Mel Gibson was born in Australia

A well-known actor, director and producer Mel Gibson was born in New York in 1956. After the beginning of the Vietnam War Gibson's father left for Australia with his family for his sons not to be called to arms. Mel Gibson spent the rest of his childhood in Sidney. He graduated NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney). Gibson debuted in NIDA's Romeo and Juliet and in the film "Summer City". That's how his remarkable career began.

More Info: www.biography.com

Test your knowledge

What are your thoughts on this subject?

86 Comments

Bob Dickinson

I grew up with Mel in NY until his family left for Australia. His father was a brakeman on the railroad and was injured in an accident. That $ and a win on the old Jeopardy program gave him the money needed to make the move. That was around '68

geminiacleoewe

Ok... The quiz said I got it wrong,then proceeded to verify the fact that I was actually right!!!! Mel Gibson WASN'T born in Australia! Raised there,yes,but not born

cgrhm

Oh, everyone's spelling is perfect.

Stephen Forest

Draft 'dodgers' are not cowards.

earlepg

So blkstang, after apparantly reading the biograghy.com article, got the single entry of Sidney wrong. 24 of the commenters subsequently saw it necessary to provide the correct spelling, Sydney. I hope it was duly noted by blkstang. It seems that a few felt compelled to call Mel a draft dodger even if he must have been relatively young when his father decided to leave the U.S.. They seem to think, in any case, his father did wrong in moving his family. I've heard that many German and Greek families either emigrated with their sons or sent them to other countries (including the U.S.) during the years leading up to WWII just so that the young men wouldn't be drafted into the German Army. With the Germans, their reason wasn't primarily to evade the military service, but so they wouldn't serve in an unjust war on the side of those causing the war. The Greeks were just tired of war and wanted their sons in a country not likely to go to war. Personally, I think that Hutton Gibson wanted his sons relieved from serving. Of course I wouldn't know if he additionally ascribed to the feeling of many citizens of the U.S. that the Vietnam War was unjust.

kadicke

The movie "Tim" was very early on for him.

Nicole Burke

Um Sydney!?

clpilot

Just because his dad was a coward, how did he know his sons wouldn’t defend America?

robert karel

Shrimp on the bar b!

Ron Gosling

Jaime Augusto Alzate, the question and Wed false. Correct

Scott Morris

Bob Dickinson, I found out that he was born in NY ( the same town that in " the facts of life " show was located ) when he did a movie with Sissy Spacek. Someone asked in a letter how he was able to do an American accent so well. The tabloid writer answered, " He's an American that's why !" Where you're born & where you are raised are two different things... ie Bruce Willis, Sen. John McCain,Rose McGowan, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman & Olivia Newton John, Keifer Sutherland, Kim Catrell to name a few.