The best word to describe Mel Gibson would be 'manic.' No celebrity (with the possible exception of Robin Williams) has shown himself to be the master of so many moods. Bubbling over with enjoyable, nervous energy, Mel is also able to focus this energy for breathtaking dramatic results. Despite his noticeable Australian accent, Gibson was born in the United States - Peekskill, New York, to be exact - on January 3rd, 1956. When he was twelve, he and his rather large family (he has ten siblings) moved to the land down-under. While there, he attended high school and then pursued a higher education in Drama. However, the initial idea was not his. One of his older sisters, noticing some innate talent in Mel, sent the college application away without his knowing, and Mel went along with it.
It's a good thing for us that he did. Gibson immediately began appearing in stage productions, both during and after he finished college, and promptly moved on to television. He appeared in several major Australian television series.
It was in 1979 that he got his big break. Mel took a role in a small independent Australian film about a post-apocalyptic world. The film was Mad Max, and it would become one of the most famous cult classics the world has ever seen. Although it has not had the lasting significance of Mad Max, he also appeared in Tim that very same year, a film which won him a Best Actor Award from the Australian Film Institute (think Aussie Oscars). Clearly this newcomer was off to a terrific start. Two years later, Gallipoli would earn him a second AFI Best Actor Award.
A success in Australia, Mel left to pursue an acting career in his native United States. Hollywood beckoned, and the passionate Aussie was welcomed into the Hollywood fold with such movies as Lethal Weapon and Tequila Sunrise. Gibson would also complete the Mad Max Trilogy, placing him in the center of two very successful film franchises. Clearly, Gibson was a profitable star and the movie studios could not get enough.
As if to prove that he was not merely a hunk who could attract legions of swooning fans, Mel took on more challenging roles, most notably the role of Hamlet. For The Man Without a Face, he even donned hideous make-up. The film also marked his directorial debut, and was made by a Icon Productions, a production company he formed himself. Although the film was not very successful, he first steps towards autonomy payed off as he proved that he could be a strong creative force in the industry.
Of course, nowhere was this proven more perfectly than with Braveheart. Gibson poured his soul into the story of William Wallace, a young Scottish freedom fighter who united the land and brought about revolt in Scotland against the British. One of their greatest heroes, Gibson managed to pay homage without offending anyone. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, and Gibson took home statuettes for both Best Director and Best Picture. As if we hadn't already known, Mel Gibson had proven that he was one of the most influential men in Hollywood.
Despite his success, Mel remains an oddball in Hollywood. Not only has he worked his way steadily to the top by doing things his own way, but his personal life has remained happy and unyielding. In a land full of scandals and month-long marriages, Mel has been with his wife Robyn Moore for 19 years, and they recently welcomed their seventh child into the world.
