Mel Colmcille Gerard Gibson, it is a small wonder he shortened it to “Mel” when he took up acting. He was born 3rd January,1956 in Peekskill, NY (USA) and later emigrated, with his parents, to Australia at the age of 12. Gibson is one of the great all-time male acting leads.
Career Highlights
Gibson’s Hollywood film career started in 1984, starring with Sissy Spacek in the “River”. He went on to enjoy success with the “Lethal Weapon” series as well as hits like “Bird on a Wire”, “Maverick” and other romantic comedies. His greatest accomplishment, oddly enough, might be as a director rather than an actor.
He starred in and directed the film, “Braveheart”. The picture took home the Academy award for Best Motion Picture in 1995. Mel produced and directed the controversial but acclaimed “The Passion of Christ” in 2004. He has new films in the works and shows no signs of slowing down, though he admits there might be a few roles he is getting “too old” to play.
His looks, the Australian accent and a lot of charisma helped Mel win the parts that set him apart. His willingness to have fun in roles like the “Lethal Weapon” series, playing an almost comic sidekick to Danny Glover’s straight man won him a loyal following.
In “Braveheart”, at last, we got a glimpse of the real depth of talent Gibson possesses in abundance. He won the Academy Award for best picture and best director for “Braveheart”. He has acted in 57 films and 14 TV series.
Top Ten Movies of Mel Gibson:
- Man Without A Face
- Bird On A Wire
- Braveheart
- Lethal Weapon
- Leather Weapon III
- I Never Promised You a Rose Garden
- What Women Want
- The Conspiracy Theory
- The Patriot
- Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome
