50 facts about passionate actor Mel Gibson: Because of his mother, Gibson retains dual Irish and American citizenship

50 facts about actor and filmmaker Mel Gibson.

1. Born to Hutton Gibson and Anne Reilly Gibson, Mel is the sixth of eleven children.

2. In 1968, when Gibson was 12-years-old, the family emigrated to Sydney, Australia.

3. His father had won $21,000 as a contestant on international game show 'Jeopardy' and had also received $145,000 compensation for a 1964 work accident that had caused him to lose his job as brakeman for New York City Railroad.

4. Australia is his mother's homeland.

5. His grandmother was an opera singer.

6. Gibson kept his American citizenship and acquired an Australian accent.

7. Gibson attended school at St Leo's College, run by Christian Brothers but constantly rebelled against their rules.

8. Gibson had no particular vocational yearning, thinking perhaps he may become a priest at one stage and then considering journalism.

9. Extremely shy, he dated little, and usually took his friends along for moral support.

10. He did however enjoy elaborately staged practical jokes and was an excellent mimic, having a penchant for different accents.

11. His sister applied on his behalf but without his knowledge, to the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney. At the time, Gibson had graduated from school and was working at an orange juice-bottling factory.

12. When he was offered a place to study acting at the Institute of Dramatic Art, he gladly accepted, moving out of his parents' home and in with three of his friends, one of whom was Geoffrey Rush (now an Oscar winning actor). He overcame his stage fright and put all his effort into the course, thoroughly enjoying the theatrical work.

13. Gibson graduated in 1977 and began working on the small screen, appearing in television series 'The Sullivans', 'Cop Shop') and 'Punishment'.

14. He joined the South Australia Theatre Company and toured with 'Waiting for Godot'.

15. It was during 'Waiting for Godot' tour, whilst in Adelaide, that he met his future wife, Robyn Moore.

16. His future wife Moore, was working as a dental nurse when thy met.

17. They were married on 7 June 1980.

18. The couple has seven children.

19. Gibson's first big screen debut came in the form of an uncredited role as a baseball player in 'I Never Promised You a Rose Garden'.

20. His full name is Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson AO.

21. He is most well known as an action hero, for roles such as Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon buddy cop film series and Max Rockatansky in the first three films in the Mad Max post-apocalyptic action series.

22. In 1995, Gibson produced, directed, and starred in the epic historical drama film Braveheart, for which he won the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Director, along with the Academy Award for Best Picture.

23. During the 1990s, Gibson alternated between commercial and personal projects.

24. In 2004, he directed and produced the financially successful, but controversial, biblical drama film The Passion of the Christ.

25. Gibson received further critical notice for his directorial work of the 2006 action-adventure film Apocalypto, which is set in Mesoamerica during the early 16th century.

26. His paternal grandfather, John Hutton Gibson, was a millionaire tobacco businessman from the American South.

27. One of Gibson's younger brothers, Donal, is also an actor.

28. Gibson's first name is derived from Saint Mel, fifth-century Irish saint, and founder of Gibson's mother's native diocese, Ardagh, while his second name, Colm-Cille, is also shared by an Irish saint and is the name of the parish in County Longford where Gibson's mother was born and raised.

29. Because of his mother, Gibson retains dual Irish and American citizenship.

30. Gibson gained very favorable notices from film critics when he first entered the cinematic scene, as well as comparisons to several classic movie stars.

31. Gibson's roles in the Mad Max series of films, Peter Weir's Gallipoli, and the Lethal Weapon series of films earned him the label of "action hero".

32. Later, Gibson expanded into a variety of acting projects including human dramas such as Hamlet, and comedic roles such as those in Maverick and What Women Want.

33. He expanded beyond acting into directing and producing, with: The Man Without a Face, in 1993; Braveheart, in 1995; The Passion of the Christ, in 2004; and Apocalypto, in 2006.

34. As students, Gibson and actress Judy Davis played the leads in Romeo and Juliet, and Gibson played the role of Queen Titania in an experimental production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

35. After his success in Hollywood with the Lethal Weapon series, Gibson began to move into producing and directing.

36. With partner Bruce Davey, Gibson formed Icon Productions in 1989 in order to make Hamlet.

37. In addition to producing or co-producing many of Gibson's own star vehicles, Icon has turned out many other small films, ranging from Immortal Beloved to An Ideal Husband.

38. Gibson has also produced a number of projects for television, including a biopic on The Three Stooges and the 2008 PBS documentary Carrier.

39. In June 2010, Gibson was in Brownsville, Texas, filming scenes for the movie, How I Spent My Summer Vacation, about a career criminal put in a tough prison in Mexico.

40. Gibson directed, produced, co-wrote, and funded the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ, which chronicled the passion and death of Jesus. The film was shot exclusively in Aramaic, Latin, and Hebrew.

41. Although Gibson originally intended to release the film without subtitles; he eventually relented for theatrical exhibition. The film sparked divergent reviews, ranging from high praise to criticism of the violence.

42. Gibson and his former wife have contributed a substantial amount of money to various charities, one of which is Healing the Children.

43. Gibson donated $500,000 to the El Mirador Basin Project to protect the last tract of virgin rain forest in Central America and to fund archeological excavations in the "cradle of Mayan civilization."

44. In July 2007, Gibson again visited Central America to make arrangements for donations to the indigenous population.

45. While on a business trip to Singapore in September 2007, Gibson donated to a local charity for children with chronic and terminal illnesses.

46. Gibson is also a supporter of Angels at Risk, a nonprofit organization focusing on education about drug and alcohol abuse among teens.

47. In a 2011 interview, Gibson said of his philanthropic works, "It gives you perspective. It's one of my faults, you tend to focus on yourself a lot. Which is not always the healthiest thing for your psyche or anything else. If you take a little time out to think about other people, it's good. It's uplifting."

48. Gibson was raised a traditionalist Catholic.

49. After 26 years of marriage, Mel and Robyn Gibson separated on July 29, 2006.

50. Gibson has a reputation for practical jokes.

Source: melgibsonsite.com