He attended Sydney's National Institute of Dramatic Arts and his first movie title role was as Scollop in Summer City (1977), after which he joined the South Australia Theater Company, appearing in Shakespearean productions and plays such as Waiting for Godot and Death of a Salesman.

Through his leather-clad title role of George Miller's Mad Max, where he played the part of a post-apocalyptic action hero, he made a name for himself and from then on started a remarkable climb to stardom. You would be surprised to know that just before auditioning for Mad Max, he was involved in a brawl and did that ruin his chances? No way!! In fact, his badly bruised face unexpectedly gave him the edge to ascertain his role in the movie as the lean-mean-fighting-machine!

His next movie role was as Tim (no.. not Tim the Toolman Taylor) in which he played a retarded handyman in love with Piper Laurie in the movie Tim (1979). For his excellent performance in that movie, he took home an Australian best actor award. His credibility was further acknowledged after starring in Peter Weir's war drama, Gallipoli, and The Road Warrior (both 1981). The Road Warrior, a sequel to Mad Max, is now an action classic and was an international hit in 1982.

Gibson reteamed with Weir for The Year of Living Dangerously (1983). He played an Australian reporter covering the political upheavals in 1960s Indonesia. Gibson exuded charm, intelligence and, more importantly, sex appeal in his first film as a romantic lead.

His next movie role was as the mutinous Fletcher Christian acting opposite Anthony Hopkins' Captain Bligh in The Bounty (1984). He later returned to Australia to make the third and the last of the Mad Max series, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985).

Gibson returned to the silver screen, after two years, in super hit Lethal Weapon (1987) playing one of his most popular characters, Martin Riggs, a 'crazy' homicide cop with an outrageous but funny attitude along side Danny Glover whose character was a total opposite of Mel's. The film made him a superstar and with success firmly in his hands he made another two sequels. His role as Martin Riggs became the fore runner in the characterization of a modern action hero.

Surprising everybody, his next movie found him portraying the oft-melancholy Dane in Franco Zeffirelli's Hamlet (1990). Gibson turned in a finely rendered portrait of the famed prince along side Glenn Close who remarked that he had the 'balls' for his sudden move to play the role. This was also the first film produced by his ICON Productions company.

After continuing in a more sentimental vein with the sudsy Forever Young (1992), he made his directorial debut with The Man Without a Face (1993), a drama in which he played a burn victim. Forever Young, for me, was a very fun and nice movie. The story line was just superb!! I have always been a sucker for romantic and sentimental movies.

Gibson then acted in the movie Maverick (1994), an adaptation of the '60s TV western-comedy series. Rumours have it that Mel Gibson melted Jodie Foster's heart. Gibson even exclaimed that to do a role well, he has to 'fall in love' with his co-stars. So the next time you see that lovey-dovey look on his face, it is for real. But of course, Mel isn't one who flirts around dangerously. He's a family man and he will just do about anything to protect his family from the prying eyes of the media and such.

Gibson returned to the director's chair for Braveheart (1995). Clad in a 'skirt' (okay, okay... kilt!), sporting blue war paint and wielding a big sword, Gibson starred as Sir William Wallace, a 13th-century Scottish nobleman persecuted for his efforts to free Scotland from English rule. Braveheart became one of the most memorable movie this century has ever seen. Its true to life potrayal of the war sequences and splendid sound effects gave it the extra 'oomph' to make Braveheart emerge as the Best Picture in 1995.

That same year, in addition to providing the speaking voice for John Smith in Disney's Pocahontas, Gibson also made his screen singing debut and he sang darn good too. Aside from making his movies, his ICON Productions has also produced other projects including the Beethoven biopic Immortal Beloved (1994) a Michael Mann-directed film that delighted critics.

In 1996, he thrilled the crowd with his tense and suspenseful movie Ransom, in which he starred along side Rene Russo. The movie potrayed Mel Gibson as Tom Mullen, a rich business man, whose son is kidnapped. As most 'kidnap' movie goes, the kidnappers demand a ransom but the fun (and interesting) part is when Tom turns the table on the kidnappers and change the ransom money into a bounty for the kidnapper's heads!

Later, he partnered with Julia Roberts to star in the hit movie Conspiracy Theory (1997) followed by two more movies; Lethal Weapon 4 and Payback. His next movie role was in The Million Dollar Hotel followed by The Patriot and Chicken Run, in which he lent his deep voice to the role of Rocky, the American rooster.

For more the low-down on his movie roles and credits, click to Filmography!