Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson was born January 3rd, 1956 to
parents Hutton and Ann Gibson. While many may think that Gibson is originally Australian, he was in fact born in Peekskill, N.Y.

The sixth of eleven children, a young Mel 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 avoid the elder Gibson boys from being drafted in the Vietnam war (which Mel declines any truth to it).

Once a high school graduate, Gibson wanted to pursue a career in arts of a different kind -- in cooking or journalism -- but after his sister submitted an application to the National Institute of Dramatic Art at the University of New South Wales, behind Gibson's back, he decided to try his hand at acting.

While at the University, Gibson's 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.

By another stroke of luck for Gibson -- and another sign that he was in the right field -- he landed the lead role in Mad Max not only despite the fact that he 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, and eventually led to his transition to the United States. Ironically, his voice was dubbed for the film's American release of the film; 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 his belt, it was clear that his star was on the rise. By the time he had co-starred with Danny Glover in the box-office hit Lethal Weapon, Gibson had 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, 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 successful western Maverick.

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

In 1997, 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 film, 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" (in 1985), Gibson has also been on the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" list numerous times.

Women may wish Gibson was an eligible bachelor, but he has
been married to his wife, Robyn, for the past 20 years, and together they have 7 children (practically following in the footsteps of his parents).

The accomplished producer/director/actor can next be seen in the comedy, What Women Want, with Helen Hunt.

What else do you need to know?

****Text copywrite AskMen.com****

Trivia

Some sources give 1951 as the year of birth.

Studied Acting at NIDA (National Insitutute of Dramatic Art), University of New South Wales, NSW, Sydney, Australia. As well as Judy Davis, other fellow students, during his time there, included Colin Friels and Dennis Olsen. He and Geoffrey Rush were roommates during college.


(October 1997) Ranked #12 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.

(1996) Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world

His father, Hutton Gibson, moved the family from upstate NY to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in 1968 after winning as a contestant on "Jeopardy".

Mel Gibson is a devout, traditional Catholic. He attends latin church in Beverly Hills.

Attended drama school with Judy Davis. They played Romeo and Juliet together.

(1991) Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world.

(1990) Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world

Awarded the AO (Officer of the Order of Australia), Australia's highest honor, in mid-1997.

He took up acting only because his sister submitted an application behind his back. The night before an audition, he got into a fight, and his face was badly beaten, an accident that won him the role.

Brother of actor, Donal Gibson

His father moved the family to Australia in part because he was afraid his sons would be drafted during the Vietnam War. Mel claims this isn't true because his only older brother was in a seminary and he wouldn'tve beeen drafted because he was too young!

Acted in Death of a Salesman on Stage.

Acted as Juliet in an all male production of Romeo and Juliet in his all boys catholic school.

(1995) Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#37).

Was considered for the role of James Bond in Goldeneye (1995), except didn't want it.

(1985) Chosen as People Magazine's first Sexiest Man Alive

Is a big fan of The Three Stooges.

Is on a diet where he eats raw meat and asperagus a lot.

At a Glance

Full name: Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson
Date of Birth: January 3, 1956 at 4:45 am EST
Place of Birth: Peekskill, New York, USA
Education: National Institute of Dramatic Arts
Parents: Hutton and Anne (Reilly) Gibson
Siblings: (10): Patricia, Sheila, Mary, Kevin, Maura Louise, Daniel and Christopher (twins), Donal, Anne, Andrew (adopted)
Wife: sice June 7, 1980: Robyn Moore
Kids: (7) Hannah (1980), Edward and Christian (1982, twins), William (1984), Louis (1987), Milo (1990), Thomas (1999)
First Professional Role: Summer City
Astrological Sign:Capricorn

Salary

Patriot, The (2000) $25,000,000 (USA)
Conspiracy Theory (1997) $20,000,000
Ransom (1996) $20,000,000
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) $10,000,000
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) $1,200,000 (Australia)
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) $120,000 (Australia)
Mad Max (1979) $15,000 (Australia)

Quotes

"It's all happening too fast. I've got to put the brakes on or I'll smack into something."


'Write a book? Ha ha ha! Hell, what would I write about?
My life as a movie star? Actors only write books when they run out of money. Anyway, there's enough people writting about me. There is someone doing it even as we speak. Does it get on my nerves? There's a sense of outrage that somebody's wandering about talking to everyone I've ever known.'


I don't go for personal heroes but I do have one - my old man. My admiration for him cannot be measured.


I get my ears boxed if I'm not home by midnight.. Marriage is hard work.


I'm beeing packaged here as if I were a hamburger - fat and tasty. The new sex symbol.


Hollywood is a factory. You have to realise that you're working into a factory and you're part of the mechanism. If you break down, you'll be replaced.


If I've still got my pants on in the second scene, I think they've sent me the wrong script.


As an actor, you're an emotional prostitute - you get caught with your pants down. It's like putting your dick on a chopping block with the knowledge that no one is going to chop it off.


My family means more to me than the artificial trappings of my career. If ever I had to choose between my career and my family, the wife and kids would definetly come out on top.

Most quotes were found in the book 'Mel Gibson Living Dangerously' by Wensley Clarkson