Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson AO (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. He is mostly known for his roles in action movies. Some of his most famous roles are in Mad Max (1979), Gallipoli (1981), The Bounty (1984), Lethal Weapon (1987), and Braveheart (1995). He directed The Passion of the Christ in 2004. He loosely based it on the visions of St. Catherine Emmerich.
Gibson was born in Peekskill, New York, United States. His father, Hutton Gibson, was a veteran soldier during World War II and was also a famous writer. His family moved to Australia in 1968, when he was 12. He studied acting at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney. He also has Irish citizenship.