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Original poster

Mel Gibson was never Australian?

86 replies

DottyDoge · 29/01/2022 10:34

Today I learnt that Mel Gibson is not and has never been Australian. I knew he became famous because of Mad Max, an Australian film. I assumed like other Australian actors, he’d become famous, and moved to the US for a Hollywood career.

I went down a Wikipedia rabbit hole and found out he was an American, born in America. He did live in Australia as a teenager and was a permanent resident.

Am I the only person who thought he was Australian?

OP posts:
ChardonnaysPetDragon · 29/01/2022 10:36

Surely not?

MorticiaAddamsIsMyStyleGuru · 29/01/2022 10:44

If my memory serves me correctly his family went to Australia to avoid the Vietnam draft.

MorticiaAddamsIsMyStyleGuru · 29/01/2022 10:46

www.biography.com/.amp/actor/mel-gibson

Theunamedcat · 29/01/2022 10:47

Honestly I thought the same

OhWhyNot · 29/01/2022 10:50

I thought he was Australian too has an Australian accent (maybe not to someone from there)

I’ve never understood his appeal

Original poster
DottyDoge · 29/01/2022 11:03

I liked when I was a child. Lethal action were good action films. Not so keen on him sense. Glad I’m not the only one

OP posts:
Original poster
DottyDoge · 29/01/2022 13:23

Lethal weapon not lethal action

OP posts:
lljkk · 29/01/2022 13:46

Nicole Kidman is also American (weird fact)

orio · 29/01/2022 14:17

Nicole Kidman is American born to Australian parents whilst they were in American, she has dual citizenship.

Classica · 29/01/2022 14:23

I knew about Mel.

Russell Crowe isn't Australian either. He's from New Zealand.

I wonder if New Zealanders keep a list of their celebs and say 'excuse me!' and point to their clip board and say 'I think you'll find X is actually one of ours'.

midsomermurderess · 29/01/2022 14:25

I thought his father won the lottery and they moved to Australia.

GreyTS · 29/01/2022 15:00

@Classica

I knew about Mel.

Russell Crowe isn't Australian either. He's from New Zealand.

I wonder if New Zealanders keep a list of their celebs and say 'excuse me!' and point to their clip board and say 'I think you'll find X is actually one of ours'.

Yes, I'm sure they bloody well do because it's an actual different country.....and we do the same in ireland when the English press insist of referring to famous Irish people as British
Classica · 29/01/2022 15:02

I know it's a different country...that was the point of my post.

Duh.

OhWhyNot · 29/01/2022 15:09

Yes some do because I’ve heard o number of times actually Russel Crowe is from New Zealand said with pride (not sure I would be so proud the man is a first class dick)

sadeyedladyofthelowlandsea · 29/01/2022 15:39

Hugh Jackman's Australian by birth, but also a British citizen because both of his parents are/were from the UK. Ben Stokes is also a dual NZ/UK citizen (born there, moved here).

SuperDuperJezebel · 29/01/2022 15:53

@OhWhyNot

Yes some do because I’ve heard o number of times actually Russel Crowe is from New Zealand said with pride (not sure I would be so proud the man is a first class dick)
I'm a Kiwi, lots of us just say "eh, you can have that one"!
Andylion · 29/01/2022 16:30

Yes, I'm sure they bloody well do because it's an actual different country.....and we do the same in ireland when the English press insist of referring to famous Irish people as British

I do that when someone refers to a Canadians as American.

Mrsjayy · 29/01/2022 16:35

Tbf Russell Crowe does say he is a New Zelander or is it Kiwi?.

Mel Gibson calls himself an Australian doesn't he so maybe considers himself one ? But yes I knew he wasn't Australian.

DamsonJammyBastard · 29/01/2022 16:44

@OhWhyNot

Yes some do because I’ve heard o number of times actually Russel Crowe is from New Zealand said with pride (not sure I would be so proud the man is a first class dick)
But he's made some great films so I overlook the fact that he can be a bit of a dick.
PuppyMonkey · 29/01/2022 16:47

I knew this. He lived in Oz a long time though, so accent is pretty authentic I think.

As a young man , he was HOT.

AnotherPoster · 29/01/2022 16:49

I knew that about Mel Gibson because I was a fan of his in the 80s and 90s. Basically before he lost the plot. Also knew about Russell Crowe. I didn't know the UK had a claim to Hugh Jackman though. Can we have him please? I don't know if there is any dirt to be dished on the man but he seems pretty damp perfect in every way from where I'm standing.

AnotherPoster · 29/01/2022 16:50

Pretty damn perfect, that should say...

ArnoldBee · 29/01/2022 16:52

This is very old news. Emma Radacanu was born in Canada. There's lots of odd things in people's backgrounds.

HelloKeith · 29/01/2022 16:52

Tim Minchin wasn't even born in Australia.

spottygymbag · 29/01/2022 16:55

@Classica

I knew about Mel.

Russell Crowe isn't Australian either. He's from New Zealand.

I wonder if New Zealanders keep a list of their celebs and say 'excuse me!' and point to their clip board and say 'I think you'll find X is actually one of ours'.

Yup- it was literally the basis of one of the McDonalds tv adds in the early 2000s (?). Inused Phar Lap, pavlova and Russel Crowe.