Mel Gibson Net Worth (2024)
Lifestyle | Bio | Facts [UPDATED]

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Did you know…

…that Mel Gibson was working at an orange juice bottling factory when his sister applied on his behalf to Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art?

It was during his days there as a student that he starred in a production of “Romeo and Juliet” opposite Judy Davis, then went on to play an uncredited role in the 1977 fantasy drama film “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden”.

While a student at NIDA, he also made his film debut in the Australian thriller film “Summer City”.

But it was his role as Max Rockatansky in the hit dystopian action-thriller film “Mad Max”  in 1979 that made him a star.

His entrance to the film world was greeted by positive reactions. He was compared to classic movie legends such as Steve McQueen, Clark Gable, and  Humphrey Bogart, with one critic noting that he has undeniable star quality.

In 1981, he was cast in the Australian war film “Gallipoli”, the highest-grossing film in Australia that year. The film gave Mel Gibson an image of a serious and versatile actor.

In that same year, he reprised his role of Max Rockatansky in “Mad Max 2”, the sequel for “Mad Max”, released as “The Road Warrior” in the United States.

The film was critically and commercially successful; it was Mel’s first hit movie in America, immediately turning him into an international star.

He gained the label of “action hero” after starring in “Gallipoli” and the two film series “Mad Max” and “Lethal Weapon”. Sean Connery himself even suggested Mel as the next James Bond! Mel Gibson refused the role though, fearing being typecast.

The following year, he starred in the romantic thriller film “The Year of Living Dangerously”, earning positive reviews from the critics, before taking a one-year break from films to focus on his family after the birth of his twin sons.

After his hiatus, he made his debut in American films with “The River”, portraying a struggling Tennessee farmer. His other notable films from this period are “Mrs. Soffel”, “Tequila Sunrise”, the third installment in the “Mad Max” series, “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome”, and “Lethal Weapon”, the film that cemented his Hollywood leading man status.

He made his directorial debut in 1993 with the drama film “The Man Without a Face”. It was followed by the epic historical war film, “Braveheart”, where he also played the film’s hero, William Wallace, one of his most famous film roles to date.

“Braveheart” was a huge hit and a winner of many accolades including Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director for Mel.

Mel Gibson started off the year 2000 by being paid a record salary of $25 million to star in the epic war film, “The Patriot”.

In 2002, he starred in another war film, “We Were Soldiers”, following it up with the sci-fi mystery-thriller film “Signs”, the highest-grossing film of his career.

He produced, directed, and co-written the biblical drama film “The Passion of the Christ”, in 2004. It was a highly controversial film at the time of its release and received mixed reviews. Nevertheless, it was a success at the box office, becoming the 5th highest-grossing film of 2004, and the highest-grossing Christian film of all time.

2006’s “Apocalypto” earned him more praise as a critically acclaimed director.

Unfortunately, however…

Despite being known as a great actor and filmmaker, his public image suffered after being involved in some controversies, which affected his career significantly.

2011 saw the beginning of a career revival for Mel, starting with the comedy-drama film “The Beaver”, co-starring Jodie Foster.

After a decade, Mel returned to film directing with the 2016 biographical war film “Hacksaw Ridge”, for which he got nominated for an Academy Award for  Best Director.

In 2020, he co-starred in the action film “Force of Nature” and starred in the dark comedy-action film “Fatman”.

He has revealed that he’s working on a sequel for “The Passion of the Christ” and that he’s going to direct a film set in World War II, to be called “Destroyer”.

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