Mel Gibson Overview

He was born Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson in Peekskill, upstate New York, the sixth child of 11. When he was 12, his father won $21,000 on Jeopardy, combined it with a workman's compensation settlement, and moved the family to Australia to keep his boys out of the Vietnam War draft. Coming of age in the land-down-under, Gibson became a heavy drinker by 16, not to mention a smoker, scrapper and ne'er-do-well. Without him knowing, his sister, Mary, sent an application on his behalf to the... See All