10 Actors You Didn't Know Are Banned From Countries
Even the biggest stars in the world can't enter China.
Surely one of the greatest things about being an actor is the ability to travel all over the world, both to shoot movies and promote them, in turn experiencing the many rich cultures across the globe.
And while most governments will typically welcome Hollywood with open arms considering the many millions of dollars they can inject into the local economy by creating jobs, sometimes countries still have a bone to pick with a specific actor.
The reasons for this are myriad and can range from petty to justified - perhaps they didn't like how a certain actor spoke about their fine land in the press, or in the case of China, they just decided to ban anyone who spoke too loudly about Tibetan independence. Elsewhere there are countries who outright refuse entry to those with criminal convictions.
These 10 actors, whether a result of their words or past actions, have been denied access to countries and effectively deemed persona non grata in the process, meaning that when it comes to shooting or supporting a movie, they have to give these nations a miss...
10. Clare Danes Is Banned From The Philippines For Disparaging The Country
Clare Danes travelled to Manila in the Philippines to shoot her 1999 drama Brokedown Palace, playing an American woman imprisoned in Thailand for alleged drug smuggling.
The film was shot in the Philippines due to its critical view of the Thai legal system, though somewhat ironically Danes ended up being banned from the Philippines itself due to unflattering remarks she made in interviews.
She referred to Manila as "ghastly and weird," and added that it "f***ing smelled like cockroaches," prompting then-President Joseph Estrada to declare she shouldn't be allowed to enter the country, while Manila City Council formally deemed her persona non grata.
Danes did eventually clarify her comments by stating that she was only referring to the impoverished region where Brokedown Palace was filmed, and that this didn't reflect her opinion of the country or its people at large.
Nevertheless, it doesn't seem that Danes has ever been allowed back to the country, and with Rodrigo Duterte currently in power, her ban is unlikely to be lifted anytime soon.