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Mel Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American-born Australian-reared movie actor, director, and producer best known for his role in the Lethal Weapon series and Braveheart.
Gibson was born in Peekskill, New York as one of 11 children, but raised in Australia from the age of 12. He maintained his U.S. citizenship.
In 1996 he received two Academy Awards (Best Director and Best Picture) for the film Braveheart (1995).
Following a victory on the Jeopardy! game show, Gibson's father Hutton moved his family to Australia in the 1970s in protest of the Vietnam War and for concern over the way that American society was turning, morally. The elder Gibson is a member of the "traditionalist" Catholic Church, who believes that the Mass should still be said in Latin and that all of the Second Vatican Council is in error. Hutton has also been quoted as saying that the Jews deserved the Holocaust for "killing Christ", and that the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack was performed by remote control, and not by airplanes. He has also written several books attacking the Church. (see Sedevacantism)
Although Mel is said not to be as fervent a believer as his father, he has voiced support for some of his father's conspiracy theories, including that many Presidents of the United States were assassinated in order to forestall economic reforms. He is also working on The Passion[?], a 12-hour film in the Aramaic language which has caused uproars for the rumor that the movie will accuse the Jews as the killers of Jesus.
Mel Gibson has also financed the construction of a traditionalist cathedral in Malibu, California called Holy Family.
Selected Filmography
- Signs (2002)
- We Were Soldiers[?] (2002)
- Chicken Run[?] (2000)
- The Million Dollar Hotel[?] (2000)
- The Patriot (2000)
- What Women Want (2000)
- PayBack[?] (1999)
- Lethal Weapon 4[?] (1998)
- Conspiracy Theory[?] (1997)
- Fairy Tale: A True Story[?] (1997, uncredited)
- Father's Day[?] (1997, uncredited)
- Ransom[?] (1996)
- Braveheart (1995, also directed)
- Pocahontas[?] (1995, voice)
- Maverick[?] (1994)
- The Man Without a Face[?] (1993, also directed)
- Forever Young[?] (1992)
- Lethal Weapon 3[?] (1992)
- Air America (1990)
- Bird on a Wire[?] (1990)
- Hamlet (1990)
- Lethal Weapon 2[?] (1989)
- Tequila Sunrise[?] (1998)
- Lethal Weapon (1987)
- Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome[?] (1985)
- The Bounty[?] (1984)
- Mrs. Soffle[?] (1984)
- The River (1984)
- Attack Force Z[?] (1982)
- The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
- Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
- Gallipoli (1981)
- Mad Max (1979)
- Tim[?] (1979)
- Summer City[?] (1977)
External Links
- snopes.com story about Mel Gibson and his father (http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/gibson.asp)