Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson was born in New York, USA on January 3rd 1956. He moved with his family to New South Wales, Australia as a young boy. After college, he studied at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts and made his acting debut in the television show The Sullivans in 1976.

His big break came three years later when he played the title role in a small Australian movie called Mad Max which became a hit film all over the world. Mel quickly followed that up with acclaimed films Tim (1979), Gallipoli (1981) and Mad Max 2 (1981). The New York born Australian was now one of the biggest actors in the world.

In the 25 years that followed, Mel established himself as one of the most popular actors in the history of cinema with movies such as The Bounty (1984), Lethal Weapon (1987) and What Women Want (2000).

In 1995, he struck gold at the Oscars with his movie Braveheart which he directed as well as starred in. His reputation (and his bank balance) were further enhanced in 2004 when he brought The Passion of the Christ to the screen.