Mel Gibson is one of the most dedicated and committed actors in the history of Hollywood. In addition to being a versatile actor, Gibson is also known as a skilled director churning out thought-provoking and brilliantly made films including The Man Without a Face (1993), Braveheart (1995), The Passion of the Christ (2004), and Hacksaw Ridge (2016). He is a multitalented individual with many successful films and Academy Awards in his career. Despite having such a rich filmography, he has also passed on many iconic roles that were later taken by other actors that became box office hits. One of them is a franchise that has been consistently revitalized and taken on by many actors including Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.
Mel Gibson Passed on Being James Bond
Movieweb published an article that included ten leading roles in films that Mel Gibson turned down or did not get. The list included films like The Terminator (1984), Dead Poets Society (1989), Gladiator (2000), and Schindler’s List (1993) among others. It seems Gibson also turned down the role of James Bond. At the time of casting for 1995’s GoldenEye, Gibson’s name was also considered. But the role ultimately went to Pierce Brosnan.
It would have been an interesting choice if Gibson was to star in a Bond film. It would make him the first American actor to star as Bond, which had not happened till then. He has the star power and the versatility to portray the role of a charming and suave super-spy. But then, he turned down the role and went on to do greater things. He wouldn’t have done Braveheart if he had committed to Bond, which came out the same year as GoldenEye in 1995.
Mel Gibson Addressed Why He Turned Down Playing James Bond
Gibson’s reason for turning down the role seems to be connected with original James Bond actor Sean Connery. He told Joblo (via Express UK),
“I got offered the James Bond movies when I was like 26, which is like 40 years ago, okay? And they said, hey, we want you to be the next James Bond. And I thought about it; I was in Australia, I was working with Peter Weir [on Gallipoli]. And I did think about it, and I sort of turned it down. “I thought, look what happened to poor Sean, he got stuck there for like three decades”
Gibson seems to be referring to Connery being committed to a specific role for such a long period. Maybe he did not want to make that kind of commitment and lose out on other potential projects due to that commitment, He also did not want to be typecast in one type of role and be given that kind of character in other films.
Upcoming Films of Mel Gibson
In 2021, Mel Gibson announced he was taking over the director’s chair for the fifth film of the Lethal Weapon franchise after the death of franchise director Richard Donner. He is also directing the thriller Flight Risk starring Mark Wahlberg. The film is not affected by the ongoing strikes as it is an independent project and not backed by any studio and thus filming is underway.
On the acting side, Gibson will star in Boys of Summer, a fantasy adventure film directed by David Henrie, and the action thriller Desperation Road directed by Nadine Crocker. He will also be appearing in the John Wick prequel series The Continental: From the World of John Wick, which is scheduled to premiere on Peacock on September 23, 2023.
Source: Movieweb
