Mel Gibson & Oksana Grigorieva at Woverine premiere (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (Mel Gibson), is an actor, film director, film producer and screenwriter. Born in New York, Gibson moved to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the National Institute of Dramatic Art.
In 1982, Vincent Canby said that Mr. Gibson recalled the young Steve McQueen…
I can't define "star quality," but whatever it is, Mr. Gibson has it."
Gibson's physical appearance 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.
Gibson's most 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, 2000's The Patriot (acted only) , 2004's The Passion of the Christ and 2006's Apocalypto. 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. 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.
Mel Gibson's first American film was Mark Rydell’s 1984 drama The River, in which he and Sissy Spacek played struggling Tennessee farmers. During the 1990s, Gibson used his boxoffice power to alternate between commercial and personal projects. Gibson is currently filming Edge of Darkness, which marks his first starring role since 2002.
Mel Gibson's Awards, accomplishments
- People's Choice Awards: Favorite Motion Picture Actor (1990, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2003)
- ShoWest Award: Male Star of the Year (1993)
- American Cinematheque Gala Tribute: American Cinematheque Award (1995)
- Hasty Pudding Theatricals: Man of the Year (1997)
- Australian Film Institute: Global Achievement Award (2002)
- Honorary Doctorate Recipient and Undergraduate Commencement Speaker, Loyola Marymount University (2003)
- World's most powerful celebrity by US business magazine Forbes (2004)
- Hollywood Reporter Innovator of the Year (2004)
- Honorary fellowship in Performing Arts by Limkokwing University (2007)
- Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema Award at the Irish Film and Television Awards (2008)
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