-oriented way of seeing the world with all the constant attention and recognition an actor receives?

— You think I wouldn't rather be walking alone in the woods right now? Yes. But as the Dalai Lama says, his job is to be the Dalai Lama. And mine is to be an actor. But also to be a student and representative of the Dalai Lama, using what I have to spread what His Holiness needs to say. I mean, it's not a job either. It's like: we're completely equal, but I'm playing the role of a movie star and you're playing journalists. At the same time, you're real journalists and I'm an actor. We're playing a game together, and it's our decision whether the outcome is beneficial or negative. I'm sure he'd rather write a piece that has a positive effect on the universe rather than adding more negativity. No one is better than anyone else, that's what His Holiness would say. And he's clearly better than us, but still, I'd say we're all the same.

You've been outspoken against Trump. Does it sadden you that so few people in Hollywood do so?

— I'm not aware of it. What saddens me is the lack of Republicans standing up to Trump. That's their job! Many of those who now support Trump's horrible policies and actions thought exactly the opposite before he was elected. They all supported the Agency for International Development, AIDS programs, and alleviating world hunger. But now even the American-made school lunch programs for children have been canceled. The only Republican who has protested is Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, but she has acknowledged that she does so out of fear of the consequences for herself. She is the only one who voted against those idiots in the cabinet. The rest, at this point, have been humiliated.

You said earlier that we're all playing a role. What do you think Trump is playing at?

— I don't know. Honestly, I don't know what Donald Trump is playing at. I talk constantly with my Republican and Democratic friends, with my friends in NGOs... And no one can unravel this guy's plot, beyond the fact that he seems to enjoy chaos and likes destroying things. There's no morality. Trump is like a disturbed child who likes destroying things.

Your support for Tibet has put you in China's crosshairs. As a Democrat and a critic of Donald Trump, what do you think of his personal war with China?

— It's the same superficial relationship it has with everything. The United States used to have relationships based on human rights, democracy, and the good faith of peoples and governments. Now it's a purely economic and transactional relationship, nothing more. I keep trying to find out if there's anyone close to you who knows what they're doing, but it seems not. The funny thing is that China has been very quiet. And it's because they know the world is changing and they are the beneficiaries of that change. In a way, they're delighted with the war in Ukraine, because for generations to come, they'll have cheaper Russian oil. And they're certainly anticipating Russia's decline. Their 100-year plan is to annex Siberia. They're smart enough to know that going to war doesn't help them, but they take advantage of the loopholes and mistakes of the rest of the world. This is a great moment for China.

Is it difficult for a Buddhist to live with the big egos of Hollywood?

— People talk about Hollywood as something terrible, but it's just a place where people work. Making a movie isn't easy: it's a job with long hours, a lot of pressure, and anxiety. It's also fun, but at the end of the day, it's a job, a good job. People take care of their children, fight with their wives, pay the mortgage... Just like everywhere. It's not such a special place.

If you were to tell the story of how a boy from Philadelphia became one of the most famous actors in Hollywood, what would your first scene be?

— The first thing that comes to mind is my first acting teacher in college, Doris Abramson. She was the first person who made me realize that I might have something to offer as an actor. It was my first moment of confidence. But my earliest memory was when I was seven years old, playing Santa Claus at school. My mom made the costume. I wore a red winter coat with cotton sleeves, a cotton beard, and a hat with a tassel.

Which movie are you most proud of?

— I've been asked this many times and I still haven't found the answer. All I can say is that it's probably Chicago It was the most fun. We had a great time. I've made very few films that I didn't like, or that I had a bad time making. I've been very lucky in my career. I've worked with great directors and, in most cases, with really good scripts and good people, good actors.

And has it never crossed your mind to direct?

— Today, although I've been lucky enough not to experience it, directors tell you everything you have to do, like a dictator. But films aren't made that way; they're a collaborative creation, and good directors listen, absorb ideas, and make the final decision. We do it together. Be that as it may, to make a film you have to dedicate yourself completely to a project for a year or two, and I don't know if I'm capable of it; I get distracted too easily.

In 2017 distributed supplies to immigrants rescued on an Open Arms ship. Are you still collaborating?

— We just met today, and now we'll meet again. Collaborating with Open Arms is one of the things I'm most proud of. The people in the ocean were crazy.