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Mel Gibson

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Mel Gibson
File:IMG 3006 crop.jpg
BornJanuary 3, 1956
Peekskill, New York, USA
Occupation(s)Actor, director, producer

Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American-born, Australian 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 1995's Academy Award-winning Braveheart. In 2004, he directed and produced the controversial blockbuster, The Passion of the Christ. The first person ever awarded People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive", Gibson's direction of Braveheart made him only the sixth actor-turned-filmmaker to garner an Oscar for Best Director.[1]


Early life

Gibson was born in Peekskill, New York, the sixth of ten children born to Hutton Gibson (whose parents were U.S. businessman, John Hutton Gibson, and Irish-Australian opera singer Eva Mylott) and Anne Reilly Gibson (who was born in the parish of Columcille, County Longford, Ireland). 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. His unusual first name comes from a 5th-century Irish saint, Mel, who was the founder of the diocese of Ardagh, which contains most of his mother's native county. He is not related to the pop singer Debbie Gibson.

Although Gibson always maintained his United States citizenship, he lived in Australia from the age of twelve. Following a purported victory on the TV game show Jeopardy!, Gibson's father moved his family to Australia in 1968, allegedly in protest of the Vietnam War for which his elder sons risked being drafted, and also because he believed that changes in American society were immoral. Early Gibson films feature a distinct, noticeable Australian accent.

Film career

After graduating 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, starring as Fletcher Christian in The Bounty. Actor Anthony Hopkins played Captain Bligh opposite Gibson. Reportedly, Gibson and Hopkins did not get along during the shoot, which took place on the island of Moorea. At the time, Anthony Hopkins was a teetotaler, and Mel Gibson was struggling with alcoholism. Gibson frequently spent his evenings in local saloons. 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. The Bounty was a commercial and critical failure.

Lethal Weapon and Hamlet

Main articles: Lethal Weapon and Hamlet

Gibson moved into more mainstream commercial filmmaking with the popular Lethal Weapon series, in which he starred as Martin Riggs, an emotionally unstable Vietnam veteran with a penchant for violence and gunplay. Partnered in the films with the elder, more reserved Roger Murtaugh (played by Danny Glover), this series would come to exemplify the action genre's so-called buddy film.

Gibson then made the unusual transition to the classical genre, 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, which took place 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 success, and marked the transformation of Mel Gibson from action hero to serious actor and filmmaker. He further complemented those diverse performances with comedic roles in Maverick and What Women Want.

Braveheart

Main article: Braveheart

Gibson received two Academy Awards (Best Director and Best Picture) for his 1995 directing of Braveheart, based on the life of Sir William Wallace, a thirteenth-century Scottish knight. Gibson also starred as Wallace in the film.

Gibson stated that when the "Braveheart" script arrived and was recommended by his agents, he rejected it outright. However, after careful thought, he decided to not only act in the film, but to direct it as well.

He said in interviews that he was attempting to make a film similar to the epic films which he had loved as a child, such as Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus (film) and The Big Country. The filming began in the Scottish Highlands. However, after learning that the filming locations were among the rainiest spots in Europe, the shooting was moved to Ireland, where the Irish Army Reserve was called up as extras for the battle scenes.

The Passion of the Christ

Main article: The Passion of the Christ

Gibson co-wrote, produced and directed The Passion of the Christ, a 2004 film 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.

The film has been praised by movie critics.[2]

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."[3] Accusations of anti-Semitism were fueled by revelations that Mel Gibson's father Hutton Gibson is a Holocaust denier who believes much of the Holocaust is "fiction".[4]

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.[5][6][7][8]

In spite of and because of the criticism, the movie grossed US$611,899,420 worldwide ($370,782,930 in the US alone) and 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 attending together.[9] The film was nominated for Best Music (Score), Best Cinematography, and Best Makeup at the 77th Academy Awards and won the People's Choice Award for Best Drama.

Apocalypto

Main article: 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, during the decline of the Maya. 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 certain 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.

Religion

Extremely devoted to his faith, Mel Gibson has donated money to finance the construction of "independent" traditional Catholic chapels in Malibu, California, and in a small town in West Virginia. Only the Latin Tridentine Mass is offered in both chapels. Gibson has said that he attends Mass every day.

On June 7, 1980, Gibson married Robyn Moore, whom he initially met through a dating service. They have 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). Rumors that Hannah was planning to become a nun were quashed by the family after initial mention in the media.

His wife remains an Anglican despite 26 years of marriage to Mel Gibson. Gibson never disapproved of her Anglican beliefs, saying that "true love knows no boundaries." Gibson has not attempted to convert her, and maintains that she is "a saint" for sticking with him through his years of hard drinking and that she is a much better Christian than he. He has also called her "my Rock of Gibraltar, only prettier." But he has also stated in interviews that he grudgingly holds to the Catholic doctrine of "Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus" and, as such, accepts the possibility that his wife could go to hell.[10]

Personal views

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.[11] He is, however, 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.[12] He is also a supporter of gun ownership.

While having never identified himself as being a conservative Republican, Gibson has been perceived as such to the point that The Washington Times has referred to him as one, and WorldNetDaily once even reported that there was grassroots support among Republicans for "a presidential run."[13]

He 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.[14] 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.[15] 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."[16]

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 and that "Karl had the right idea."[17][18] During the interview, Gibson also said the assassinations (or attempts) of Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan may have been related to actions they took regarding the Federal Reserve; he said his father told him about this theory.[19]

Controversies

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?"[20][21]

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.[22]

Although Gibson did not write the screenplay for Braveheart[23], the depiction of a homosexual character in the film drew accusations of homophobia.[24] 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).[25][26][27]

Drug and alcohol abuse

According to Gibson biographer Wensley Clarkson, Gibson's alcoholism dates to his teenage years. 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."[28] This disorder is often linked with alcohol abuse and/or self-destructive behavior.

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. [29]

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 try to commit suicide. [30]

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 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu at 2:36 am, spouted expletives and racist comments. He was later released from custody on bail of $5,000.

He has reportedly gone back to attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Main article: Mel Gibson DUI incident

Accusations of Anti-Semitism

File:MelGibsonMugshot.jpg
Mugshot taken after arrest on DUI charges

Controversy regarding accusations of anti-Semitism have flared up on two occasions. In 2004, his film The Passion Of The Christ was criticized for alleged anti-Semitic imagery and overtones (see above). Gibson has strongly denied 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 antisemitic elements not found in the Gospels (some from the writings of Anne Catherine Emmerich), and is not compliant with the current recommendations for dramatization of The Passion issued by the Vatican or by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, despite pre-release assurances that it would be.[1]

On July 28, 2006, Gibson was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in California (see Mel Gibson DUI incident). During the arrest, he made several anti-Semitic remarks, and verbally abused officers involved. He later issued, through his publicist, two apologies for the incident (the second apology being released after the first was criticized for not specifically addressing the anti-Semitic nature of his remarks). In the second statement, he said "Please know from my heart I am not an anti-Semite. I am not a bigot. Hatred of any kind goes against my faith. I am in the process of understanding where those vicious words came from during that drunken display".[31] Gibson addressed his apology to "everyone in the Jewish community" and asked to meet Jewish leaders for "a one-on-one discussion to discern the appropriate path for healing".

Quotes

  • "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.
  • "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.

Prankster

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.[2] 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.

Trivia

  • In Gibson's early Australian television and film roles, he spoke in a heavy general Australian accent. His voice was even dubbed in the US release of Mad Max (along with the rest of the cast). In the early 1990s, he began to lose the accent after having lived in the United States for over a decade. In fact, even in 1987's Lethal Weapon his accent is only slightly discernible. He now speaks in an American accent.
  • 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.[32] Descendants of the original native inhabitants of Mago (who were displaced in the 1860s) have protested the purchase.
  • He has battled with alcoholism for most of his adult life. After a stint in rehab in the early 1990s he remained sober for several years, but had a relapse in 2006.
  • Gibson has a one-frame cameo appearance in the teaser trailer of Apocalypto.
  • With his earnings from The Passion of the Christ, Gibson constructed a traditionalist Catholic chapel on his California estate.
  • Torture is a recurring theme in many of Mel Gibson's films, as seen in The Passion of The Christ, Braveheart, Conspiracy Theory, Lethal Weapon, and Payback.
  • 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 swelled-up 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![33]
  • 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.
  • As of 2006, Gibson is estimated to be worth $850 million, making him the 47th richest person in the Los Angeles area, and the wealthiest actor in the world.
  • A chain 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.
  • He is Eric Cartman's favorite actor on South Park. Cartman mentions him several times, and in one episode he finally gets to meet Gibson, but (in the episode) Gibson is insane and defecates on Cartman. It is strongly suggested that Cartman likes Gibson because of his perceived anti-Semitism.
  • 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.

Filmography

As actor

As director

Awards and accomplishments

  • 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)
Preceded by Academy Award for Best Director
1995
for Braveheart 		Succeeded by

Notes

  1. ^ 1995 Academy Awards
  2. ^ Ebert, Roger (2004-02-24). "Movie Reveiws: The Passion of the Christ". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2006-08-02. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. ^ The Passion of Mel Gibson
  4. ^ Giambalvo, Corrado (February 20 2004). "Gibson's father: Holocaust was mostly 'fiction'". USA Today. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ The Jesus War: Mel Gibson’s obsession.
  6. ^ The Jesus War
  7. ^ 'Passion'-ate defense gives offense
  8. ^ A passionate Mel Gibson strikes back against critics
  9. ^ Churches rent out entire theaters for 'Passion'
  10. ^ Mel Gibson says his wife could be going to hell
  11. ^ It's Modern Crucification
  12. ^ Respect For Human Life
  13. ^ Mel Gibson Pushed for President
  14. ^ Moore, Gibson: I Love His Work
  15. ^ Not so hot: Fahrenheit 9/11 is more smoke than fire
  16. ^ Gibson Inspired by 'Fear Mongering' Bush
  17. ^ Grobel, Lawrence, "Interview: Mel Gibson." Playboy. July 1995. Vol. 42, No. 7, Pg. 51. Retrieved May 17, 2006.
  18. ^ Wright, Tony. "Dream candidate" Ninemsn's The Bulletin. October 15, 2003. Retrieved May 17, 2006.
  19. ^ Noxon, Christopher, "Is the Pope Catholic...Enough?." The New York Times. March 9, 2003. Retrieved May 17, 2006.
  20. ^ Mel Gibson Anti-gay History
  21. ^ GLAAD meets with Mel Gibson
  22. ^ Mel Gibson to Meet Up-and-Coming Lesbian and Gay Filmmakers
  23. ^ Kill or be kilted
  24. ^ Gays Should Beware of Men in Kilts
  25. ^ on Mel’s monstrous messiah movie and the culture wars
  26. ^ The Passion of the Christ
  27. ^ The Passion of the Christ
  28. ^ http://www.dailycatholic.org/issue/04Mar/mar17fcs.htm
  29. ^ Matt Zoller Seitz. "Mel Gibson talks about Braveheart, movie stardom, and media treachery". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2006-07-29.
  30. ^ ""Transcript of February 2004 Primetime"". Retrieved 2006-07-31.
  31. ^ Gibson's statement about anti-Semitic remarks
  32. ^ Mel Gibson buys personal Pacific island
  33. ^ Mary Packard and the editors of Ripley Entertainment, ed. (2001). Ripley's Believe It or Not! Special Edition. Leanne Franson (illustrations) (1st ed. ed.). Scholastic Inc. ISBN 0-439-26040-X. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help); |editor= has generic name (help)

See also

References

  • Clarkson, Wensley (2004). Mel Gibson, Man on a Mission. John Blake. ISBN 1857825373. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
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