Mel Gibson
Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born
January 3,
1956) is an
Australian taught,
American born
actor,
director, and
producer. After establishing himself as a household name with the
Mad Max and
Lethal Weapon series, Gibson went on to direct and star in 1993's
The Man Without a Face and 1995's
Academy Award-winning
Braveheart. In 2004, he directed and produced the controversial blockbuster,
The Passion of the Christ. Gibson's direction of
Braveheart made him only the sixth actor-turned-filmmaker to garner an
Oscar for
Best Director.
[1995 Academy Awards] He was also the first person ever awarded
People magazine's "
Sexiest Man Alive".
Gibson was born in
Peekskill, New York, the sixth of ten children born to
Hutton Gibson and
Anne Reilly Gibson. The family also adopted a child, bringing the total number of children in the family to eleven. One of Mel's younger brothers,
Donal, is also an actor.
Gibson's first name comes from a 5th-century Irish saint,
Mel, founder of the
diocese of
Ardagh containing most of his mother's native county, while his second name,
Columkille is also linked to an Irish saint.
[Michael Dwyer, The Irish Times film critic, interviewed on RTÉ Radio 1's This week programme, 6 August 2006.] Although Gibson always maintained his
United States citizenship, he lived in Australia after a purported victory on the TV
game show Jeopardy! by Gibson's father. The family moved in 1968 when Gibson was 12. Allegedly, this move was in protest of the
Vietnam War for which Gibson's elder brothers risked being drafted. It is also, allegedly, because Gibson's father believed that changes in American society were
immoral. Early Gibson films feature a distinct, noticeable
Australian accent.
Gibson graduated from the
National Institute of Dramatic Art in
Sydney in 1977, Gibson's acting career began in Australia with appearances in television series, including
The Sullivans,
Cop Shop and
Punishment.
He made his Australian film debut as the leather-clad post-apocalyptic survivor in
George Miller's
Mad Max, which later became a
cult hit and launched two sequels. His international profile increased through
Peter Weir's
Gallipoli. Gibson's boyish good looks made him a natural for leading male roles.
In
1984, he made his U.S. film debut as
Fletcher Christian in
The Bounty. Reportedly, Gibson and
Anthony Hopkins, his costar on the film, did not get along during the shoot. At the time, Anthony Hopkins was a
teetotaler, and Mel Gibson was struggling with
alcoholism. Gibson frequently spent his evenings in local saloons and took to mixing two shots of
Scotch with his
beer. He dubbed the concoction "Liquid Violence." In one incident, Gibson's face was severely cut up in a bar room brawl and the film's shooting schedule had to be rearranged while he was flown to a hospital in
Papeete.
Lethal Weapon
Main article: Lethal Weapon
Gibson moved into more mainstream commercial filmmaking with the popular
Lethal Weapon series, in which he starred as
LAPD Detective
Martin Riggs, an emotionally unstable
Vietnam veteran with a death wish and a penchant for violence and gunplay. In the films, he was partnered with the elder and more reserved
Roger Murtaugh (played by
Danny Glover). This series would come to exemplify the action genre's so-called
buddy film.
Despite having been trained in two different schools of acting (Gibson is classically trained and Glover is a
method actor), the two shared good chemistry. The film was a major hit and spawned three sequels.
Hamlet
Main article: Hamlet
Gibson then made the unusual transition from the action to classical genres, playing the melancholy Danish prince in
Franco Zeffirelli's
Hamlet. Gibson was cast alongside such experienced
Shakespearean actors as
Ian Holm,
Alan Bates, and
Paul Scofield. He described working with his fellow castmembers as similar to being "thrown into the ring with
Mike Tyson."
Over the course of the shoot in the
Scottish Highlands, Gibson was advised that he would do better with the lines if he were able to control his breathing. A longtime
chain smoker, Gibson switched to
nicotine gum to moderate his smoking for parts of the shoot.
The film met with critical and marketing success and remains a steady in DVD sales. It also marked the transformation of Mel Gibson from action hero to serious actor and filmmaker. Later in his career, he complemented hid dramatic performances with comedic roles in
Maverick and
What Women Want.
Braveheart
Gibson stated that when the
Braveheart script arrived and was recommended by his agents, he rejected it outright. After careful thought, he decided to not only act in the film, but to direct it as well.
Gibson received two
Academy Awards,
Best Director and
Best Picture, for his
1995 direction of
Braveheart. In the movie, Gibson starred as Sir
William Wallace, a thirteenth-century
Scottish knight.
He said in interviews that he was attempting to make a film similar to the epics he had loved as a child, such as
Stanley Kubrick's
Spartacus and
The Big Country. The filming began in the
Scottish Highlands. After learning that the intended filming locations were among the rainiest spots in Europe, the shooting was moved to
Ireland, where members of the
Irish Army Reserve used as extras for the battle scenes.
The Passion of the Christ
Gibson co-wrote, produced and directed the controversial
The Passion of the Christ. The
2004 film was based on the last twelve hours of the life of
Jesus, rendered multilingually in
Aramaic,
Hebrew, and
Latin. The film was released through Gibson's
Icon Productions.
Reviews were mixed, with critics ranging from praising the film for its realty and criticism of violence and antisematism.
Asked if his movie would "upset Jews", Gibson responded, "It's not meant to. I think it's meant to just tell the truth. I want to be as truthful as possible."
[The Passion of Mel Gibson] Accusations of anti-Semitism were fueled by revelations that Mel Gibson's father
Hutton Gibson is a vocal
Holocaust revisionist who believes much of the Holocaust is "fiction".
On his decision to cut the scene in which
Caiaphas says "his blood be on us and on our children" soon after
Pontius Pilate washes his hands of Jesus, Gibson said::I wanted it in. My brother said I was wimping out if I didn't include it. But, man, if I included that in there, they'd be coming after me at my house. They'd come to kill me.
[The Jesus War: Mel Gibson's obsession.][The Jesus War]['Passion'-ate defense gives offense][A passionate Mel Gibson strikes back against critics]The movie grossed US$611,899,420 worldwide and $370,782,930 in the US alone. It became the eighth highest-grossing film in history and the highest-grossing
rated R film of all time. The ticket sales were boosted by the film attracting viewers who generally do not attend theaters, including entire church congregations.
[Churches rent out entire theaters for 'Passion'] The film was nominated for an
Academy Award for Original Music Score,
Best Cinematography, and
Best Makeup at the
77th Academy Awards and won the
People's Choice Award for Best Drama.
Apocalypto
Gibson's next historical epic,
Apocalypto, will be released to theaters in
December 2006. The film is set 600 years ago in
Meso-America, before the
Spanish conquest. It focuses on the
decline of the Mayan civilization. Dialogue is spoken in the
Yucatec Maya language, in the same way Gibson used Aramaic and Latin for his
The Passion of the Christ. It will feature a cast of unknown actors from
Mexico City, the
Yucatán, and some
Native Americans from the
United States.
While Gibson financed the film himself,
Disney will release it in specific markets.
All that has been revealed about the plot is that the film is set against the turbulent
end times of the once great Mayan civilization. When a Mayan man's idyllic existence is brutally disrupted by a violent invading force, he is taken on a perilous journey. Through a twist of fate and spurred by the power of his love for his woman and his family he will make a desperate break to return home and to ultimately save his way of life.
The title is a
Greek term which means "an unveiling" or "new beginning", but the movie is not religiously themed or connected to the
biblical Apocalypse.
On
June 7,
1980, Gibson married nurse Robyn Moore, whom he met through a dating service. They have seven children, one daughter and six sons: Hannah (born 1980), twins Edward and Christian (born 1982), Willie (born 1985), Louis (born 1988), Milo (born 1990), and Tommy (born 1999).
Although Gibson is
Roman Catholic and his wife is
Anglican, he has never disapproved of her Anglican beliefs, saying that "true love knows no boundaries." He has also called her his "
Rock of Gibraltar, only prettier." But he also holds to the
Catholic doctrine of "
Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus". When asked how this doctrine would affect his wife he said: "There is no salvation for those outside the Church, (and) I believe it. My wife is a saint. She's a much better person than I am. Honestly. ... She prays, she believes in God, she knows Jesus, she believes in that stuff. And it's just not fair if she doesn't make it, she's better than I am. But that is a pronouncement from the chair. I go with it."
[Mel Gibson says his wife could be going to hell]Hector Carreon reports that Gibson built houses for the poor in Mexico's
Veracruz state, where Apocalypto was filmed.
[Daily Muslims, August 2, 2006]Religion and God
Many of Gibson's positions are in accordance with
traditionalist Catholicism. In 2004, he publicly condemned taxpayer-funded
embryonic stem-cell research that involves the
cloning and destruction of human
embryos. In
March 2005, he issued a statement condemning the ending of
Terri Schiavo's life, referring to her death as "state-sanctioned murder" on
Sean Hannity's radio show.
[It's Modern Crucifixion] He is a proponent of the
death penalty, which the traditional doctrine of the Catholic Church allows for under specific circumstances, but which post-
Vatican II Popes have said is rarely justifiable in modern society.
[Respect For Human Life]Gibson has expressed the belief that
God is pointing out his path, particularly with respect to the making of
The Passion of the Christ. In
2003 he told
The New Yorker "There are signals. Signal graces, they are called. It's as clear as a traffic light. Bing! I mean, it just grabs you and you know you have to listen to that and you have to follow it."
[ Gibson's way with words; USA Today August 1, 2006; accessed August 3. 2006.] At a screening of the film for clergy, he stated that the
Holy Ghost was making the film through him, "I was just directing traffic".
Politics
While having never identified himself as being a
conservative Republican, Gibson has been referred to as one in
The Washington Times, and
WorldNetDaily once reported that there was grassroots support among Republicans for "a presidential run."
[Mel Gibson Pushed for President]Gibson joined many of his colleagues in the entertainment industry in opposition to the
Iraq War and praised the liberal director
Michael Moore and his documentary film
Fahrenheit 9/11.
[Moore, Gibson: I Love His Work] Gibson's
Icon Productions originally agreed to back Moore's film, but abruptly sold the rights to
Miramax Films. Moore has claimed that "top Republicans" intimidated Mel Gibson into relinquishing the film.
[Not so hot: Fahrenheit 9/11 is more smoke than fire] In 2006 Gibson told a UK film magazine that the "fearmongering" depicted in his film
Apocalypto "reminds me a little of
President Bush and his guys."
[Gibson Inspired by 'Fear Mongering' Bush] Following the July 2006 DUI/antisemitism incident and because of his friendship with Michael Moore, some conservative Hollywood bloggers have suggested that "Gibson may be a left-wing Catholic much like … Michael Moore."
[Mel Gibson, Conservatives & The Cult of Celebrity; Libertas: a forum for conservative thought on film August 1, 2006.] In a
July 1995 interview with
Playboy magazine, Gibson said President
Bill Clinton was a "low-level opportunist" because someone was "telling him what to do." He said he thought Clinton and other politicians who had won
Rhodes Scholarships were part of a "stealth" trend of Rhodes scholars becoming politicians who were striving for a "new world order." He said this was a form of
Marxism.
[Grobel, Lawrence, "Interview: Mel Gibson." Playboy. July 1995. Vol. 42, No. 7, Pg. 51. Retrieved May 17, 2006.][Wright, Tony. "Dream candidate" Ninemsn's The Bulletin. October 15, 2003. Retrieved May 17, 2006.]His Critics
Gibson has not shied away from expressing strong opinions, including opinions of his critics. In a
Playboy interview, he says of the author of an unauthorized biography, "I don't think God will put him in my path. He deserves death."
[Grobel, Lawrence, "Interview: Mel Gibson." Playboy. July 1995. Vol. 42, No. 7, Pg. 51. Retrieved May 17, 2006.] After
Frank Rich of
The New York Times wrote that Gibson's
Passion of the Christ would inflame
anti-Semitism, Gibson told
The New Yorker, "I want to kill him. I want his intestines on a stick. I want to kill his dog."
[ Gibson's way with words; USA Today August 1, 2006; accessed August 3. 2006.]Accusations of Homophobia
Some
gay rights groups accused Gibson of
homophobia, after a 1992 interview in the
Spanish magazine El Pais. Asked what he thought of gay people, he said, "They take it up the ass." Gibson gestured descriptively, continuing, "This is only for taking a shit." When the interviewer recalled that Gibson previously had expressed fear that people would think he is gay because he's an actor, Gibson replied, "Do I sound like a homosexual? Do I talk like them? Do I move like them? I think not." He later defended his comments on
Good Morning America, saying, "[Those remarks were a response] to a direct question. If someone wants my opinion, I'll give it. What, am I supposed to lie to them?"
[Mel Gibson Anti-gay History][GLAAD meets with Mel Gibson] In the Playboy interview, he responded to
GLAAD's protests over his comment with "I'll apologize when hell freezes over. They can fuck off".
[Grobel, Lawrence, "Interview: Mel Gibson." Playboy. July 1995. Vol. 42, No. 7, Pg. 51. Retrieved May 17, 2006.]In
January 1997, to make amends with the
gay community, Gibson and the
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation hosted ten lesbian and gay filmmakers for an on-location
seminar on the set of the movie
Conspiracy Theory.
[Mel Gibson to Meet Up-and-Coming Lesbian and Gay Filmmakers]Although Gibson did not write the
screenplay for
Braveheart[Kill or be kilted], the depiction of a homosexual character in the film drew accusations of homophobia.
[Gays Should Beware of Men in Kilts] Although historians agree that Prince (later King)
Edward II of England was a mere puppet of
Thomas of Lancaster, they dispute the portrayal of Edward as effeminate (and Edward's father never threw his lover out of a window, as portrayed in the movie).
Gibson was accused of
homophobia once more in his movies with his portrayal of
Herod Antipas in
The Passion of the Christ. Antipas is portrayed as an effeminate homosexual wearing makeup and having 'boy-toys', in many ways similar to the portrayal of Herod in the film version of
Jesus Christ Superstar. Although this was a common
caricature of Herod in
medieval Passion plays, it is contrary to the historical record regarding Antipas (although, Christ uses the Greek word for a "vixen," or female fox, rather than "fox" when he describes Herod in the Gospel).
[on Mel's monstrous messiah movie and the culture wars][The Passion of the Christ][The Passion of the Christ]Accusations of Anglophobia
Gibson has been accused of
Anglophobia by British audiences and press.
[Mel Gibson: Proud or prejudiced?] Although he did not write the screenplay, in his film
Braveheart, Prince Edward of Carnarvon (later King
Edward II of England) was depicted as an effete homosexual who was not the true father of his son, the future
Edward III of England. The film also propagated the mythical calumny against the English of
Droit de seigneur which almost certainly never existed anywhere and definitely not in Britain.
According to Wensley Clarkson, Gibson's
Irish-American family has always been openly anti-English. According to a family friend, Gibson's maternal grandmother was raped by the
Black and Tans during the
Irish War of Independence. This incident was frequently spoken of in hushed tones in the Gibson household during Mel's childhood.
Accusations of anti-Semitism
Controversy regarding
anti-Semitic opinions expressed by Gibson have flared up on at least two occasions.
In 2004, his film
The Passion of the Christ was
criticized for alleged anti-Semitic imagery and overtones. Gibson strongly denies that the film is anti-Semitic, but critics remain divided. Many agree that the film is consistent with a strict interpretation of the
Gospels and traditional
Catholic teachings, while others argue that it reflects a selective reading of the Gospels, incorporates many anti-Semitic elements not found in the Gospels (
e.g. the writings of
Anne Catherine Emmerich), and fails to comply with recommendations for dramatization of The Passion issued by either the
Vatican or the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
On
July 28,
2006, Gibson was arrested in
California on suspicion of
drunk driving (see
Mel Gibson DUI incident). According to a leaked police report, he was abusive to the arresting officers and remarked "Fucking Jews… Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world."
[Gibson's Anti-Semitic Tirade -- Alleged Cover Up; TMZ.com; July 28, 2006] He later issued, through his publicist, two apologies for the incident. In his second statement, he specifically denied being an anti-Semite and apologized to the Jewish community.
[Gibson's statement about anti-Semitic remarks] Anti-Defamation League National Director
Abraham Foxman issued a statement accepting Gibson's apology and expressing a willingness to help in Gibson's rehabilitation.
Gibson has a reputation for being a prankster on the set of his movies, and many of his leading ladies have often accused him of acting juvenile on the set.
[Mel Gibson: Clowning Around; Anecdotage.com Accessed August 3, 2006] While filming
Conspiracy Theory, he played several pranks on co-star
Julia Roberts, and disgusted co-star
Jodie Foster by licking the dirt off a wagon wheel on the set of
Maverick. On the set of
Braveheart, he spread the false rumor that co-star
Sophie Marceau was the granddaughter of famous French mime
Marcel Marceau. He also directed several scenes in an
Elmer Fudd voice, including the funeral scene of Murron Wallace, causing everyone to break down laughing. Before the filming of
What Women Want, co-star
Helen Hunt pleaded with Gibson to be spared of his pranks. Reportedly, there was no incident.
According to Gibson biographer
Wensley Clarkson, Gibson's
alcoholism dates to his teenage years. Clarkson also states that Gibson's repeated attempts to stop drinking have lead to relapses whenever his stress level increased. A feature article on Gibson published on the DailyCatholic website
March 17,
2004 (and described as having been written four years previously, before
The Passion of The Christ) states, "He has made it known that from an early age he suffered from being
manic depressive, but through his strong faith and appropriate medicines he has been able to overcome these shortcomings to attain the heights of stardom."
[http://www.dailycatholic.org/issue/04Mar/mar17fcs.htm] This disorder is often linked with alcohol abuse and/or self-destructive behavior.
|
Mugshot taken after arrest on DUI charges |
In 1984, Gibson was arrested for drunk driving after he rear-ended a car in
Toronto. According to Clarkson, when the other driver exited his vehicle and began shouting profanity at him, Mel Gibson laughed and offered him a drink. He was fined $400 and banned from driving in
Canada for 3 months.
In
1991, Mel began treatment for alcoholism at the urging of his agent
Ed Limato and his wife Robyn, who reportedly threatened to leave him if he refused. He has stated that he often meditated on the
Passion while attempting to beat alcoholism and has said that his idea for the film dates from this time.
In a
2004 Primetime interview with
Diane Sawyer, Gibson admitted to drug and alcohol abuse. He also said that his addictions have led him to contemplate
suicide.
On
July 28,
2006, Gibson was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, the
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. According to the Sheriff's statement, Gibson was detained while driving along the
Pacific Coast Highway in
Malibu at 2:36 am, and spouted expletives, sexist, and anti-Semitic comments. He was later released on his own recognizance.[
1] If convicted of driving under the influence he may face up to 6 months in jail.
He has reportedly pursued recovery. He went onto television to apologize for his remarks and asked the forgiveness and help of the Jewish people so that he can overcome his "demons"
*"
Vatican II corrupted the institution of the church. Look at the main fruits: dwindling numbers and pedophilia." â€"
Time,
January 27,
2003*"It was me that put him on the cross. It was my sins [that put him there]." On the
crucifixion of
Jesus Christ, addressing who was responsible for his death. From "The Passion: Photography from the Movie 'The Passion of the Christ'"
* On the Holocaust: "The thing with him [my father] was that he was talking about numbers. I mean when the war was over they said it was 12 million. Then it was six. Now it's four. I mean it's that kind of numbers game."
Readers Digest 2004[
2]
*"Hollywood is a factory. You have to realize that you are working in a factory and you're part of the mechanism. If you break down, you'll be replaced." On the nature of "the industry." Excerpted from Wensley Clarkson's "Mel Gibson; Living Dangerously," page 202.
*"He's not just a part. He's an assault on your personality. Every day his doubts become your doubts." On playing
Hamlet in
Franco Zeffirelli's
1990 film. Excerpted from the making of documentary.
*"My family means more to me than the artificial trappings of my career. If ever I had to choose between my career and my family, the wife and kids would definitely come out on top." Excerpted from Wensley Clarkson's "Mel Gibson; Living Dangerously," page 300.
*"I regard
Mad Max as a
Star Wars in the gutter." Excerpted from Wensley Clarkson's "Mel Gibson; Living Dangerously," page 91.
*"Actors only write books when they run out of money." Excerpted from Wensley Clarkson's "Mel Gibson; Living Dangerously," page ix.
*"Hey, I'm for love, not war. How about we have a beer?" An inebriated Gibson to the infuriated driver he had just rear ended in
Toronto. In
1984 he pleaded guilty to drunk driving and was fined $300 and banned from driving in
Canada for 3 months. Excerpted from Wensley Clarkson's "Mel Gibson; Living Dangerously," page 175.
*"The L.A. Times, it's an anti-Christian publication, as is the New York Times."
The New Yorker September 15,2003.
*"What are you looking at, sugar
tits?" To a female police officer, while being booked at a police station after being pulled over for drunk driving.
*"The worst thing that can happen to you is you can screw up. I've done that before and it's not too damning. I've done some real stinkers. Luckily, most were early on." Excerpted from Wensley Clarkson's "Mel Gibson; Living Dangerously," page 64.
* Gibson was born with a physical anomaly called "
Horseshoe kidney". His two
kidneys are fused at the base into a U-shape. This fusion anomaly occurs in about one of every 500 people.
* In December 2004, Gibson purchased
Mago Island from
Tokyu Corporation of
Japan for $15 million.
[Mel Gibson buys personal Pacific island] Descendants of the original native inhabitants of Mago (who were displaced in the 1860s) have protested the purchase.
* With his earnings from
The Passion of the Christ, Gibson constructed a
traditionalist Catholic chapel on his California estate.
* Gibson almost did not get the role that made him a star. His agent got him an audition for
Mad Max, but the night before, he got into a drunken brawl with three other men at a party, resulting in a swollen nose, a broken jawline, and various other bruises. Mel showed up at the audition the next day looking like a "black and blue pumpkin" (his own words). Mel did not expect to get the role and only went to accompany his friend. However, the casting agent told Mel to come back in two weeks, telling him "we need freaks". Mel did come back, was not recognized because his wounds had healed almost completely, and received the part. This incident is listed in
Ripley's Believe It or Not!* Gibson was considered for roles in
Batman, GoldenEye, Amadeus, Gladiator, The Golden Child, X-Men, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Runaway Bride and
Primary Colors.
* A
smoker for much of his acting career, in 2004 Gibson was persuaded by his wife to limit his addiction to just three cigarettes a day.
* Actor
Sean Connery once suggested Gibson should play the next
James Bond to Connery's
M. Gibson turned down the role, reportedly because he feared being
typecast.
* Gibson is an admirer of the
Baroque works of
Caravaggio who ironically in his day was a notorious street brawler. Much of the
cinematography of
The Passion of the Christ was done to evoke the painter's style.[
3]
As actor
Summer City (1977)
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1977)
Mad Max (1979)
Tim (1979)
The Chain Reaction (1980)
Gallipoli (1981)
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
Attack Force Z (1982)
The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
The Bounty (1984)
The River (1984)
Mrs. Soffel (1984)
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
Lethal Weapon (1987)
Tequila Sunrise (1988)
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
Bird on a Wire (1990)
Air America (1990)
Hamlet (1990)
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
Earth and the American Dream (1992) (documentary) (narrator)
Forever Young (1992) (also executive producer)
The Chili Con Carne Club (1993) (short subject)
The Man Without a Face (1993)
Maverick (1994)
Casper (1995) (Cameo)
Braveheart (1995)
Pocahontas (1995) (voice)
Ransom (1996)
Fathers' Day (1997) (Cameo)
Conspiracy Theory (1997)
FairyTale: A True Story (1997) (Cameo)
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
Payback (1999)
The Million Dollar Hotel (2000)
Chicken Run (2000) (voice)
The Patriot (2000)
What Women Want (2000)
The One Dollar Diary (2001) (documentary)
We Were Soldiers (2002)
Signs (2002)
Acting Lessons: Should Have Looked Like Mel (2003) (short subject)
Paparazzi (2004) (also producer)
Sam and George (2007) (currently announced start of production) (also producer)
As director
The Man Without a Face (1993)
Braveheart (1995)
The Passion of the Christ (2004) (also producer, actor(his hand drove in the stake),and writer)
Apocalypto (2006) (currently in post-production) (also executive producer, producer, and writer)
*Best Actor in a Lead Role,
Tim (1979)
*
Australian Film Institute: Best Actor in a Lead Role,
Gallipoli (1981)
*
People's Choice Awards: Favorite Motion Picture Actor (1991)
*
MTV Movie Awards: Best Action Sequence,
Lethal Weapon 3 (1993)
*MTV Movie Awards: Best On-Screen Duo,
Lethal Weapon 3 (1993) - shared with Danny Glover
*
ShoWest Award: Male Star of the Year (1993)
*
National Board of Review: Special Achievement in Filmmaking,
Braveheart (1995)
*
American Cinematheque Gala Tribute: American Cinematheque Award (1995)
*ShoWest Award: Director of the Year (1996)
*
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards: Best Director,
Braveheart (1996)
*
Golden Globe Awards: Best Director,
Braveheart (1996)
*
Academy Awards: Best Director,
Braveheart (1996)
*Academy Awards: Best Picture,
Braveheart (1996)
*People's Choice Awards: Favorite Motion Picture Actor (1997)
*
Hasty Pudding Theatricals: Man of the Year (1997)
*
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards: Favorite Actor - Suspense,
Ransom (1997)
*Blockbuster Entertainment Awards: Favorite Actor - Suspense,
Conspiracy Theory (1998)
*People's Choice Awards: Favorite Motion Picture Star in a Drama (2001)
*People's Choice Awards: Favorite Motion Picture Actor (2001)
*Blockbuster Entertainment Awards: Favorite Actor - Drama,
The Patriot (2001)
*Australian Film Institute: Global Achievement Award (2002)
*People's Choice Awards: Favorite Motion Picture Actor (2003)
*People's Choice Awards: Favorite Motion Picture Actor (2004)
*Named as the world's most powerful celebrity by US business magazine
Forbes (2004)
*
*
*
Mel Gibson on NNDB*
Mel Gibson directory*
Apocalypto Watch Unofficial fan site for Mel Gibson's next movie
*
Roles turned down by Mel Gibson*
Slate Magazine Explainer: How to Boycott Mel Gibson (MP3){{Persondata
NAME=Gibson, Mel | ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson | SHORT DESCRIPTION=American actor, director, and producer | DATE OF BIRTH=January 3, 1956 | PLACE OF BIRTH=Peekskill, New York | DATE OF DEATH= | PLACE OF DEATH=
|
