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Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3 1956) is an Academy Award winning actor, American 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 1993's The Man Without a Face and 1995's Academy Award-winning Braveheart. In 2004, he directed and produced the controversial blockbuster, The Passion of the Christ. Gibson's direction of Braveheart made him only the sixth actor-turned-filmmaker to garner an Oscar for Best Director. He was also the first person ever awarded People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive".

Early life

Gibson was born in Peekskill, New York, the sixth of ten children born to Hutton Gibson and Anne Reilly Gibson. 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.

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. Columcille is the name of the parish in County Longford where Anne Reilly was born and raised.

Although Gibson always maintained his United States citizenship, he lived in Australia after a victory on the TV game show Jeopardy! by Gibson's father. The family moved in 1968 when Gibson was 12. 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 believed that changes in American society were immoral. Early Gibson films feature a distinct, noticeable Australian accent.

Film career

Gibson graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney in 1977, and his 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 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 article: 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.

Despite having been trained in two different schools of acting (Gibson is classically trained and Glover is a method actor), the two shared good chemistry. The film was a major hit and spawned three sequels.

Hamlet

Main article: Hamlet

Gibson then 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".

Over the course of the shoot 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 and marketing success and remains a steady in DVD sales. It also marked the transformation of Mel Gibson from action hero to serious actor and filmmaker. Later in his career, he complemented his dramatic performances with comedic roles in Maverick and What Women Want.

Braveheart

Gibson stated that when the Braveheart script arrived and was recommended by his agents, he rejected it outright. 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 Ireland, where members of the Irish Army Reserve used as extras for the battle scenes.

The Passion of the Christ

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

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.

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." Accusations of anti-Semitism were fueled by revelations that Mel Gibson's father Hutton Gibson is a vocal Holocaust revisionist who believes much of the Holocaust is "fiction".

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.

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 ticket sales were boosted by the film attracting viewers who generally do not attend theaters, including entire church congregations. 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

Gibson's next historical epic, Apocalypto, will be released to theaters in December 2006. The film is set 600 years ago in Mesoamerica, before the Spanish conquest. It focuses on the decline of the Maya civilization. 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 specific 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.

On a side note, Hector Carreon reports that Gibson built houses for the poor in Mexico's Veracruz state, where Apocalypto was filmed. Disney insists that Apocalypto will be released as scheduled.

Family

On June 7 1980, Gibson married nurse Robyn Moore, whom he met through a dating service. 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).

Although Gibson is Roman Catholic and his wife is Anglican, he has never disapproved of her beliefs, saying that "true love knows no boundaries." He has also called her his "Rock of Gibraltar, only prettier". But he also holds to the Catholic doctrine of "Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus", if only grudgingly. When asked how this doctrine would affect his wife he said: "There is no salvation for those outside the Church, (and) I believe it. My wife is a saint. She's a much better person than I am. Honestly. ... 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.”

Personal and political views

Religion and God

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. He is 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.

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." At a screening of the film for clergy, he stated that the Holy Ghost was making the film through him, "I was just directing traffic".

Politics

While having never identified himself as being a conservative Republican, Gibson has been referred to as one in The Washington Times, and WorldNetDaily once reported that there was grassroots support among Republicans for "a presidential run"..

Gibson praised the liberal director Michael Moore and his documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11. 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.

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." Following the July 2006 DUI/antisemitism incident and because of his friendship with Michael Moore, some conservative Hollywood bloggers have suggested that "Gibson may be a left-wing Catholic much like Michael Moore."

Previously 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.

His critics

Gibson has not shied away from expressing strong opinions, even against his critics. In a Playboy interview, he says of the author of an unauthorized biography, "I don't think God will put him in my path. He deserves death." After Frank Rich of The New York Times wrote that Gibson's Passion of the Christ would inflame anti-Semitism, Gibson told The New Yorker, "I want to kill him. I want his intestines on a stick. I want to kill his dog."

Controversy

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, " to a direct question. If someone wants my opinion, I'll give it. What, am I supposed to lie to them?" 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". Eventually, however, to make amends with the gay community and show he was no longer homophobic, 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.

Although Gibson did not write the screenplay for Braveheart, the depiction of a homosexual character in the film drew accusations of homophobia. 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. Edward's father, also, 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'. The character was similar portrayal of the same character 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. It is of note that the Greek text has Christ describing Herod as a "vixen", or female fox, rather than "fox" in the Gospel.

Accusations of Anglophobia

Gibson was accused of Anglophobia by English audiences and press. based on the direction of one of his major films and the liberties taken with historical content.

Although he did not write the screenplay, in his film Braveheart Prince Edward of Carnarvon (later King Edward II of England) was depicted as an effete homosexual who was not the true father of his son, the future Edward III of England. The film also propagated the mythical calumny against the English of Droit de seigneur which almost certainly never existed anywhere and definitely not in Britain. Gibson has admitted this, however, and has stated that it was more cinematically compelling to falsely include the Droit de seigneur because it portrayed villain Edward Longshanks, the King of England played by Patrick McGoohan as a sinister tyrant.

According to Wensley Clarkson's unauthorized biography, Gibson's Irish-American family has 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.

Accusations of anti-Semitism

Controversy regarding allegedly anti-Semitic opinions expressed by Gibson have flared up on at least two occasions.

In 2004, his film The Passion of the Christ was criticized for alleged anti-Semitic imagery and overtones. Gibson strongly denies 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 disputed anti-Semitic elements not found in the Gospels (e.g. the writings of beatified stigmatic Anne Catherine Emmerich), and fails to comply with recommendations for dramatization of The Passion issued by either the Vatican or the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

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… Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." 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. Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham Foxman issued a statement accepting Gibson's apology and expressing a willingness to help in Gibson's rehabilitation.

Attorneys working on the behalf of Gibson later threatened to sue Mel Gibson's Blog , a blog utilising Gibson quotes, out of context and in a satirical fashion, to draw attention to Gibson's history of making controversial statements.

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. 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 while impersonating Elmer Fudd, 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.

Drug and alcohol abuse

It has been suggested that Mel Gibson DUI incident be merged into this article. (Discuss)

According to Gibson biographer Wensley Clarkson, Gibson's alcoholism dates to his teenage years. Clarkson also states that 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." 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.

In 1991, Mel began treatment for alcoholism at the urging of his agent Ed Limato and his wife Robyn, who reportedly threatened to leave him if he refused. He has stated that he often meditated on The Passion while attempting to beat alcoholism and has said that his idea for the film dates from this time.

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 contemplate suicide.

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 the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu at 2:36 am, and spouted expletives, sexist, and anti-Semitic comments. He was later released on his own recognizance.

On August 17, 2006, he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge and was sentenced to three years on probation. He could have been sentenced to as long as six months in jail. He admitted making anti-Semitic remarks during his arrest and apologized, saying the comments were "blurted out in a moment of insanity."

He announced he was entering a recovery program to battle alcoholism, and he asked to meet with Jewish leaders to help him "discern the appropriate path for healing." Gibson did not appear in court, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office said.

Superior Court Judge Lawrence Mira ordered Gibson to attend Alcoholics Anonymous 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 fined $1,300 and his license was restricted for 90 days. He also volunteered to record a public service announcement on the dangers of driving drunk and volunteered to immediately enter into a rehabilitation program.

Quotations

• "Vatican II corrupted the institution of the church. Look at the main fruits: dwindling numbers and pedophilia." — Time, January 27 2003

• "It was me that put him on the cross. It was my sins ." On the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, addressing who was responsible for his death. From "The Passion: Photography from the Movie 'The Passion of the Christ'"

• On the Holocaust: "The thing with him 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

• "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.

• "I regard Mad Max as a Star Wars in the gutter". Excerpted from Wensley Clarkson's "Mel Gibson; Living Dangerously," page 91.

• "Actors only write books when they run out of money". Excerpted from Wensley Clarkson's "Mel Gibson; Living Dangerously," page ix.

• "Hey, I'm for love, not war. How about we have a beer?" An inebriated Gibson to the infuriated driver he had just rear ended in Toronto. In 1984 he pleaded guilty to drunk driving and was fined $300 and banned from driving in Canada for 3 months. Excerpted from Wensley Clarkson's "Mel Gibson; Living Dangerously," page 175.

• "The L.A. Times, it's an anti-Christian publication, as is the New York Times". The New Yorker September 15,2003.

• "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.

• "What do you think you're looking at, sugar tits?" Yelled at a female police officer, while being booked at a police station after being pulled over for drunk driving on July 28, 2006.

• "There is a dark force that didn't want us to make the film. It's so completely palpable while you're doing it." - (Regarding (The Passion of the Christ) EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network),

• "Why are they calling her a Nazi? …Because modern secular Judaism wants to blame the Holocaust on the Catholic Church. And it's a lie. And it's revisionism. And they've been working on that one for a while." - (On criticism of Anne Catherine Emmerich, a nineteenth-century nun whose writings influenced his portrayal of Jesus' death.) - The New Yorker, September 15, 2003

• "My dad taught me my faith, and I believe what he taught me. The man never lied to me in his life." - New York Post, January 30, 2004

• "I probably sound like some egotist, you know, saying that the Roman Church is wrong, but I believe it is at the moment, since Vatican II." - Larry King Live, December 19, 1990

• "Feminists don't like me, and I don't like them." - Playboy July 1995 (Vol. 42 ; No. 7 : Pg. 51).

Trivia

• 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. Descendants of the original native inhabitants of Mago (who were displaced in the 1860s) have protested the purchase.
• With his earnings from The Passion of the Christ, Gibson constructed a traditionalist Catholic chapel on his California estate.
• 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 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". 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!
• 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.
• A 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.
• 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.
• Gibson is an admirer of the Baroque works of Caravaggio. Much of the cinematography of The Passion of the Christ was done to evoke the painter's style.
• Gibson's height is disputed. Varied sources place him from 5'8" (173cm) to 5'11" (180cm).

Filmography

As actor

• Summer City (1977)
• I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1977)
• Mad Max (1979)
• Tim (1979)
• The Chain Reaction (1980)
• Gallipoli (1981)
• Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
• Attack Force Z (1982)
• The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
• The Bounty (1984)
• The River (1984)
• Mrs. Soffel (1984)
• Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
• Lethal Weapon (1987)
• Tequila Sunrise (1988)
• Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
• Bird on a Wire (1990)
• Air America (1990)
• Hamlet (1990)
• Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
• Earth and the American Dream (1992) (documentary) (narrator)
• Forever Young (1992) (also executive producer)
• The Chili Con Carne Club (1993) (short subject)
• The Man Without a Face (1993)
• Maverick (1994)
• Casper (1995) (Cameo)
• Braveheart (1995)
• Pocahontas (1995) (voice)
• Ransom (1996)
• Fathers' Day (1997) (Cameo)
• Conspiracy Theory (1997)
• FairyTale: A True Story (1997) (Cameo)
• Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
• Payback (1999)
• The Million Dollar Hotel (2000)
• Chicken Run (2000) (voice)
• The Patriot (2000)
• What Women Want (2000)
• The One Dollar Diary (2001) (documentary)
• We Were Soldiers (2002)
• Signs (2002)
• Acting Lessons: Should Have Looked Like Mel (2003) (short subject)
• Paparazzi (2004) (also producer)
• Sam and George (2007) (currently announced start of production) (also producer)

As director

• The Man Without a Face (1993)
• Braveheart (1995)
• The Passion of the Christ (2004) (also producer, actor (his hand drove in the stake), and writer)
• Apocalypto (2006) (currently in post-production) (also executive producer, producer, and writer)

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)

Notes

1. 1995 Academy Awards
2. Michael Dwyer, The Irish Times film critic, interviewed on RTÉ Radio 1's This week programme, 6 August 2006.
3. Ebert, Roger (2004-02-24). "Movie Reviews: The Passion of the Christ". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2006-08-02. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
4. Scott, A. O. (2004-02-25). "FILM REVIEW; Good and Evil Locked In Violent Showdown". New York Times. Retrieved 2006-08-05. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
5. The Passion of Mel Gibson
6. Giambalvo, Corrado (February 20 2004). "Gibson's father: Holocaust was mostly 'fiction'". USA Today. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
7. The Jesus War: Mel Gibson’s obsession.
8. The Jesus War
9. 'Passion'-ate defense gives offense
10. A passionate Mel Gibson strikes back against critics
11. Churches rent out entire theaters for 'Passion'
12. Daily Muslims, August 2, 2006
13. Mel Gibson says his wife could be going to hell
14. It's Modern Crucifixion
15. Respect For Human Life
16. ^ Gibson's way with words; USA Today August 1, 2006; accessed August 3. 2006.
17. Mel Gibson Pushed for President
18. Moore, Gibson: I Love His Work
19. Not so hot: Fahrenheit 9/11 is more smoke than fire
20. Gibson Inspired by 'Fear Mongering' Bush
21. Mel Gibson, Conservatives & The Cult of Celebrity; Libertas: a forum for conservative thought on film August 1, 2006.
22. ^ Grobel, Lawrence, "Interview: Mel Gibson". Playboy. July 1995. Vol. 42, No. 7, Pg. 51. Retrieved May 17 2006. Cite error: The named reference "pb" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
23. Wright, Tony. "Dream candidate" Ninemsn's The Bulletin. October 15, 2003. Retrieved May 17, 2006.
24. Mel Gibson Anti-gay History
25. GLAAD meets with Mel Gibson
26. Mel Gibson to Meet Up-and-Coming Lesbian and Gay Filmmakers
27. Kill or be kilted
28. Gays Should Beware of Men in Kilts
29. on Mel’s monstrous messiah movie and the culture wars
30. The Passion of the Christ
31. The Passion of the Christ
32. Mel Gibson: Proud or prejudiced?
33. Some criticism of The Passion
34. Response by a member of the above Reference
35. Vaticans position on Emmerich
36. USCCB stance on The Passion dramatizations
37. ^ Gibson's Anti-Semitic Tirade - Alleged Cover Up; TMZ.com; July 28, 2006
38. Gibson's statement about anti-Semitic remarks
39. "ADL Welcomes Mel Gibson's Apology To The Jewish Community". Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved August 2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
40. Attorneys threaten blog
41. Satirical Blog "Mel Gibson"
42. Mel Gibson: Clowning Around; Anecdotage.com Accessed August 3 2006
43. http://www.dailycatholic.org/issue/04Mar/mar17fcs.htm
44. Matt Zoller Seitz. "Mel Gibson talks about Braveheart, movie stardom, and media treachery". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2006-07-29.
45. ""Transcript of February 2004 Primetime"". Retrieved 2006-07-31.
46. Mel Gibson buys personal Pacific island
47. 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)
48. Gibsons Height 1
49. Gibsons Height 2

See also

References

• Clarkson, Wensley (2004). Mel Gibson, Man on a Mission. John Blake. ISBN 1857825373. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
• Hitchins, Christopher (2006-07-31). "Mel Gibson's Meltdown". Slate. Retrieved 2006-08-01. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

• Mel Gibson at IMDb
• Mel Gibson on NNDB
• Mel Gibson directory
• Roles turned down by Mel Gibson

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• 1956 births
• American film actors
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• American immigrants to Australia
• Best Director Academy Award winners
• English-language film directors
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• Living people
• People from Westchester County, New York
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