Mel Gibson found fame when he starred in and directed the 1995 movie Braveheart. With the real-life story of William Wallace against the backdrop of the Scottish war, the movie boasted several intense battle scenes with horses, swords, and shields.
Due to the battle-intense scenes, there were some injuries sustained on the set. Although these were minor injuries, there was a moment when the Mad Max actor would have almost lost his life. It was his stunt double that pulled him out of the oncoming accident.
Mel Gibson Almost Lost His Life in Braveheart
Although several of the fight scenes involved fake horses, Mel Gibson wanted a hint of realism in the movie. Recalling the incident, Gibson recalled that a particular horse that was trained in a certain way would have almost killed Gibson if it weren’t for his stunt double.
As per the actor, the horse was trained to throw its rider for filming and then would back up a few paces. It was unlucky for Gibson that he was thrown off the horse and as he fell down, the horse started pacing a few steps back. Recalling the incident, Gibson joked that it was a problem “if you’ve fallen off first, and you’re behind him”. The actor further stated,
“He did that to me. My stunt double ran in and pulled me out of the way just as the horse fell.”
The actor further revealed that the total amount of injuries only amounted to “a broken ankle and a hangnail and a busted nose”. Being a fan of cinema, the director even complimented his dear good friend Jim Caviezel for his indie film Sound of Freedom.
Mel Gibson Wept After Watching Jim Caviezel’s Sound of Freedom
Related: Mel Gibson is Happy He’s “Beating” 93 Year Old Hollywood Legend Clint Eastwood
Working on the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ, Jim Caviezel became great friends with director Mel Gibson while working together. In recent times, Caviezel starred in the 2022 indie film titled Sound of Freedom.
In an interview, the actor revealed that he showed the film to two of his friends and one of them was his dear friend Gibson.
“I showed this movie to two Academy Award-winning film directors. Both of them were absolutely stunned. One of them is my good friend, Mel Gibson. The other one likes to remain anonymous. Mel was weeping.”
With raging horses and bloodthirsty battles, the American actor’s Braveheart is available to stream on Max. The Jim Caviezel starrer Sound of Freedom is currently screening in theaters for people to watch.
Source: Irish Independent
