Mel Gibson has returned to Trim, Co. Meath, for the 30th anniversary of his historical drama, Braveheart. The actor and director is attending the annual King John Summer Prom Festival, held near the fields and castles where he filmed the Oscar-winning epic about Scottish rebel William Wallace during the early days of Ireland’s Celtic Tiger.
Ahead of a concert of movie music and a special screening of the film, Gibson explained what drew him back to the town. He credits a persistent invitation from his co-star, Scottish actor David O’Hara. “They’d done one at 20 years. They did one at 25. Then O’Hara was on the phone, saying, ‘Oh, come on!’ He insisted long and hard. He said, ‘It’s the last one they’re doing!’ I thought, okay. And I haven’t seen it for a long time.”
The visit is a homecoming of sorts for Gibson, who holds an Irish passport thanks to his Longford-born mother. “I’ve still got the passport,” he confirms. “My mother, when I was young – she educated me about the place. I think it’s just in your blood somehow. You end up coming back. I think I understand the quirky nature of the mind. Because my mother was an axe murderer,” he adds with dark humour.
Gibson’s ability to command a room was instrumental in getting Braveheart made. He recalls how Irish producer Morgan O’Sullivan and Michael D. Higgins, then Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, were crucial in bringing the production across the Irish Sea.
“We were in Scotland, and the filming was going great,” Gibson says. “But we realised pretty quickly that the ground was not horse-friendly.” They also needed a large number of extras for the film’s battle scenes. “So we got in touch with Michael D, and we met Morgan through that. They just welcomed us with open arms, and they made it easy for us. They were able to supply the Army Reserve as extras – because we needed 2,000 guys. And we had a racetrack right there near the Curragh… These guys could walk to work.”
In 1995, Gibson was at the height of his fame, having risen from the Australian apocalyptic thriller Mad Max II to global stardom with the Lethal Weapon franchise. His career in the 21st century, however, has been more turbulent. His 2004 film, The Passion of the Christ, was a massive box office success but generated considerable controversy.
His personal life also drew scrutiny. In 2006, he made anti-Semitic remarks during a DUI arrest, later issuing two apologies. In 2011, he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanour battery charge involving his former girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva. His conservative political views have also set him apart from mainstream Hollywood, and he currently serves as one of Donald Trump’s “special ambassadors” to the industry.
Asked about his relationship with Hollywood today, Gibson is circumspect. “Yeah, it’s okay. I mean, what’s Hollywood? Where is it?” he says. He notes that the industry has undergone a major shift. “It used to be the Mecca of filmdom. Now it’s not.”
A potential thaw came in 2016 when his directorial effort, Hacksaw Ridge, received six Oscar nominations. “I was surprised by that,” he admits.
Reflecting on his early career, Gibson recalls the unexpected success of the first Mad Max film in 1979. “No, no idea at all,” he laughs. “There’s a Tom Waits song called Big in Japan. Remember that? ‘I’m big in Japan!’ The first Mad Max film was huge in Japan.” He also notes that for its initial international release, his Australian accent was dubbed over by an American actor. “Yeah, we had some Montana cowboy doing my voice,” he says. “I think I liked it better with the dub.”
Born in New York, raised in Australia, and with Irish heritage, Gibson acknowledges his complex national identity. “I think it’s just an imprint that we have from generations back,” he reflects. “We are the sum of everything that made us.”
Braveheart itself was a surprise Oscar victor, winning Best Picture and Best Director for Gibson. “I thought it was that other film that was going to scoop everything,” he says, referring to Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility. “So I was actually kind of surprised that we got it. But, you know, you could see the blood, sweat and tears in it. That was hard film-making.”
Gibson is now focused on his long-awaited follow-up to The Passion of the Christ, a two-part film titled The Resurrection of the Christ. Despite the first film’s success, which he self-financed, he says securing backing for the sequel was challenging. “A lot of people wanted to be involved, but they would come to the table and then get cold feet.”
Distributed by Lionsgate, Part One is scheduled for release on Good Friday, 2027, with Part Two following on Ascension Day of the same year. The films will explore the lesser-told stories of the apostles in the days after Jesus’s resurrection. “It talks about things that aren’t really spoken about in the Gospels. What bed was Peter hiding under? What was Matthew thinking?” Gibson says. He hopes the project will appeal beyond faith audiences. “What I want to do is just show them something they’ll maybe ask a bunch of questions about. Because there are things in it that are pretty, pretty out there.”
