Absent from the entertainment news for literally weeks now, Mel Gibson has finally broken his silence in a lengthy interview given to Deadline in which he offers his thoughts on being snubbed by the Hangover II cast, the infamous tape recordings, and whether he’ll ever act again.
DEADLINE’S ALLISON HOPE WEINER: You were going to do a small part in Hangover II. How did you respond to being asked to do that and then having cast members not want you in it? How did it feel to have them allow a convicted rapist [Mike Tyson] in the movie and not you?
GIBSON: You have to let that go. I sat here and talked to [director] Todd [Phillips] about it. I like Todd. How could you not like Todd? He’s smart and he’s gifted and so are the other people in the film. It’s okay. You just have to let that go.
Suggesting that Justin Bartha is “smart” and “gifted” is literally the most offensive thing he’s ever said. On the recordings leaked by then-girlfriend Okasana Grigorieva, Gibson continues:
WEINER: Do you feel regret over what you said on the tapes?
GIBSON: Of course.
WEINER: After the tapes ended up on line, many people asked themselves how could someone who’s been around this long and knows the business managed to get into a position where so much of their private life ended up on line? Did you ever think that those private conversations would eventually get out?
GIBSON: [Looks at the ceiling and shakes his head and sighs] Who anticipates being recorded? Who anticipates that? Who could anticipate such a personal betrayal?
“Who could ever anticipate that such things would see the light of day? Surely not I, the man caught blaming Jews for all the wars in the world in a leaked police report to TMZ in 2006.”
On whether he’ll ever act again:
WEINER: Are you worried that audiences will hold what happened against you, and you won’t be able to act anymore?
MEL GIBSON: I don’t care if I don’t act anymore.
…
I could easily not act again. It’s not a problem. I’m going to do something now because I want to do it and because it’s fun. I’ve already pulled another job and it’s going to be fun. I don’t know if it’s going to get off the ground, but I’m going to go work for [Best Picture Oscar winner Braveheart’s screenwriter] Randy Wallace again. He’s got this script and he’s had it for years. He wrote some book and he’s adapted it to a script. And it’s almost like Alexander Dumas — like that swashbuckler kind of stuff.
WEINER: Bodice-ripping?
GIBSON: Yes. It’s total bodice-ripping swashbuckling stuff, but it’s funny. It’s funny and yet it’s got really good serious undertones too. Randy writes a decent script. And I responded to it right away. I thought this is hilarious. I’ve got to do this. And I’m not the main guy in the film — which is great. [Deadline]
“You know what? I honestly don’t care if I ever act again. Except that I do, and I am. I’m in an upcoming movie where I play this hilarious Musketeer who’s always yelling and swinging from ledges. Also he assaults women. But only because their attire practically begs for it. Look, I’m just saying, if you leave the ship’s quarters dressed like that, and happen to be swashbuckled by a pack of Spaniards, it’s your fault.”