Lethal Weapon cast now – racism row, lookalike son, brain injury and brutal slap

Lethal Weapon was a hit Hollywood movie franchise released in the 1980s and 90s, starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci and many more legendary names.

The first movie follows Mel’s character, Martin Riggs, a suicidal, reckless detective who’s recently lost his wife.

Martin is reassigned to work with Danny Glover’s character Roger Murtaugh and although the pair clash at first, together they uncover a massive drug-trafficking ring.

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Following the same theme, Martin and Roger return for four movies, with each getting better than the last. The last movie, Lethal Weapon 4 starred new big names, including Chris Rock and Jet Li.

In November 2021, Gibson confirmed that he was in talks to direct and star in the fifth Lethal Weapon film.

To celebrate Mel’s 67th birthday, we’re taking a look at what the cast of Lethal Weapon is up to now.

Mel Gibson

In his acting work, Mel received praise for his skills and scooped up Oscars for his roles in Braveheart and Hacksaw Ridge, but outside of his work, Mel was in some hot water for most of the early 2000s.

In 2006 he unleashed an anti-Semitic rant which saw him shut out of Hollywood.

He was also arrested for drink-driving and sentenced to three years probation.

He apologised for his behaviour, saying: “There is no excuse, nor should there be any tolerance, for anyone who thinks or expresses any kind of anti-Semitic remark.”

The star then received widespread criticism for his outrageously racist and misogynistic remarks made in 2010 to then girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, who is also the mother to one of his nine children.

Outside of his controversies, Mel’s son Milo has been dubbed his father’s lookalike.

He’s also followed Mel’s acting path, starring in All The Devil’s Men, and Breaking and Exiting.

Danny Glover

Danny, whose line “I’m too old for this s***” became an iconic trademark for the Lethal Weapon movies, is a veteran in the acting and TV industry.

It was later revealed that Danny’s hit line from the Lethal Weapon franchise was added in last minute and filmmaker Shane Black had no clue it would be as iconic as it was.

“It just sort of rolls off and you don’t picture it becoming iconic in any way,” Black admitted.

He starred alongside Whoopi Goldberg in Oscar-nominated film, The Colour Purple and is well known for his Eighties classic series Hill Street Blues.

Outside of acting Danny has focused on political activism, voicing his concerns on issues like economic justice and access to health care and education programmes in the USA and Africa.

He has also reportedly seen the script for the next Lethal Weapon film and “liked it”, stating that if it does happen, it would be “extraordinary”.

Joe Pesci

Joe Pesci, who was known for having rubbed shoulders with wise-guys in his past, took on legendary acting roles soon after Lethal Weapon including Goodfellas, Raging Bull, The Irishman and everyone’s favourite Christmas film, Home Alone.

He actually revealed that while playing thief Harry in the Home Alone films he sustained “serious burns” during one of the stunts where his hat caught on fire.

“In addition to the expected bumps, bruises, and general pains that you would associate with that particular type of physical humour, I did sustain serious burns to the top of my head during the scene where Harry’s hat is set on fire,” Joe told People Magazine.

Joe retired from acting in 1999, returning for a odd few jobs but mainly focused on his music career as a Jazz singer, where he’s worked on musical albums and has incredible music industry connections with the likes of Jimmy Scott, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Adam Levine, and even Jimi Hendrix.

Patsy Kensit

British actress Patsy was only 21 when she starred in Lethal Weapon 2 as Martin Riggs’ girlfriend Rika Van Den Haas.

Two years after the second film in 1989, Patsy divorced her first husband keyboardist Dan Donovan and went on to marry Simple Minds frontman, Jim Kerr, with whom she had a son with before they split in 1996.

Patsy then had her second son, Lennon with Oasis band member Liam Gallagher who she stayed married to for three years before going off with DJ Jeremy Healy in 2010.

Aside from her four marriages, Patsy went on to have long-running roles in hit ITV soap Emmerdale and BBC’s Holby City, and has appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.

Gary Busey

Gary, who played the villain’s second in command in the first Lethal Weapon movie, sadly went on to fracture his skull following a devastating motorcycle crash, which left him with permanent brain damage.

Speaking about the incident, Gary told The Guardian: “I went off the bike without a helmet, hit my head into a kerb, split my skull, passed away after brain surgery and went to the other side – the spiritual realm where I got information.”

He continued: “I was surrounded by angels. Balls of light floating all around me. And I felt trust, love, protection and happiness like you cannot feel on earth. It’s the feeling the angels live in.”

In 1995, Gary swore not to touch cocaine again after suffering from an overdose. He was introduced to the drug on the claim that it would make him “more creative”.

Gary also starred in and won Celebrity Big Brother in 2014.

Jenette Goldstein

Jenette played detective Meagan Shapiro, who was dramatically killed off when she flung herself from an exploding diving board in the second instalment of the Lethal Weapon series.

Keeping within the acting world, she went on to star in Terminator 2, Aliens, Near Dark and even blockbuster hit Titanic before she hung up her boots and switched industries.

Jenette started her own lingerie brand for women with bigger busts, calling her brand The Alphabet Starts At D and has several stores in LA and Atlanta, Georgia.

During the pandemic, Jenette offered a remote bra fitting service.

Chris Rock

Chris Rock has made a name for himself in the comedy and acting industries, starring in a range of different films including the Madagascar series, Grown Ups with Adam Sandler, Beverly Hills Cop 2 and of course, Lethal Weapon 4 in 1998.

He made headlines for all the wrong reasons after he hosted the Oscars early in 2022.

The comedian was violently slapped by fellow actor Will Smith after he made a joke about his wife Jada’s shaved head, which she had as a result of her alopecia.

While still on stage he recoiled, saying: “Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me.”

Actors came forward to support Chris and condemn Will for his actions, who has since apologised to Chris publicly.

With that being said, the comedian’s ticket sales soared after the incident, with more than 50% of them being sold after the Oscars and racking in more money that he had that past month.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk