Having formerly spent decades reigning as one of the biggest and most bankable stars in the industry – acting and directing his way to billions at the box office and a pair of Academy Awards in the process – Mel Gibson is now firmly in his Nicolas Cage circa 2010s era.
The Lethal Weapon and Braveheart headliner can largely be found racking up an inordinate amount of credits in a slew of action thrillers that very rarely see the inside of a theater. In fact, taking top billing in John Wick prequel series The Continental is arguably his highest-profile gig for a while, and yet there’s been widespread backlash and threats of a boycott expressly based on his involvement.
Everybody knows that it was two hugely-publicized incidents in particular that derailed Gibson’s mainstream career and did irrevocable damage to his standing in the industry, but when reflecting on the cost of fame in an interview with The Indian Express, the 67 year-old seemingly has no regrets.
“I’m fine with it. I don’t mind being recognized, and people are usually friendly. There’s no real bad part for me. Fame has allowed me to pursue all kinds of dreams.”
Even if he’s become one of the most polarizing figures in Hollywood, Gibson’s back catalogue of titles both old and new can more often than not be relied upon to perform on streaming. Hammering that sentiment home even further, the dreadful Force of Nature – complete with eight percent Rotten Tomatoes score – has even sneaked onto Netflix’s weekly charts as one of the 10 most-watched movies on the entire platform, so it’s not as if he’s being entirely forgotten.