American-Australian actor whose Irish-Catholic family moved to Australia when he was 12. He was number 6 of 10 kids and the Irish Catholic family went on to produce some 50 nieces and nephews. He went to the School of Dramatic Arts at 18 and began his film career at 20 in “Summer City.” He made “Mad Max” the following year, then the poignant “Tim,” which won the Australian Film Award. For “Galliopoli,” he won his second Best Actor Award. Moving into the American film market, he made “The Year of Living Dangerously,” and “Lethal Weapon,” 1987.
Gibson married at 24; daughter Hannah was born in 1981, twin boys Edward and Christian in July 1982, son Will in June 1984, son Louis in July 1987, Milo in 1989 and last son born 4/14/1999. On the eve of their 20-year anniversary, 43-year-old Robyn announced that she was pregnant with their seventh child.
Gibson has his rowdy side, playing practical jokes on the set, burping and telling gross stories and giving his kids such nicknames as Weasel Balls and Jarhead. He did his share of carousing in the past fueled, he admits, by too much drinking, and was a chain smoker until he kicked a 30-year habit in October 1998. Called “the sexiest man alive,” he is more comfortable with his family and cattle ranch in Australia than with the Hollywood glamour scene.
In 1995 he directed and acted in “Braveheart,” which won the 1996 Oscar as Best Film with him as Best Director. Gibson is also the owner of his own production company, Icon Products.
While filming “The Patriot” in South Carolina in August 1999, he visited and left a sizeable contribution to Safe Passage, Inc., a local domestic violence shelter. Even though the amount of the contribution was not disclosed, the executive director stated that it would go a long way towards their new building.
Gibson, a conservative Catholic, wrote, directed and funded a controversial movie,”The Passion of the Christ,” which opened in the US on February 25, 2004. Charges of anti-Semitism were hurled against the movie. Gibson ardently denied the charges, saying the script for the film was based in the New Testament and his inspiration was the Holy Spirit.
At 2:36 AM PDT on July 28, 2006 Gibson was pulled over by police after allegedly speeding on Pacific Coast Highway. Police arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence, and he was booked at the Lost Hills (CA) sheriff’s office at 4:06 AM local time according to an AP report. Gibson reportedly exhibited belligerent behavior to the arresting officer and spouted forth anti-Semitic statements. Released on $5,000 bail, the actor subsequently apologized for both his behavior and his words and acknowledged that he had battled alcohol most of his adult life. Three days later, he entered a rehab program. On August 17th, in Malibu, he agreed with the prosecutors to plead no contest to a misdemeanor charge of drunk driving and was sentenced to three years’ probabtion, fined $1,608, and had his drivers’ license suspended for 90 days and must attend Alcoholics Anonymous for one year.
After 28 years of marriage and seven children, his wife filed for divorce ion April 13, 2009. The couple revealed they had been separated for over two years.
He and Oksana Grigorieva began a relationship at about the same time as his divorce from his wife. Together they had a daughter named Lucia born on October 30, 2009 in Los Angeles. The relationship didn’t last long; the couple broke up in April 2010 and in late June he took out a restraining order against her. But in July 2010 several tapes were released that may be damaging to his case; the tapes appear to have captured his angry vitriol directed at her.
Link to Wikipedia biography