“He fit what we needed”: Controversial Mel Gibson Casting Justified by John Wick Spinoff Producer
A few people have a higher tendency of attracting controversies and problems in their life, and if the scandals are related to famous celebrities, then they have to pay a bigger price for it. The Passion Of The Christ Director and actor Mel Gibson is one of those actors in the entertainment world, who has been in the spotlight because of his personal and professional life.
The two-time Academy Award winner had been one of the most talented faces from the early 80s to the mid-2000s. The We Were Soldiers actor’s Hollywood career took a backseat after the release of his movie Passion Of The Christ. The 67-year-old actor is in headlines after he was signed by the producers of the John Wick spinoff The Continental for the role of proprietor Cormac.
Why Mel Gibson Is The Perfect Fit For Cormac From The Continental?
During an exclusive interview with IGN, the executive producers of the miniseries The Continental, Basil Iwanyk and Allen Hughes spoke about their decision to cast Mel Gibson in The Continental. Despite the controversial past with the law and defamatory public statements of the actor, the decision of associating him with the John Wick franchise was not seen in a good light by their fans. A group of fans of the John Wick series even expressed disapproval when the What Women Want actor was announced for the miniseries. On being asked if Mel Gibson’s tainted past made the production house think about their decision twice, Basil Iwanyk mentioned-, “There just simply wasn’t a consideration about it.”
Co-producer Allen Hughes claimed-
“No. I think he fit the role, he fit what we needed based on his film past. And I’ll leave others to debate the other stuff because it’s not a black-and-white issue, and I don’t want to be sound-bited and clickbait. That’s a tricky game to get into. I have my own personal beliefs in life and whatnot about everything, but I’m here to entertain.”
He further added-
“And earlier in my career I wasn’t so careful. But there’s a weight that he brought, the stuff that he brought from his past roles and what he has done that we needed for this role. And I don’t think anybody could have fit better, let’s put it that way, just with his chops and his experience.”
The much controversial past of the Academy Award-winning actor became an obstruction in his acting and directing career. A great actor and a prolific director Mel Gibson’s career took a back seat due to the scandals that painted his public image in the world.
Why Mel Gibson Is Controversy’s Favorite Person?
The ’80-’90s were the golden years of the Braveheart actor. Being the face of one of the oldest and most successful franchises Lethal Weapon and Mad Max in Hollywood, Mel Gibson’s stardom needs no introduction. In 2004, the actor directed the Passion Of The Christ, which was slammed by many critics for promoting anti-Semitism, yet the epic biblical drama, which was funded by the actor himself through his Icon Productions, went on to make over $600 million at the box office.
Frank Rich, who is one of the executive producers on HBO’s show Succession and a columnist with The New York Times criticized Mel Gibson during an interview with the media outlet Variety. He mentioned-
“What’s really happened since ‘Passion of the Christ’ is that he was ahead of the curve. Anti-Semitism has come out of the closet. Part of the dark, hateful, vicious part of our culture is that he is in fashion — even if he’s not in fashion in Hollywood.”
His acting career came spiraling down after he was arrested for a DUI in 2006. A string of audio tapes were released in 2010. According to the tapes, Mel Gibson was found making racist comments and domestic violence, threats against his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva. The list of unfortunate events cost the Golden Globe-nominated actor a cameo in the movie The Hangover: Part II. The Patriot actor was blacklisted from the movie world, but Mel Gibson has made some great friends in Hollywood, such as the Iron Man star Robert Downey, Jr., who had even requested the studio to hire him again.
The Continental: From the World of John Wick would be aired on Peacock in September 2023.
Source: CBR
