The world might love her, but Danes' star power is considerably diminished in the Philippines. Danes made disparaging remarks about the capital of the country, Manila, after filming the 1999 movie Brokedown Palace there. The film centers on two American teenagers on vacation in Thailand who are convicted of drug smuggling and sent to a run-down prison. Given the setting of the film, scenes were shot in the shabbier parts of Manila, leaving Danes with a bad impression of the city. She told Premiere (via CBS) that the city "smelled of cockroaches, with rats all over, and that there is no sewerage system, and the people do not have anything — no arms, no legs, no eyes."
Filipino politicians were upset over the remarks, especially as the island nation heavily depends on tourism. The Manila city council responded by declaring Danes "persona non grata" and banning her films pending an apology. Danes later issued a statement saying she didn't intend to offend, but government officials were not impressed and did not accept the apology as sincere.
