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EspañolMEL GIBSON
'Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson' (born January 3 1956) is an American-born actor, director, and producer partially raised in Australia. After establishing himself as a household name with the ''Mad Max'' and ''Lethal Weapon'' series, Gibson went on to direct and star in the Academy Award-winning ''Braveheart''. Gibson's direction of ''Braveheart'' made him the sixth actor-turned-filmmaker to receive an Oscar for Best Director.[1] In 2004, he directed and produced ''The Passion of the Christ'', a blockbuster movie[2] that portrayed the last hours of the life of Jesus. Gibson is an honorary Officer of the Order of Australia and was ranked the world's most powerful celebrity in the annual list by ''Forbes'' magazine in 2004.[3]
Early life
Gibson is a native-born United States citizen, being born in Peekskill, New York, the sixth of eleven children. He is the son of Hutton Gibson and Anne Reilly Gibson, who was born in Columcille Parish, County Longford, Ireland. His paternal grandmother was the Australian opera singer, Eva Mylott. 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, Columcille is also linked to an Irish saint.[4] Columcille is the name of the parish in County Longford where Anne Reilly was born and raised.
Hutton Gibson relocated his family to Sydney, Australia in 1968, after winning a work related injury lawsuit against New York Central. After a seven day trial on February 14, 1968, the jury awarded him $145,000.[5] The family moved when Gibson was twelve. This move was in protest of the Vietnam War, for which Gibson's elder brothers risked being drafted. It is also because Gibson's father, a devout Traditionalist Catholic, believed that the changes to American society which took place during the 1960s were immoral.
Film career
Gibson graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney in 1977. His acting career began in Australia with appearances in television series, including ''The Sullivans'', ''Cop Shop'' and ''Punishment''. Gibson's first film was ''Summer City''.
Gibson's good looks made him a natural for leading male roles in action projects such as the "Mad Max" series of films, Peter Weir's ''Gallipoli'', and the "Lethal Weapon" series of films. Later, Gibson expanded into a variety of acting projects including human dramas such as Hamlet, and comedic roles such as those in ''Maverick'' and ''What Women Want''. His greatest artistic and financial success came with films where he expanded beyond acting into directing and producing, such as 1993's ''The Man Without a Face'', 1995's ''Braveheart'', 2004's ''Passion of the Christ'' and 2006's ''Apocalypto''. Gibson was considered for roles in ''Batman, GoldenEye, Amadeus, Gladiator, The Golden Child, X-Men, , Runaway Bride'' and ''Primary Colors''.[6] 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.[7]
On July 25, 1997, Gibson was named an honorary Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), in recognition of his "service to the Australian film industry". The award was honorary because substantive awards are made only to Australian citizens.[8][9] Gibson is the first person awarded ''People'' magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive". Gibson quietly declined the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres from the French government in 1995 as a protest against France’s resumption of nuclear testing in the Southwest Pacific.[10] ''Time'' magazine chose Mel Gibson and Michael Moore as Men of the Year in 2004, but Gibson turned down the photo session and interview, and the cover went instead to George W. Bush.[11]
''Mad Max''
Main articles: Mad Max
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 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." When Mel did come back, he 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!''[12]
Gibson made his film debut as the leather-clad post-apocalyptic survivor in George Miller's ''Mad Max''. The film was independently financed and had a reported budget of $300,000 AUD — of which $15,000 was paid to Mel Gibson for his performance. The film achieved incredible success, earning $100 million world wide. It held a record in ''Guinness Book of Records'' as the highest profit-to-cost ratio of a motion picture, and only lost the record in 2000 to ''The Blair Witch Project''. The film was awarded four Australian Film Institute Awards in 1979.
When the film was first released in America, all the voices, including that of Mel Gibson's character, were dubbed with U.S. accents at the behest of the distributor, American International Pictures, for fear that audiences would not take warmly to actors speaking entirely with Australian accents.
The original film spawned two larger sequels: '' (known in North America as ''The Road Warrior''), and ''Mad Max 3'' (known in North America as ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome''). A fourth movie, '', has been considered but has not been produced.
''The Bounty''
Main articles: The Bounty
In 1984, starred 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 articles: 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.
The two actors were trained in two different schools of acting. Gibson is classically trained and Glover is a method actor. Three sequels were produced.
''Hamlet''
Main articles: Hamlet (1990 film)
Gibson 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 cast members as similar to being "thrown into the ring with Mike Tyson".
The film met with critical and marketing success and remains steady in DVD sales. It also marked the transformation of Mel Gibson from action hero to serious actor and filmmaker.
''Braveheart''
Main articles: Braveheart
Gibson stated that when the ''Braveheart'' script arrived and was recommended by his agents, he rejected it outright because he thought he was too old to play the part. 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 freedom fighter.
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 the Republic of Ireland, where members of the Irish Army Reserve worked as extras in the battle scenes. The Battle of Stirling sequence in ''Braveheart'' is considered one of the best directed fight scenes in all of film history.[13]
''The Passion of the Christ''
Main articles: The Passion of the Christ
Gibson directed the ''The Passion of the Christ''. The 2004 film was based on the last twelve hours of the life of Jesus Christ according to the Four Evangelists and Roman Catholic Sacred Tradition. It was rendered multilingually in Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin.
Gibson co-wrote the screenplay with writer Benedict Fitzgerald and financed the film himself, spending an estimated $40-$50 million of his own money. The filming took place on location in Matera, Italy and Cinecittá Studios in Rome. Prior to making the film, Gibson constructed a traditionalist Catholic chapel on his California estate.
Reviews were mixed, with critics ranging from praising the film for its realistic depiction of Jesus' final hours from a Catholic point of view and criticism of violence, manipulation and charges of anti-Semitism.[14][15]
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."[16] Accusations of anti-Semitism were fueled by news reports that Mel Gibson's father, Hutton Gibson, is a vocal Holocaust denier who has alleged that much of the Holocaust is "fiction".[17]
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.[18][19][20]
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 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''
Main articles: Apocalypto
Gibson's next historical epic, ''Apocalypto'', was released to theaters on December 8, 2006. The film is set in Mesoamerica, during the period immediately before the Spanish conquest. It focuses on the decline of the Maya civilization which reached its zenith around 600 AD. Dialogue is spoken in the Yucatec Maya language. It features a cast of actors from Mexico City, the Yucatán, and some Native Americans from the United States.
While Gibson financed the film himself, Disney released it in specific markets.
The film is set against the turbulent end times of the once great Maya civilization.
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.
Gibson pre-screened ''Apocalypto'' to two predominantly Native American audiences in Oklahoma, at the Riverwind Casino in Goldsby, owned by the Chickasaw Nation, and at Cameron University in Lawton.[21]
Gibson was rumored to be considering directing a film taking place in Panama shortly after the era of ''Apocalypto'' about the first Europeans to see the Pacific Ocean.[22][23] In March 2007, Gibson told a screening audience that he was preparing another script with Farhad Safinia about the writing of the Oxford English Dictionary. [24]
Family & personal life
On June 7 1980, Gibson married Robyn Moore, a nurse whom he met through a dating service, in a Catholic Church in Forestville, New South Wales. He has referred to his wife as "my Rock of Gibraltar, only much prettier." 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).
Hannah Gibson, Gibson's eldest child and only daughter, married the musician Kenny Wayne Shepherd on September 16, 2006.[25] Mel Gibson's spokesman had previously denied the rumor that Hannah was planning to become a nun.[26]
Gibson has multiple homes in Malibu, CA, an estate in Greenwich, Connecticut, a private island near Fiji and a ranch in Australia.[27][28] In December 2004, Gibson purchased Mago Island from Tokyu Corporation of Japan for $15 million.[29] Descendants of the original native inhabitants of Mago (who were displaced in the 1860s) have protested the purchase. He also has a house in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.[2]. In July 2007, he sold his 76 acre estate in Connecticut for $40 million to an unnamed buyer. [30]
Gibson is an admirer of the Baroque artist Caravaggio. Much of the cinematography of ''The Passion of the Christ'' was designed to evoke the painter's style.[31][32]
Gibson's height is disputed. Varied sources place him from 5'6" (170 cm) to 5'11" (180 cm).[33][34][35]
Personal and political views
Religion
Based on many of his positions, Gibson may be considered a Traditionalist Catholic. Despite the rumors[36] on whether Gibson shares his father’s adherence to Sedevacantism, Gibson has not spoken publicly on the matter. 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 Spirit was making the film through him; "I was just directing traffic".
When asked about the Catholic doctrine of "Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus," Gibson replied,
"There is no salvation for those outside the Church … I believe it. Put it this way. My wife is a saint. She's a much better person than I am. Honestly. She's, like, Episcopalian, Church of England. 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.”[37]
However, Gibson’s assent to this dogma does not mean he thinks that non-Catholics or non-Christians will go to hell. When Gibson was asked at Willow Creek church whether John 14:6[38] is an intolerant position, he said that “through the merits of Jesus' sacrifice… even people who don't know Jesus are able to be saved, but ''through'' him.”[39][40][41] Gibson also told Diane Sawyer that he believes non-Catholics can go to heaven.[42]
In May, 2007 Mel Gibson flew to Hermosillo, Mexico, where he attended a Tridentine Mass during which grandchildren of his friends and two of his children received the sacrament of Confirmation, administered by Archbishop emeritus Carlos Quintero Arce.[43] The same Archbishop Arce consecrated Gibson's own, private, traditional Roman Catholic church of the Holy Family in Malibu in February, 2007.[44] Gibson believes Holy Orders administered according to the vernacularized, drastically revised Pontifical of Paul VI to be invalid, only accepting those administered in the pre-conciliar rites to be valid (as well as the Eastern Rites).[45]
Politics
While he has denied that he is a Republican,[46] Gibson is often erroneously referred to as one in the press, and WorldNetDaily once reported that there was grassroots support among Republicans for "a presidential run".[47]
Gibson praised exposé director Michael Moore and his documentary film ''Fahrenheit 9/11''.[48] 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.[49]
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.[50]
In 2004, he publicly spoke out against 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.[51]
In 2006 Gibson told the UK film magazine ''Empire'' that the "fearmongering" depicted in his film ''Apocalypto'' "reminds me a little of President Bush and his guys."[52] He has criticized the Iraq War in interviews.[53]
His critics
Gibson and his critics have often expressed strong opinions of each other. In an interview with ''Playboy'', he said of Wensley Clarkson, 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. Clarkson's biography had referred to Traditionalist Catholics as "callow reactionaries" opposed to "progress in most forms." In addition, Clarkson had also accused Gibson of multiple infidelities during the course of his marriage.
After Frank Rich of the ''New York Times'' wrote that Gibson's ''Passion of the Christ'' would inflame anti-Semitism and accused Gibson of "protecting a Holocaust denier" by refusing to denounce his father, 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.
Gibson's Traditionalist Catholic beliefs have also been the target of attacks, especially during the controversy over his film ''The Passion of the Christ''. When the film premiered in France, the newspaper ''Libération'', considered the voice of French liberalism, dubbed Gibson's religious beliefs "the Shiite version of Christianity." Gibson has recently stated in an interview with Diane Sawyer that he feels that his "human rights were violated", by the often vitriolic attacks on his person, his family, and his religious beliefs which were sparked by ''The Passion''.
Controversy
Allegations of homophobia
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) accused Gibson of homophobia, after a 1992 interview in the Spanish newspaper ''El País''. 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." However, when reminded that he had worked closely with gay students at university, he said they were "kind people." Additionally, 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?"[54][55] 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.Grobel, Lawrence, "Interview: Mel Gibson". ''Playboy''. July 1995. Vol. 42, No. 7, Pg. 51. Retrieved May 17 2006. Eventually, however, to make amends with the gay community and show he was not homophobic, Gibson joined GLAAD in hosting 10 lesbian and gay filmmakers for an on-location seminar on the set of the movie ''Conspiracy Theory''.[56]
Although Randall Wallace wrote the screenplay for ''Braveheart'',[57] the depiction of a homosexual character in the film drew accusations of homophobia against Gibson.[58][59][60] Although historians agree that Prince (later King) Edward II of England was a mere puppet of Piers Gaveston, Hugh Despenser and Isabella of France, they dispute the portrayal of Edward as effeminate. Also, Edward I of England never threw his son's male 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''. [61][62][63]Antipas is portrayed as an effeminate homosexual wearing makeup and having 'boy toys'. The character was a similar portrayal of the same character in the film ''Jesus Christ Superstar''. This was a common caricature of Herod in medieval Passion plays, and is in accord with the historical record regarding Antipas. In the Greek text Christ describes Herod as a "vixen", or female fox, rather than "fox" in the Gospel.
Allegations of anglophobia
Gibson was accused of anglophobia by English audiences and press, based on his direction of ''Braveheart'' and the liberties taken with historical content in the film. In addition, Gibson was further criticized for ''The Patriot''.[64][65]
The film ''Braveheart'' made use of the concept of Droit de seigneur although this is historically inaccurate. Gibson has stated that it was more cinematically compelling to falsely include the Droit de seigneur because it portrayed Edward Longshanks, the King of England played by Patrick McGoohan as a sinister tyrant.
Gibson was further accused of anglophobia following the release of ''The Patriot'' in 2000, despite neither directing or writing the script for the film. The movie depicted the British in an extremely negative light and took many liberties in its depiction of the American character played by Gibson, who was loosely based on "The Swamp Fox", Francis Marion.
According to Wensley Clarkson's unauthorized biography, the Gibsons have always been openly anti-British. Clarkson further cites family friends and relatives who allegedly told him that Gibson's maternal grandmother was raped by the Black and Tans during the Irish War of Independence.[66]
Gibson has used an English accent several times in his career, playing Fletcher Christian in ''The Bounty'', voicing John Smith, in Disney's ''Pocahontas'', and narrating the novel ''My Cousin Rachel''. He has worked with numerous English people throughout his career, including ones in ''Chicken Run'' and ''The Patriot''. While promoting ''The Patriot'', Gibson told reporters, "I'm actually an Anglophile. I like the Brits, you know?" The fact that he keeps battling the British onscreen is "an unhappy accident, really. I'll have to remedy the situation someday." [67]
Allegations of anti-Semitism
Gibson has been accused of anti-Semitism on two occasions.
In 2004, his film ''The Passion of the Christ'' was criticized for alleged anti-Semitic imagery and overtones. Gibson denied that the film was anti-Semitic, but critics remained divided. Many agreed that the film was consistent with a strict interpretation of the Gospels and traditional Catholic teachings, while others argued that it reflected a selective reading of the Gospels,[68] and failed to comply with recommendations for dramatization of The Passion[69] issued by either the Vatican or the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.[70]
On July 28, 2006, Gibson was arrested in California for speeding and 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 are responsible for all the wars in the world", asking one of them, “Are you a Jew?”''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.[71] Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham Foxman issued a statement accepting Gibson's apology and expressing a willingness to help in Gibson's rehabilitation.[72]
Apocalypto
Gibson engaged in an angry confrontation during a Q & A session pertaining to his film ''Apocalypto'' following a presentation to a film class at Cal State University at Northridge, California on March 22, 2007.
Alicia Estrada, an Assistant Professor of Central American Studies at the University, asked Gibson if he researched the culture before making the film, including contemporary sources, to which Gibson responded in the affirmative. When Estrada asserted that the movie's depiction of sacrificial ceremonies and "bloodthirsty tendencies" were both "inaccurate and exaggerated"[73], Gibson reportedly responded, "Lady, fuck off." Members of the Mayan community who were present became emotional, and were escorted from the room after they refused to relinquish the microphone, during which Gibson screamed, "Make your own movie!" Members of the audience cheered the removal of Estrada and her companions.
Gibson's publicist, Alan Nierob, later told TMZ.com, "This person was a heckler who was rude and disrupted the event, so much so that the event organizers had to escort her out."[74] Estrada defended herself, saying, "In no way was my question aggressive in the way that he responded to it," Estrada said. "These are questions that my peers, my colleagues, ask me every time I make a presentation. These are questions I pose to my students in the classroom." Estrada added that she, her students and the Mayan community deserved an apology from Gibson.
According to SFGate.com, Lauren Robeson, editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper, ''The Daily Sundial'', said Gibson denounced Estrada as a "troublemaker". University spokesman John Chandler commented, "The students were very appreciative of Mr. Gibson being there. He spent a lot of time answering questions about moviemaking." SFGate.com also reported that Gibson expressed regret at the incident before the session ended.[75]
Prankster
Gibson has a reputation for being a prankster on the set of his movies.[76] Helena Bonham Carter, who appeared alongside him in ''Hamlet'', said of him:
"He has a very basic sense of humor. It's a bit lavatorial and not very sophisticated."[77]While filming ''Conspiracy Theory'', he played several pranks on co-star Julia Roberts, one of which included gift wrapping a dead rat.[78]
Alcohol abuse
Mel Gibson has said that he started drinking at the age of thirteen.[79] According to Gibson biographer Wensley Clarkson, Gibson's repeated attempts to stop drinking have led to relapses whenever his stress level increased. A feature article on Gibson published on the DailyCatholic website March 17 2004, described as having been written four years previously and 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."[80] 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 in Toronto for driving with a blood alcohol level between 0.12%-0.13% after he rear-ended a car. According to Clarkson, when the other driver exited his vehicle and began shouting profanity at him, Mel Gibson laughed and offered him a drink. Gibson plead guilty and was fined $300 and banned from driving in Ontario for 3 months. In court he apologized to the Toronto community and thanked the police.[81][82]
In 1985 Gibson retreated to his Australian ranch for over a year to recover, but he continued to struggle with drinking. In a 2004 ''Primetime'' interview with Diane Sawyer, Gibson admitted at one point to drinking five pints of beer before work.[42] Gibson said in 2003 that his despair in his mid-thirties led him to contemplate suicide, and he meditated on Christ’s Passion to heal his wounds.[84] He took more time off acting in 1991 and sought professional help. That year, Gibson’s attorneys were unsuccessful at blocking the Sunday Mirror from publishing what Gibson shared at AA meetings.[85] In 1992, Gibson provided financial support to Hollywood's Recovery Center, saying, "Alcoholism is something that runs in my family. It's something that's close to me. People do come back from it, and it's a miracle."[86]
On July 28, 2006, Gibson was arrested for DUI while speeding in his vehicle with an open container of alcohol. He admitted to making anti-Semitic remarks during his arrest and apologized for his "despicable" behavior, saying the comments were "blurted out in a moment of insanity" and asked to meet with Jewish leaders to help him "discern the appropriate path for healing." When pressed for what his thoughts were at the time in a later interview with Diane Sawyer, he cited the vitriolic attacks on his film The Passion of the Christ and Israel-Lebanon conflict. After Gibson’s arrest, his publicist said he had entered a recovery program to battle alcoholism. On August 17, 2006, Gibson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge and was sentenced to three years on probation. Superior Court Judge Lawrence Mira ordered him to attend self-help meetings five times a week for four and a half months and three times a week for the remainder of the first year of his probation. He was also ordered to attend a First Offenders Program, was fined $1,300, and his license was restricted for 90 days. He also volunteered to record a public service announcement.
In a October 12, 2006 interview with Diane Sawyer, Gibson spoke on his struggle to remain sober.
"The risk of everything -- life, limb, family -- is not enough to keep you from it… You cannot do it of yourself. And people can help, yeah. But it's God. You've got to go there. You've got to do it. Or you won't survive…This whole experience in a way, for me, I'm sort of viewing it now as a kind of a blessing because, firstly, I got stopped before I did any real damage to anyone else. Thank God for that. I didn't hurt myself, you know. I didn't leave my kids fatherless…The other thing is sometimes you need a cold bucket of water in the face to sort of snap to because you're dealing with a sort of a malady of the soul, an obsession of the mind and a physical allergy. And some people need a big tap on the shoulder. In my case, public humiliation on a global scale seems to be what was required."[87]At a May 2007 progress hearing, Judge Mira praised Gibson for complying with the terms of his probation, saying, "I know his extensive participation in a self-help program - and I should note he has done extensive work, beyond which was required."[88]
Philanthropy and Altruism
Although the Gibsons have avoided publicity over their philanthropy, they are believed to spend much money on various charities.[89]
One known charity is Healing the Children. According to Cris Embleton, one of the founders, the Gibsons have given millions to provide lifesaving medical treatment to needy children worldwide.[90][91]
While filming the movie ''Apocalypto'' in the jungles of Mexico's Veracruz state, Mel Gibson donated one million dollars to the Rotary Club ([92]) to build houses for poor people in the region after some severe flooding wiped out many homes, stating:
''"[T]hey had a lot of floods down there. It was like Louisiana down there in the southern regions. They had severe flooding and something like a million people were displaced and washed out. I've always been of the opinion that if you go into someone else's country to make a film you don't just go in there and stomp all over the place. You bring a gift. It's like going to somebody's house. You bring them a bottle of wine or a bunch of flowers or a box of chocolates and it's the same sort of thing on a big scale when you're going in to somebody's country and they are going to help you make your film. You help them first somehow or you give them a gift or you help in what way you can. So we sort of assisted with the flood relief stuff down there."''[93]
Hole rocker Courtney Love praised Mel Gibson for saving her from a drug reapse after the Hollywood actor helped force her into rehab. Gibson sought to help the musician at her home in Los Angeles when he realized she was using drugs again. Love later recalled,
"I kept slamming the door in (Gibson's) face. There were two drug people with me who wouldn't leave, so they couldn't get me to rehab. But because of Mel, two drug people ran off to have a cheeseburger with him because he's Mel, and then Warren [Boyd] (her drug minder) could get me into rehab."[94][95]
In July of 2007, Gibson again visited Central America to make arrangements for donations to the indigenous population. Gibson met with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias to discuss how to "channel the funds." [96] During the same month, Gibson pledged to give financial assistance to a Malaysian company named Green Rubber Global for a tire recycling factory located in Gallup, New Mexico.[97] [98]
Quotations
★ "Vatican II corrupted the institution of the church. Look at the main fruits: dwindling numbers and pedophilia." — ''Time'', January 27 2003
★ 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[99]
★ "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.
Satire
Gibson has repeatedly been parodied by popular culture, even joining in some of the satire himself.
In 1999, Gibson satirised himself during a guest appearance in the ''The Simpsons'' episode titled ''Beyond Blunderdome.''[100] During the episode, Gibson complains that his remake of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is "missing something." When assured that nothing is wrong with it, he screams,
"But I don't shoot anybody!"
In the ''South Park'' episode "The Passion Of The Jew," Mel Gibson is portrayed as being completely insane, defecating on buildings and repeatedly asking people to torture him. In another episode of ''South Park'', Miss Teacher Bangs a Boy, Ms. Stephenson, the South Park Kindergarten teacher, explains her sexual relationship with Kyle's three-year-old brother Ike by saying,
"I'm an alcoholic."Cartman responds,
"Oh, no! She used the Mel Gibson defense!" (see Mel Gibson DUI incident).
In the 2007 film ''Epic Movie'' when Kal Penn's character is in the jail cell his cellmate has a close resemblance to Mel Gibson, and is apparently in jail because of a DUI incident.
He was also spoofed in the Family Guy episode titled North by North Quahog, in which Peter Griffin steals the negatives for the sequel to The Passion of the Christ and is chased by Gibson through a series of satirised Alfred Hitchcock scenes.
Filmography
Awards and accomplishments
★ Australian Film Institute: 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)
★ Honorary Doctorate Recipient and Undergraduate Commencement Speaker, Loyola Marymount University (2003)
★ People's Choice Awards: Favorite Motion Picture Actor (2004)
★ Named as the world's most powerful celebrity by US business magazine ''Forbes'' (2004)
References
1. 1995 Academy Awards
2. Box Office Mojo.com Domestic Total Gross:0,782,930 60.6% + Foreign: 1,116,490 39.4%
3. http://money.cnn.com/2004/06/17/news/newsmakers/forbes_stars/index.htm
4. Michael Dwyer, ''The Irish Times'' film critic, interviewed on RTÉ Radio 1's ''This week'' programme, 6 August 2006.
5. Mel Gibson: Living Dangerously, Wensley Clarkson, Thunder's Mouth Press, New York, 1993, page 30.
6. http://www.notstarring.com/actors/gibson-mel
7. Mel Gibson: Living Dangerously, pages 170-171, by Wensley Clarkson
8. itsanhonour.gov.au
9. http://www.theorderofaustralia.asn.au/
10. "It was a definite decision to make a protest against the nuclear tests," said Gibson, who is mad at French President Jacques Chirac for deciding to detonate some bombs in the Pacific. “The Hollywood Reporter” October 30, 1995, by Stephen Galloway
11. http://www.riskybusinessblog.com/2006/09/michael_moore_d.html
12. Ripley's Believe It or Not! Special Edition, , , , Scholastic Inc., 2001, ISBN 0-439-26040-X
13. http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/29/movie.battles/
14. Movie Reviews: The Passion of the Christ Roger Ebert
15. FILM REVIEW; Good and Evil Locked In Violent Showdown A. O. Scott
16. The Passion of Mel Gibson
17. Gibson's father: Holocaust was mostly 'fiction' Corrado Giambalvo
18. The Jesus War
19. Mel's 'Passion'-ate defense gives offense
20. A passionate Mel Gibson strikes back against critics
21. ABCNews.go.com
22. http://news.opodo.co.uk/articles/2007-03-07/18081178-Mel-Gibson.php
23. http://defamer.com/hollywood/mel-gibson/mel-gibson-thinking-about-setting-next-splatter-film-in-panama-241983.php
24. [1]
25. Hannah Gibson marrying Shepherd
26. George Rush and Joanna Molloy, "New York Daily News" September 18, 2002
27. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20050117/ai_n9497657
28. http://extratv.warnerbros.com/v2/news/0806/04/1/text.html
29. Mel Gibson buys personal Pacific island
30. Gibson sells Connecticut mansion for million
31. vbuttons.com
32. artcyclopedia.com
33. ''Gibsons Height 1''
34. ''Gibsons Height 2''
35. celebheights.com
36. ''"As for Mel Gibson, in spite of his silence over the years promoting his film, like his father, I knew he was (and still is) a Sedevacantist. For this reason, I went through great pains to get him and Lucia of Fatima together at Coimbra. My hope was that she would convert him back to the true Church."''
Report by author PhD Richard Salbato, who personally met Mel Gibson and brought him to Sister Lucy of Fatima.
Source: 'Gerry Matatics is not a sedevacantist' In: Unity Publishing Online Edition
37. class=wikiexternal target=_blank>Peter J. Boyer, “The Jesus War.” The New Yorker, September 15, 2003
38. [Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6]
39. [ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1062185/posts My Experience at a Preview of Mel Gibsons's "Passion of The Christ"]
40. Inside Mel Gibson's "Passion"
41. [3]
42. "Transcript of February 2004 Primetime"
43. Gibson attends Roman Catholic Confirmation in Mexico
Mel Gibson y el Obispo emérito de Hermosillo
44. Mel Gibson visits Archbishop
45. Gibson a sedevacantist? ''"According to Fr. Bealko, he had personally driven Mel Gibson to his visit with Bishop Hogan in April 2005. Fr. Bealko claimed that the purpose of Mel's visit was Mel's personal search for bishops consecrated prior to VII. Gibson was asking them to provide holy orders for priests for a group of chapels Mel and others were planning on setting up around the country. He did not accept the holy orders of priests ordained by bishops ordained after 1958; he did not accept any bishop ordained after 1958 as valid."''
46. The Year of Living Dangerously
47. Mel Gibson Pushed for President
48. Moore, Gibson: I Love His Work
49. Not so hot: Fahrenheit 9/11 is more smoke than fire
50. Wright, Tony. "Dream candidate" ''Ninemsn's The Bulletin.'' October 15, 2003. Retrieved May 17, 2006.
51. It's Modern Crucifixion
52. Gibson Inspired by 'Fear Mongering' Bush
53. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/18/1079199319258.html
54. Mel Gibson Anti-gay History
55. GLAAD meets with Mel Gibson
56. Mel Gibson to Meet Up-and-Coming Lesbian and Gay Filmmakers
57. Kill or be kilted
58. Gays Should Beware of Men in Kilts
59. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0412/is_n4_v24/ai_19392229/pg_5
60. http://www.afterelton.com/archive/elton/columns/2006/9/22-2.html
61. The Passion of the Christ
62. The Passion of the Christ
63. [4]
64. Mel Gibson: Proud or prejudiced?
65. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/5245970.stm
66. Mel Gibson; Living Dangerously, Page 8, by Wensley Clarkson
67.
“Revolutionary superstar Reserved Mel Gibson drops guard enough to push 'The Patriot' ” The Daily Oklahoman, June 25, 2000, by Gene Triplett
68. ''Some criticism of The Passion''
69. ''Vatican's position on Emmerich''
70. ''USCCB stance on The Passion dramatizations
71. Gibson's statement about anti-Semitic remarks
72. ADL Welcomes Mel Gibson's Apology To The Jewish Community
73. http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=11064a74-0373-4d6f-ab91-546b39f9def6
74. "Mel Goes Ballistic -- "Lady, F
★
★ k Off!"; TMZ.com story and video on Gibson and Estrada's confrontation.
75. Cohen, Sandy; "Gibson at center of campus uproar after prof challenges movie" SFGate.com; March 23, 2007
76. ''Mel Gibson: Clowning Around''; Anecdotage.com Accessed August 3 2006
77. Wensley Clarkson's "Mel Gibson: Living Dangerously", page 287
78. Wensley Clarkson's "Mel Gibson; Living Dangerously", page 334.
79. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21062683-5005961,00.html
80. http://www.dailycatholic.org/issue/04Mar/mar17fcs.htm
81. Mel Gibson talks about Braveheart, movie stardom, and media treachery Matt Zoller Seitz
82. The Associated Press, May 3, 1984
83. "Transcript of February 2004 Primetime"
84. The Jesus War Peter J. Boyer
85. The Advertiser, September 22, 1991
86. By Bill Higgins, Los Angeles Times, December 14, 1992
87. Gibson: 'Public Humiliation on a Global Scale' Made Him Address Alcoholism
88. http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/5/11/153226.shtml
89. Power behind the passion
90. Actor and Director Mel Gibson Donates Million
91. Mel's m donation
92. Mel Gibson gives Rotary million for Mexico disaster recovery
93. http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=17262
94. Gibson Saves Love From Drugs
95. Courtney Love: Mel Gibson Helped Me Get Sober
96. http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=3361230&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
97. http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/577323nm07-11-07.htm
98. http://www.ecorazzi.com/?p=3296
99. http://www.rd.com/content/openContent.do?contentId=28713
100. http://www.tv.com/episode/1512/summary.html
Published sources
★ Mel Gibson, Man on a Mission, , Wensley, Clarkson, John Blake, 2004, ISBN 1-85782-537-3
★ Mel Gibson's Meltdown
External links
★
★
★ Time Magazine: Apocalpto Now
★
★ Roles turned down by Mel Gibson
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