Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson was born on January 3, 1956, in Peekskill, New York, USA, as the sixth of eleven children to Hutton Gibson, a railroad brakeman, and Anne Patricia (Reilly) Gibson, who passed away in December 1990. His mother was of Irish descent from County Longford, while his American-born father had mostly Irish roots.
Mel's family relocated to Australia in the late 1960s, settling in New South Wales, where his paternal grandmother, Eva Mylott, a contralto opera singer, was born. After completing high school, Mel attended the University of New South Wales in Sydney, where he studied alongside future film stars Judy Davis and Geoffrey Rush at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts.
Following his university education, Mel had a few stints on stage and appeared in several television shows. He eventually landed roles in the films Mad Max (1979) and Tim (1979),co-starring Piper Laurie. The low-budget Mad Max catapulted him to international recognition, while Tim earned him the Australian Film Institute's Best Actor award, equivalent to an Academy Award.
Mel's subsequent films included Gallipoli (1981),which earned him a second Best Actor award from the Australian Film Institute. In 1980, he married Robyn Moore and had seven children. He made his American debut in The Bounty (1984),co-starring Anthony Hopkins.
In 1987, Mel starred in the iconic film Lethal Weapon (1987),playing the role of "Martin Riggs". In 1990, he took on the starring role in Hamlet (1990),receiving critical acclaim. He also appeared in Forever Young (1992),The Man Without a Face (1993),and the critically acclaimed Braveheart (1995),for which he won two Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director.
Mel's subsequent films included The Patriot (2000),Ransom (1996),and Payback (1999). Today, he remains an international superstar, consistently topping the Hollywood power lists and the Most Beautiful and Sexiest lists.
