“I am politically incorrect, that's true. Political correctness to me is just intellectual terrorism. I find that really scary, and I won't be intimidated into changing my mind. Everyone isn't going to love you all the time.”
BORN: January 3rd, 1956
BIRTH NAME: Mel Colmcille Gerard Gibson
HEIGHT: 5' 9”
Gibson was born in Peekskill, New York in an Irish family, the sixth of 11 children to Hutton Gibson, a writer and Anne Patricia Reilly who was born in Ireland. Gibson's paternal grandmother was Eva Mylott (1875-1920), an opera contralto, born in Australia to Irish parents. Mel's paternal grandfather, John Hutton Gibson was a millionaire tobacco businessman from the American South. One of Gibson's younger brothers, Donal, is also an actor. Mel got his first name from the St. Mel's Cathedral, the 5th century Irish saint, and founder of Gibson's mother's local native diocese, Ardagh. Mel's second name, Colmcille, is also from an Irish saint. Because of his mother, Gibson retains dual Irish and American citizenship. Gibson is also an Australian permanent resident.
Gibson's father was awarded $145,000 in a work related injury lawsuit against the New York Central Railroad in 1968, and soon after, the family relocated to West Pymble, Sydney, Australia when Mel was 12 years old. Mel was educated at the Congregation of Christian Brothers at St. Leo's Catholic College in New South Wales during his high school years. Mel studied at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, performing at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts with future film actors Judy Davis and Geoffrey Rush.
After college, Mel performed on stage a few times and starred in a few TV shows. While a student he appeared in the 1977 film Summer City, which he was paid $400. Shortly after making the film he did a season with the South Australian Theatre Company and shared a $30 a week apartment with his future wife Robyn.
Eventually he made the big screen when he was chosen to star in Mad Max (1979) and Tim (1979), co-starring Piper Laurie. Mad Max provided Mel worldwide attention and for Tim he was awarded Best Actor from the Australian Film Institute.
In 1981, Mel starred in Gallipoli and a World War II action film Attack Force Z. Gallipoli won Mel another Best Actor Award from the Australian Film Institute.
1982 – Mel performs in the sequel Mad Max 2, it was released in America as The Road Warrior. Also in 1982, Mel received positive criticism for The Year of Living Dangerously.
1984 – After the birth of his twin sons, Mel took the role of Fletcher Christian in The Bounty.
1985 – Mel earns his first million dollar salary for portraying Max in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.
Mel's first American film was The River in 1984, with Sissy Spacek. Gibson then starred in Mrs. Soffel (1984) for Australian director Gillian Armstrong. It was cast with Matthew Modine and Diane Keaton.
1988 – Gibson is cast in Tequila Sunrise with Michelle Pfeiffer, Kurt Russell and Raul Julia.
1989 – Mel performs in the sequel Lethal Weapon 2.
1990 – Three films: Bird on a Wire, Air America, and Hamlet.
During the 1990s, Mel did both commercial and personal projects: Forever Young, Lethal Weapon 3, Maverick, Braveheart, Ransom, Conspiracy Theory, Lethal Weapon 4, and Payback. Gibson also was the speaking and singing voice of John Smith in the animated Disney film Pocahontas.
2000 – Mel makes a record salary of $25 million in The Patriot. It grossed over $100 million as did two other films he performed in: Chicken Run and What Women Want.
2010 – Mel appears in first starring role since 2002 in Edge of Darkness.
2013 – Gibson portrays a villain in Machete Kills opposite Danny Trejo.
2014 – Mel portrays a villain again in The Expendables 3 opposite Sylvester Stallone.
After the success of the Lethal Weapon film series, Mel began to produce and direct. He and Bruce Davey formed Icon Productions in 1989 to make Hamlet. Icon Productions has produced Immortal Beloved, An Ideal Husband, The Million Dollar Hotel, and The Singing Detective. Mel also produced projects for television, including a biopic on the Three Stooges and the 2008 PBS documentary Carrier. Icon grew from being a production company to an international distribution company and film exhibitor in Australia and New Zealand.
In 2010, Mel performed in How I Spent My Summer Vacation.
Gibson made his directorial debut in 1993 with The Man Without a Face, followed by Braveheart in 1995.
In 2002, Mel announced he would direct The Passion in Aramaic and Latin. In 2004, he released the film with the title The Passion of the Christ with subtitles. He co-wrote, co-produced and directed the film. It turned out to be a tremendous success grossing $370,782,930 in U.S. box-office sales.
In 2006, Mel produced and directed Apocalypto, which grossed $50.9 million. In 2016, Icon Productions released Hacksaw Ridge, grossing $67.2 million.
Mel's future endeavors is to direct a move about the Viking Age that he has titled Berserker. Despite Leonardo DiCaprio turning down the lead role, he still wishes to continue with it.
In 2016, Mel also intends to make a sequel to The Passion of the Christ that is about the resurrection of Jesus. He revealed that the sequel title would be: The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection. He said it is a big subject so it might take a while to produce.
He also intends to direct and star in Lethal Weapon 5.
TRIVIA
Mel often acts and directs stories where an individual is persecuted and fights for justice.
He has often portrayed a widower: Mad Max, Lethal Weapon, Braveheart, The Patriot, Signs, and Edge of Darkness.
Chosen by People magazine as one of the “50 Most Beautiful People” in 1990, 1991, and 1996.
Mel played Romeo to Judy Davis who played Juliet and they attended drama school together.
Mel took up acting because his sister submitted an application without telling him. The night before an audition, he got into a fight, and his face was badly beaten – but it got him the role.
In 1995, Empire magazine chose Mel as one of the “100 Sexiest Stars” (#37).
Like Mel portrays in Lethal Weapon film series, he is a big fan of the Three Stooges.
Mel met his wife through a dating service in Australia.
He was the first Australian actor to be paid $1,000,000 for a film role.
Mel almost turned down the role of William Wallace in Braveheart (1995) because the he was too old for the role. He asked producers if he could direct instead. They compromised and said he could direct if he agreed to portray Wallace.
For The Passion of the Christ (2004), which he directed, wrote and produced, she spent $25 million of his own money. He started research for the film in 1992 and it wasn't released until 2004.
Mel has nine children from three women: seven from marriage to Robyn Gibson and from his relationship with Oksana Grigorieva (1 daughter) and with girlfriend Rosalind Ross (1 son).
Was offered James Bond role in The Living Daylights (1987) and GoldenEye (1995), but turned it down because he was not British and turned down GoldenEye because he was busy with Braveheart.
Entertainment Weekly voted Mel the 48th “Greatest Movie Star” of all time.
Was considered for the role of Batman in Batman (1989), but was busy with Lethal Weapon 2.
Was considered for the role of Wolverine in X-Men (2000), but thought it too expensive.
Was offered the role of Eliot Ness in The Untouchables (1987), but had to decline because he was working on Lethal Weapon.
Sold his home in Connecticut in 2010 to settle his divorce with ex-wife Robyn.
In 2004, he flew to Fiji, where he bought 2,160 hectare island of Mago from a Japanese hotel chain for $15 million. His plan is to turn it into a Pacific paradise and a personal retreat. There are 40 residents on the island who are mostly coconut farmers and their families.
Separated from wife Robyn in 2006 and she finally filed for divorce in 2009. They divided $850 million in assets and is considered the biggest divorce payout in Hollywood history.
On July 26th, 2006, Mel was arrested for drunk driving in Malibu, California. He did a three-year probation following the arrest.
In August of 2006, Mel checked himself into a recovery program for alcohol abuse. It was the same time Robyn separated from him. Pleading no contest to DUI charges, he was ordered to attend one year of AAA meetings. Gibson was also ordered to pay $1200 in fines and penalties and $100 in restitution.
Mel has bipolar disorder.
A chain smoker for most of his career, in 2004 Gibson's wife persuaded him to limit his addiction to three cigarettes a day. It did not last.
Gibson publicly supported keeping Queen Elizabeth II as head of state in an Australian poll in 1999.
Due to worldwide recession, his personal fortune has declined from $900 million to $650 million.
The Road Warrior (1981) is his favorite of the “Mad Max” series.
Mel turned down the chance to voice a parody of himself in the “Family Guy” (1999), but later admitted that he regretted the decision because he thought the episode was hilarious.
Split from Oksana Grigorieva in 2010. He has been under restraining order since that time after an episode of domestic violence. In return, he filed a restraining order against her.
Mel was mentor to the late actor Heath Ledger.
According to fan magazines, Mel's father moved the family to Australia to lesson his sons' chances of serving in Vietnam.
Works with Survivor Mitzvah Project that brings emergency aid to Holocaust survivors in Eastern Europe.
Quote: “I like directing much better. It's more fun, that's all there is to it. It is essentially the same job, which is storytelling, but you have more control over the way you want to tell the story. It's a high. I love it.”
SCENE FROM BRAVEHEART:
SCENE FROM THE PATRIOT:
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