Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson AO (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor and film director. He is known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apocalyptic action series Mad Max and as Martin Riggs in the buddy cop action-comedy film series Lethal Weapon.
Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old. He studied acting at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, where he starred opposite Judy Davis in a production of Romeo and Juliet. During the 1980s, he founded Icon Entertainment, a production company, which independent film director Atom Egoyan has called "an alternative to the studio system". Director Peter Weir cast him as one of the leads in the World War I drama Gallipoli (1981), which earned Gibson a Best Actor Award from the Australian Film Institute, as well as a reputation as a serious, versatile actor.
In 1995, Gibson produced, directed, and starred in Braveheart, a historical epic, for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Director, the Academy Award for Best Director, and the Academy Award for Best Picture. He later directed and produced The Passion of the Christ, a biblical drama that was both financially successful and highly controversial. He received further critical notice for his directorial work of the action-adventure film Apocalypto (2006), which is set in Mesoamerica during the early 16th century.
After several legal issues and controversial statements leaked to the public, Gibson's popularity in Hollywood declined, affecting his careers in acting and directing. His career began seeing a resurgence with his performance in Edge of Darkness (2010) and Jodie Foster's The Beaver (2011). His directorial comeback after an absence of 10 years, Hacksaw Ridge (2016), won two Academy Awards,[8][9] and was nominated for another four including Best Picture and Best Director for Gibson, his second nomination in the category.
Early life
Gibson was born in Peekskill, New York, of Irish descent, the sixth of 11 children, and the second son of Hutton Gibson, a writer, and Irish-born Anne Patricia (née Reilly, died 1990). Gibson's paternal grandmother was opera contralto Eva Mylott (1875–1920), who was born in Australia to Irish parents, while his paternal grandfather, John Hutton Gibson, was a millionaire tobacco businessman from the Southern United States. One of Gibson's younger brothers, Donal, is also an actor. Gibson's first name is derived from St Mel's Cathedral, situated in his mother's hometown of Longford. His second name, Colmcille, is also shared with an Irish saint. Because of his mother, Gibson retains dual Irish and American citizenship. Gibson is also an Australian permanent resident.
Gibson has said that he started drinking at the age of 13. In a 2002 interview for the documentary actingclassof1977.com, made by his former National Institute of Dramatic Art colleague Sally McKenzie, Gibson said, "I had really good highs but some very low lows."
Gibson was banned from driving in Ontario, Canada, for three months in 1984, after rear-ending a car in Toronto while under the influence of alcohol. He retreated to his Australian farm for over a year to recover, but he continued to struggle with drinking. Despite this problem, Gibson gained a reputation in Hollywood for professionalism and punctuality such that frequent collaborator Richard Donner was shocked when Gibson confided that he was drinking five pints of beer for breakfast. Reflecting in 2003 and 2004, Gibson said that despair in his mid-30s led him to contemplate suicide, and he meditated on Christ's Passion to heal his wounds. He took more time off acting in 1991 and sought professional help. That year, Gibson's attorneys were unsuccessful at blocking the Sunday Mirror from publishing what Gibson shared at AA meetings. In 1992, Gibson provided financial support to Hollywood's Recovery Center, saying, "Alcoholism is something that runs in my family. It's something that's close to me. People do come back from it, and it's a miracle."
On August 17, 2006, Gibson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge and was sentenced to three years' probation. He was ordered to attend self-help meetings five times a week for four-and-a-half months and three times a week for the remainder of the first year of his probation.
Nothing says "campfire dinner" like beans and hot dogs, which is why recipes like this Amazing Hot Dogs 'n' Beans Skillet are so popular during the summertime. Whether you're cooking this up over a real campfire or on your own kitchen stove, this budget-friendly casserole is sure to put a smile on your face.
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 (28-ounce) cans baked beans, undrained
- 6 hot dogs, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 cup corn chips
- Preheat stove top to medium-high heat. Melt butter in a cast iron skillet. Add onion and sauté until tender.
- Add remaining ingredients, except corn chips; mix well and cook 12 to 15 minutes, or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
- Top with corn chips and serve.
1926 – Mickey Hargitay, Hungarian-born American actor and bodybuilder (d. 2006)
Green, red, kidney, lima, or soy are just a few of the different kinds of beans recognized on National Bean Day on January 6th.
This day celebrates the bean in all sizes, shapes, and colors. We’ve been cultivating beans (legumes) since the early seventh millennium BC. And today, just as throughout the Old and New World history, beans provide a significant source of protein. Not only are beans an exceptionally healthy meal and snack choice, but they supply an excellent source of fiber. They are low in fat and are high in complex carbohydrates, folate, and iron, too.
In one cup of cooked beans, supplies between 9 and 13 grams of fiber. Soluble fiber can help in lowering blood cholesterol.
- There are approximately 40,000 bean varieties in the world.
- Only a fraction of these varieties is mass-produced for regular consumption.
HOW TO OBSERVE
This holiday offers so many recipes to try thanks to all the varieties of beans available. Try beans you’ve never tasted before. Introduce a new variety of bean to your cooking regimen. When you do, be sure to share the recipe. Since beans are so beneficial, you’ll want to keep friends and family informed of your bean discoveries.
