Mel Gibson is no stranger to controversy, with one of his most infamous ones occurring in 2006, when he was arrested for a DUI. During the encounter with authorities, the actor and director made anti-Semitic remarks, which resulted in an almost immediate public outcry and backlash.
While he apologized for his words, the events of that night continue to haunt Gibson and the public’s perception of him. This has prompted Andrew Garfield to come to his defense, with the actor saying Gibson has done a lot of work on himself and deserves a continued career in the industry.
Mel Gibson’s anti-Semitic comments
In mid-2006, Mel Gibson was arrested and charged with misdemeanor drunk driving after being pulled over for speeding near Malibu, California. When officers approached his vehicle, they found the actor had an open liquor bottle. When tested, he was found to have an elevated blood-alcohol limit.
During the arrest, Gibson became irate and made anti-Semitic remarks, according to the official police report. Once his comments were made public, he issued an apology, which read, “There is no excuse, nor should there be any tolerance, for anyone who thinks or expresses any kind of Anti-Semitic remark. I want to apologize specifically to everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words that I said to a law enforcement officer the night I was arrested on a DUI charge.
“I am a pubic person, and when I say something, either articulated and thought out, or blurted out in a moment of insanity, my words carry weight in the public arena,” his statement went on. “As a result, I must assume personal responsibility for my words and apologize directly to those who have been hurt or offended by those words.”
Following the incident, Gibson got sober, and he’s since spoken out about that night, stating he is not a hateful person and that everyone should move on. He told Variety‘s Playback podcast in 2016, “Surely if I was really what they say I was, some kind of hater, there’d be evidence of actions somewhere. There never has been.”
Andrew Garfield thinks Mel Gibson deserves a second chance
One of the actors who’s worked with Mel Gibson in recent years is Andrew Garfield, who starred in the former’s World War II film, Hacksaw Ridge. Garfield is currently doing press to promote his new movie, We Live in Time (2024), and was recently asked by PEOPLE about Gibson.
“I learned a lot, actually. I learned that people can heal. I learned that people can change, that people can get help,” Garfield said about the pair’s experience working together. “I learned that everyone deserves respect. And that people deserve second chances, third chances, fourth chances. That none of us are infallible.”
The actor, who’s Jewish, added he and Gibson had “deep, important conversations” and that the latter has “done a lot of beautiful healing with himself,” explaining, “And thank God. Because he’s an amazing filmmaker, and I think he deserves to make films. He deserves to tell stories, because he has a very, very big, compassionate heart.
“He’s the kind of director that would come from behind the monitors, just with his eyes wet. He knew when it was right and he knew when it wasn’t right. And I just really trust him,” he continued. “And he’s a visceral storyteller so he can feel… He’s like he can’t help but feel everything. He’s a really empathetic guy.”
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Released in 2016, Hacksaw Ridge centered around the heroics of US Army combat medic and pacifist Cpl. Desmond Doss during the Battle of Okinawa. On May 2, 1945, Doss and other US troops attempted an assault on the Maeda Escarpment, better known as Hacksaw Ridge. Three days later, they were ordered to retreat, but he refused, as he wanted to ensure the rescue of his injured comrades. He spent the subsequent hours rescuing 75 men, for which he received the Medal of Honor.
Andrew Garfield starred as Doss, with Mel Gibson serving as director. The movie was released to generally positive reviews, bringing in over $180 million at the box office.
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At the 89th Academy Awards, Hacksaw Ridge won the Oscars for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing, with other nominations for Best Actor, Best Sound Editing, Best Director and Best Picture.