Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson
Name	Mel Gibson
Caption	Gibson at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival
Birth name	Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson
Birth date	3 January 1956
Birth place	Peekskill, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, film director, producer, screenwriter
Years active	1976–present
Spouse	Robyn Moore (m. 1980; div. 2011)
Partner	Oksana Grigorieva (2009–2010), Rosalind Ross (2014–present)
Awards	Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, AFI Life Achievement Award

Mel Gibson is an American actor and filmmaker. He rose to international fame as an action hero in the ''Mad Max'' and ''Lethal Weapon'' franchises before achieving critical acclaim as a director with ''Braveheart'', which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. His career has been marked by significant commercial success, major awards, and a series of high-profile controversies.

Early life and education

Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson was born in Peekskill, New York, the sixth of eleven children. His mother, Anne Patricia, was an opera singer, and his father, Hutton Gibson, was a writer. To avoid his eldest son being drafted for the Vietnam War, Hutton relocated the family to Sydney, Australia in 1968. Gibson attended St. Leo's Catholic College in Wahroonga before studying at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney. He graduated from NIDA in 1977 alongside classmates including Judy Davis.

Acting career

Gibson's professional debut was in the Australian film ''Summer City'' (1977). His breakthrough came starring as the titular anti-hero in George Miller's dystopian action film ''Mad Max'' (1979). International stardom followed with roles in ''Gallipoli'' (1981) and ''The Year of Living Dangerously'' (1982). He achieved global box-office dominance in the late 1980s and 1990s as detective Martin Riggs in the ''Lethal Weapon'' series and in blockbusters like ''Ransom'' and ''Conspiracy Theory''. Later acclaimed acting roles include ''Hamlet'' and ''Maverick''.

Directorial career

Gibson made his directorial debut with ''The Man Without a Face'' (1993). He achieved monumental success with his second film, ''Braveheart'' (1995), a historical epic about William Wallace which he directed, produced, and starred in. The film won five Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Picture. He later directed the controversial and commercially successful ''The Passion of the Christ'' (2004), filmed in Aramaic and Latin, and the ''Apocalypto'' (2006), set in the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. He returned to major studio directing with the war film ''Hacksaw Ridge'' (2016), which earned him another Academy Award for Best Director nomination.

Controversies and legal issues

Gibson's career has been significantly impacted by several controversies. In 2006, he was arrested for driving under the influence in Malibu, California; a leaked police report contained anti-Semitic remarks, leading to widespread condemnation from organizations like the Anti-Defamation League. In 2010, recordings of violent, racist, and misogynistic rants directed at his then-partner Oksana Grigorieva were leaked to the media. He pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge related to the incident. These events led to his being largely ostracized by Hollywood for nearly a decade before a professional comeback with ''Hacksaw Ridge''.

Personal life

Gibson was married to Robyn Moore, a dental nurse, from 1980 until their divorce in 2011; they have seven children. Following their separation, he had a daughter with musician Oksana Grigorieva. Since 2014, he has been in a relationship with writer Rosalind Ross, with whom he has a son. A devout traditionalist Catholic, his faith heavily influenced ''The Passion of the Christ''. He owns a private island in Fiji and has resided primarily in Malibu and Costa Rica.

Filmography and awards

Gibson's extensive filmography spans over four decades as an actor, director, and producer. Key acting credits include the ''Mad Max'' series, ''Lethal Weapon'' series, ''Hamlet'', and ''What Women Want''. His directorial works are ''The Man Without a Face'', ''Braveheart'', ''The Passion of the Christ'', ''Apocalypto'', and ''Hacksaw Ridge''. His awards include two Academy Awards for ''Braveheart'', the Golden Globe Award for Best Director, and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2024.

Category:American film directors Category:Best Director Academy Award winners Category:American male film actors