Mel Gibson is turning age 68 today (3rd January) and while many will recall his acting successes others will remember when Hollywood turned their backs on him.
As the Lethal Weapon star had once extended a hand to a friend – who was really in need at the time – it was later down the line that Gibson was also saved from his spiralling career. When he also happened to be down on the ropes, Robert Downey Junior reached out to his pal to repay the favour for saving his life.
Fortunately, the two actors had struck up a bond after they’d both appeared in the film Air America together. With neither Downey Jr or Gibson knowing at this point in life the demons they would go on to face.
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The Avenger’s star’s once glimmering trajectory had been nothing but success in the 80s. This until he hit his lowest point in 1996 when he was arrested for being in possession of cocaine and heroin and became almost unemployable in the Hollywood world.
(Image: Getty Images)
After a tremendous redemption journey, Downey Jr did finally go sober in 2003 and has continued to do so to this day. With the actor turning the tides and becoming a profound name in Hollywood once again.
However, Downey Jr hailed his pal Gibson for being one of his main and only supporters when he had lucked out, claiming the Braveheart director believed in him when nobody else did. In 2012 the actor who is best known for his alter-ego Tony Stark from the much loved Marvel films, did go on to repay the favour.
(Image: WireImage)
Gibson who is an Oscar winner and Academy award winning director found himself out of work after he’d made anti-semitic comments to a police officer who arrested him for a drink driving offence in 2006. It was claimed at the time that he’d also called a female officer “sugartits”.
That wasn’t the only crash and burn point for the film director – who once sat on Hollywood’s top table for over a decade – as things took a turn for the worse when transcripts were leaked online in 2010. And Gibson wasn’t exactly shown in the best the light at all.
(Image: WireImage)
He had been secretly filmed on audio ranting and raging at his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, where he called her a “bitch” and a “whore”, before warning: “I am going to come and burn the f***ing house down. But you will blow me first.”
Later, apparently describing her as a “psycho c***” and a “f*****g fake” before lunging into a racist verbal onslaught which included the n-word. The six videos were never intended for the internet or public domain and were instead meant to be used for the child custodial court case between Gibson and Miss Grigorieva.
(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Gibson was sentenced to three years probation for his behaviour. Miss Grigorieva was also ordered to sacrifice $500,000 of her settlement which was reportedly 15million at one point. This for breaking a confidentiality agreement after the tapes were leaked.
Two year’s later, catholic-church goer Gibson was repaid for his former kindness as Robert Downey Jr took to the stage at a Cinematheque ceremony in Los Angeles asking for folk to give his friend another chance. he profoundly said: “When I couldn’t get sober, Mel told me not to give up hope, and he urged me to find my faith. It didn’t have to be his or anyone else’s, as long as it was rooted in forgiveness.”
(Image: Getty Images for Netflix)
He went on to add: “I couldn’t get hired, so he cast me in the lead of a movie that was actually developed for him. Downey profoundly commented: “And he kept a roof over my head… and he kept food on the table.”
Remembering Gibson’s only request to him, he aired: “Someday I help the next guy, in some small way.” Downey Jr realised that the “next guy” was actually Gibson himself.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
