It Takes A Brave Heart To Handle Fame So Casually

Mel Gibson is the unassuming Hollywood superstar, a friendly guy who says he was happy making small but good films in Australia and appearing on stage, “collecting my $250 a week and walking away.” Then the big time beckoned in 1983 in the form of “The Year of Living Dangerously.”

With that film, MGM decided, “we’re going to make this kid a star,” Gibson says laughing. So the studio began “serving me up like coffee to people every damn morning.”

By the following year he was in the United States making “The River.” The “Lethal Weapon” movies, “Forever Young,” “Maverick” and several other hits followed. Then came 1995’s tour-de-force, “Braveheart,” for which Gibson both starred and directed, winning an Oscar for the latter task.

He likens his rise to stardom to a cat following its nose around a room. “At the end there’s a bright light, lots of flashes going off,” he says in his soft Australian accent. “It’s kind of uncomfortable, but I can’t go back now. All the doors have closed, I’m in ‘The Twilight Zone.”’ He laughs again and hums the old TV theme.

1. As recognizable as you are, is it hard going out in public these days?

Gibson: It’s not hard, it’s easy. You just do it. Oh, there’s days where you feel like a social misfit, so you just stay indoors. But not that often. Normally you just go about your business of living as normally as you can.

If it’s signaled, like if there’s a film shoot, it gets a bit push and shove, you know. But other than that, if you just go where the wind takes you, it’s pretty easy to get around. People are generally nice.

2. You’ve said when people do recognize you they mainly just want to say hello.

Gibson: They basically want to say, ‘Hey, look who’s here.’ Sometimes they even tell you who you are. Like they’ll go, ‘Hey, you’re Kevin Costner,’ so you’ll go, ‘Yeah.’ Or they’ll go, ‘You’re Mel Gibson,’ and you’ll say, ‘Yeah, thank you for telling me that.’ But that’s wonderful stuff. I still find that amusing.

3. Do you ever let them believe you’re someone else?

Gibson: Oh yeah. I was walking with Kurt Russell on a beach one time and this old couple, they were great, they were up from Miami or something. And it was ‘Hey Zelda, come here,’ he says, ‘Look who it is. It’s Jeff Bridges. And that’s Kevin Costner.’ Kurt turned around and said, ‘Who do you think Jeff Bridges is?’ I said, ‘I think it’s you.’

4. You’ve long been considered one of the Hollywood Hunks. Any advice for any of the new, younger hunks, say Matthew McConaughey, Brad Pitt?

Gibson: Well, a face lift ends it all (laughing). Don’t do that.

5. In your new movie, “Ransom,” you play a business tycoon. In real life are you a savvy businessman, or have you ever, say, bounced a check?

Gibson: Hey, I used to do all that stuff. But now it’s gotten so complicated that I find it better to seek professional help. Yeah, I’ve bounced a check, I’ve had a credit card revoked, even had the machine chew up my credit card. The truth is, I’m a financial imbecile.

John Rogers, Associated Press writer.

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