On January 3, Australian actor of Irish descent Mel Gibson celebrated his 66th birthday. It’s hard to argue that the man can be considered one of the main stars of the 80s and 90s and, probably, the brightest ladies’ man . Many films with his participation have become cinema classics. At the peak of his fame, the actor almost lost everything, but managed to make a beautiful return to the big screen. Mel Gibson’s career is very extraordinary, and now we will tell you more about it.
Mel Gibson’s career
Childhood and an unexpected gift of fate
The parents of the future actor were Irish, and Mel himself was the sixth child of eleven. When the Vietnam War began, Gibson Sr. decided to move his family to Australia so that they would not have to participate in the massacre. Mel Gibson graduated from a Catholic school, then a public school, and intended to become a journalist, but then fate intervened.
More precisely, his sister intervened and, on Mel’s behalf, submitted documents to the Sydney National Institute of Theater Arts. And although the guy never dreamed of being on stage, he still decided to go to the audition. It’s funny that the day before he got into a fight in a bar and in many ways it was his appearance that became his ticket to the world of art.
“Mad Max” and the start of a career
Very soon, young Gibson was playing on the stage, and already in 1977 he made his debut on television. It seemed that there was still a lot to be done to reach the top, but fate intervened again. Mel got into a fight again and in this form went to the Mad Max audition. George Miller immediately liked the beaten talented actor, and without hesitation he gave the role to Gibson.
Mad Max became the highest-grossing Australian film, grossing more than $100 million at the box office. But more importantly, Mel Gibson gained real popularity, and the tape soon gained cult status. Naturally, the sequel was not long in coming, and as a result, the sequel shot even harder. After this, Mel Gibson could no longer be stopped, although he preferred historical dramas.
Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram
Mel Gibson – director
After the threequel “Mad Max” and the super popular “Lethal Weapon”, it seemed that it couldn’t get any higher. But Gibson surprised his fans. First, the actor tried his hand at directing twice. And if “The Man Without a Face” was a good film, then “Braveheart” became another Gibson cult film.
Then, also unexpectedly, Mel played the leading role in the film “What Women Want,” showing that he also has comedic talent. And in 2004, the controversial film “The Passion of the Christ” was released, telling about the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus. Despite the criticism, the film was personally approved by Pope John Paul II.
Outcast
However, Mel Gibson’s entire career was plagued by one problem – alcoholism. And in 2006, the actor was again detained for drunk driving. Only this time, during his arrest, the actor shouted various anti-Semitic statements, for which he was condemned by his colleagues and fans. Subsequently, Gibson more than once surprised the public with his views, showing rare religious intolerance.
Little by little, more and more agencies and studios decided to break contracts with the irrepressible actor. And in just a few months, Mel Gibson went from star to outcast. Just four films in 10 years! But in 2016, Mel triumphantly returned to big cinema, filming the film “Hacksaw Ridge,” which even competed for an Oscar.
Personal life
It’s impossible not to talk about the actor’s personal life, because it also influenced his creative path. Gibson married Robin Moore back in 1980, and over the many years of marriage the couple already had seven children. Mel and Robin were often called the ideal Hollywood couple, until in 2009 it turned out that they had not lived together for three years. The wife was tired of enduring constant betrayal and decided to file for divorce. The last straw was Mel’s appearance in public with his mistress Oksana Grigorieva.
Oksana and Mel had a child, but they were unable to start a family. Very soon the couple began to sue for the right to raise the child, and soon the actress was diagnosed with a concussion, for which Gibson was accused. Then it seemed that this was the last nail and now only oblivion awaited the actor. But, as we know, Gibson managed to improve his life.
Now he has taken his life in hand, is in demand again and is eager to create. In addition, they say that the actor has become an exemplary family man. Mel Gibson’s career began by accident, quickly reached its peak and just as quickly found itself at the very edge. But, despite everything, the man managed to return the favor of fate. Now again, like decades ago, the public is hungry for his new films.
