Mel Gibson biography 2022

Biography of Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson was born on January 3, 1956, to parents Hutton and Ann Gibson.

While many may think that Gibson is originally Australian, he was born in Peekskill, New York, USA.

The sixth of eleven children, a young Mel Gibson relocated to Sydney, Australia (Ann Gibson's place of birth) after his father, a railroad brakeman, suffered an on-the-job injury.

Their move down under was also to prevent the elder Gibson boys from being drafted into the Vietnam war. Once a high school graduate, Mel Gibson wanted to pursue a career in arts of a different kind.

Still, after his sister submitted an application to the National Institute of Dramatic Art at the University of New South Wales, behind his back, he decided to try his hand at acting.

While at the University, his film repertoire began with his role in Summer City.

Luckily for the thespian, director George Miller caught his Summer City performance and called on the State Theatre Company of South Australia actor to audition for the title role of his film.

He landed the lead role in Mad Max not only even though Mel auditioned with a knocked-up face (thanks to a fight he was in the night before) but practically because of it.

His role in the 1980 film became Gibson's claim to fame, eventually leading to his transition to the United States. His voice was dubbed for the film's American release; it was the follow-up of Mad Max, The Road Warrior, which increased Gibson's stardom.

With the lead role in the most successful Australian movie to date and a Best Actor Australian Film Institute Award for the film Tim under Mel Gibson's belt, it was clear that his star was on the rise.

By the time he had co-starred with Danny Glover in the hit Lethal Weapon.

Gibson earned another Best Actor Australian Film Institute Award for his role in Gallipoli and starred in films such as The Year of Living Dangerously, The River, The Bounty, and Mrs. Soffel.

After completing the next installment in the Lethal Weapon franchise, Mel Gibson starred opposite Goldie Hawn in Bird on a Wire; starred as the man in tights himself in the film remake of Hamlet; teamed up with Rene Russo for Lethal Weapon 3; directed and starred in The Man Without a Face, and starred in the western Maverick.

But the highlight of Gibson's career came about in 1995 when his role as William Wallace in the epic film Braveheart earned the actor Best Director and Best Picture awards.

In 1997, Mel Gibson re-teamed with Rene Russo for the film Ransom; appeared in the bomb Father's Day as a body piercer; co-starred with Julia Roberts in Conspiracy Theory; and appeared yet again as Detective Martin Riggs, this time for the fourth Lethal Weapon.

After his role in Payback (with Lucy Liu), the practical joker starred in the Bono-penned film The Million-Dollar Hotel. The summer of 2000 showed two sides of Gibson, albeit two patriotic sides. He starred in the epic movie, The Patriot and lent his voice to a "flying" American rooster in the animated film Chicken Run.

His poultry-laden role was not the first time he lent his voice to an animated character; he starred as the American officer in Disney's Pocahontas and even played himself in an episode of The Simpsons. The first one to be named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" (1985), Gibson has also been on the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" list numerous times.

Women may wish Mel Gibson was an eligible bachelor, but he has been married to his wife, Robyn, for the past 30 years, and together they have 7 children. The accomplished producer/director/actor can be seen in the comedy, What Women Want with Helen Hunt.




last updated October 2022