Everyone knows the powerhouse, screenwriter, producer and director Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson, better known professionally as Mel Gibson. He has worked on more than 60 films and has received several awards. As an actor, he has appeared in a wide variety of genres, including drama, action, thriller, epic, comedy, romance, and even stop-motion animation, having portrayed one of the main protagonists in chicken coop, the popular 2000 movie from DreamWorks Animation (although he won’t be returning for the 2023 sequel).
Those acting credits alone would be enough to cement any performer’s stardom, but Gibson is also known for his work as a producer and director, especially with historical fiction. His filmmaking skills were recognized early on, as he earned Best Picture and Best Director for his second film Brave heartalong with his nods to the controversial religious titleThe agony of Christ,and the critically acclaimed war drama Hacksaw Ridge. Overall, Gibson is one of the most versatile, well-rounded, working professionals in the entertainment industry. His career spans over 40 years and is still going strong, albeit behind the camera. Here are some of his best performances, ranked.
Updated May 9, 2023: If you’re a fan of Mel Gibson, you’ll be pleased to know that this article has been updated to include additional Mel Gibson appearances by Mona Bassil.
10 Ransom
Directed by Ron Howard and scored by James Horner, the 1996 action thriller Ransom earned Gibson a nomination for Best Actor at the Golden Globe Awards for his portrayal of Tom Mullen, an ailing but ruthless billionaire father whose son is kidnapped at a science fair. Also starring are Rene Russo as his wife Kate, Brawley Nolte as their son Sean, Gary Sinise as Detective Jimmy Shaker, Delroy Lindo as Special Agent Lonnie Hawkins, Liev Schreiber as the kidnapper Clark Barnes, and Donnie Wahlberg as Cubby Barnes.
After receiving a ransom email, Tom takes matters into his own hands, encounters one of the kidnappers in a failed attempt to hand over money, goes on TV and begs the kidnappers to return Sean, taking the bounty doubles when his son’s bloodstained shirt is sent, even finding and capturing the real mastermind behind this ordeal. Gibson is thoroughly convincing as events unfold, keeping the audience captivated and emotionally involved.
9 Independent thinking person
This Richard Donner western comedy, starring Jodie Foster, Alfred Molina and James Garner, is based on the 1957-1962 television series of the same name. Turning a TV show into a big screen movie can sometimes be a disastrous move, with too many copied scenes and performances. However, Independent thinking person is unique and original in its own way. It hit theaters in 1994 and was both a critical and commercial success.
It follows gambler Bret Maverick (Gibson) as he goes on a quest to prove he’s the best poker player alive. Chaos ensues when he gets entangled with con artist Annabelle Bransford (Foster). What follows is a battle of wits and charm to see who will win the prize money in the end. Gibson is in a rare laid-back shape, behaving both witty and gullible. Moreover, he knows how to beautifully capture the essence of the original Bret Maverick, without resorting to superfluous imitation.
8 The year of dangerous living
Romantic drama from 1982 by director Peter Weir The year of dangerous living follows Australian reporter Guy Hamilton (Gibson) as he travels to Jakarta, Indonesia and risks his life to cover the communist uprising and the overthrow of President Sukarno. Based on the 1978 novel of the same name by Christopher KochThe year of dangerous living combines elements of history and romance as it follows the developing relationship between Hamilton and British reporter Jill Bryant (the prolific Sigourney Weaver).
This is one of Gibson’s earlier movies, but it still showcases his incredible talent and screen presence. His performance also resonated with critics, featuring Roger Ebert writing“This is what great acting is, a magical transformation from one person to another,” and Bob Thomas of the AP saying that “Mel Gibson establishes his leading man status” in the film.
7 What women want
This romantic fantasy comedy follows unashamed ladies’ man Nick Marshall (Gibson), who sees himself as God’s gift to women. As a Chicago advertising executive, his job is to get into the minds of his customers to sell more products. However, after an accident while testing a new feminine product, Nick discovers that he can now read women’s minds. Even more surprising to him is that many of his female colleagues dislike him and see him as sleazy.
Now armed with his newfound ability, Nick decides to change his attitude and strives to make the world a better place, one lucky woman at a time. Charming, goofy, oblivious and sometimes even obnoxious, Gibson plays it all beautifully, earning him a Golden Globe nomination in this Nancy Meyers film. Is What women want predictable and sometimes even a little juicy? Absolutely, but it’s cheesy in all the right ways, and Gibson is absolutely charming in it.
6 Gallipoli
In the 1981 Australian war drama Gallipoli, Gibson plays Frank Dunne, a penniless ex-railroad worker with nothing to lose and everything to gain. He enlists in the Australian Army during World War I, but soon learns that this new venture is not an easy money-making ride.
Gallipoli was popular among moviegoers and critics alike, with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 91% and an audience rating of 83%. Gibson teamed up with director Peter Weir in this haunting title, starring Michael Chilton of The Telegraph called it: “One of the most elegiac anti-war films ever made. It’s hard not to feel tears welling up at the gut-wrenching climax that depicts the Battle of the Neck, a doomed assault on the Turkish trenches.”
5 Signs
Gibson delved into the sci-fi horror world in M. Night Shyamalan’s 2002 blockbuster Signs, opposite Joaquin Phoenix. In this film about crop circles, hostile aliens, grief, survival, existentialism and faith, he plays Graham Hess, a farmer, widow and former Episcopal minister who has doubts about God. Phoenix stars as his younger brother Merrill, a failed baseball player who stays with him and his two children, asthmatic pre-teen son Morgan (Rory Culkin) and endearing little girl Bo (Abigail Breslin).
Gibson gives a solid and convincing performance, ranging from vulnerability, doubt and self-contemplation, to calm but authoritative protection when his family is attacked by aliens, to tearful desperation when he believes Morgan has been killed. Not to mention his co-parenting chemistry with Phoenix. Per The Hollywood ReporterAudiences are used to the casual way Gibson handles many roles, but here he really tries to achieve a heightened level of intensity with his character. The effect is both good and bad. The good thing is the honest emotion he puts into the role. The bad thing is you feel his struggle, the actor’s tricks to get there.”
4 Mad Max series
Mel Gibson rose to worldwide fame for his breakthrough role as Max Rockatansky in the first three episodes of the popular post-apocalyptic action series crazy max. The franchise is set in the not-too-distant future, when famine and financial chaos have taken over the world and the human population has dwindled. The few people who remain live in a lawless and chaotic world. Max is determined to get revenge after his wife and son are brutally murdered by a notorious gang. In avenging them, he is fueled by his will to survive in a deteriorating world. The series is hailed as a classic and Gibson’s role is now considered iconic.
3 Series of deadly weapons
Another memorable role of the actor is Martin Riggs in the buddy cop movie series Deadly weapon. After his wife’s death, grieving Detective Inspector Riggs dives into the excitement of his job and makes reckless decisions with little regard for his life. He teams up with Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover), an elderly cop who just wants to end his career and retire. The series follows the partnership of these two characters, who are polar opposites, who eventually become friends and embrace their differences.
Gibson and Glover’s performances work very well, as both are strong in their convictions, sometimes clashing, yet they bring out the best in each other, as is the case with all dynamic duos. Their charm and wit are palpable, giving audiences timeless lines like, “I’m too old for this shit.”
2 The patriot
Written by Robert Rodat, directed by Roland Emmerich, and starring Chris Cooper, Heath Ledger and Jason Isaacs, the 2000 epic historical war film The patriot follows the story of peaceful farmer Benjamin Martin (Gibson) who hesitates to join the American Revolution. However, after the British army brutally murders one of his sons, Benjamin enlists, determined to make the occupiers pay.
The patriot shows the tragic consequences of war, destroying lives and tearing families apart. While some of the movie’s plot points can be a bit unbelievable, Gibson’s performance stands out as memorable and even tear-jerking at times, especially as a grieving father, especially after his other son suffers the same fate. It’s that unwavering love that feeds his character throughout the film.
1 Brave heart
While it may be historically inaccurate, the 1995 epic sensation Brave heart is a memorable film, full of passion, violence, fierce fighting and sacrifice. Gibson plays the Scottish warrior William Wallace, as he leads the national rebellion against England. It’s hard to direct and star in a movie of this magnitude, but Gibson does both wonderfully and breathes life into Wallace’s historic character.
In every scene there is a quiet fierceness that surrounds him, even in his last moments of torture, leading up to his execution. Gibson beautifully captures the essence of a man who longs for the taste of freedom and is willing to sacrifice his life for the country he loves so much.