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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:
DamsonJammyBastard · 29/01/2022 16:57

@ArnoldBee

This is very old news. Emma Radacanu was born in Canada. There's lots of odd things in people's backgrounds.
I'm not sure being from Canada counts as odd Grin
PuppyMonkey · 29/01/2022 17:14

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

You what duck? Grin

toppkatz · 29/01/2022 17:17

Bagpipes weren't invented in Scotland. Grin

SPSN · 29/01/2022 17:23

He moved to Australia when he was 12, he doesn't have Australian citizenship but views himself as Australian. His grandmother is Australian though.

sadeyedladyofthelowlandsea · 29/01/2022 22:47

@AnotherPoster

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.
We do have a claim to Hugh Jackman! www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/people/celebrity-interviews/norwich-fan-family-man-6956708 I think we could arrange some kind of timeshare between Norfolk & Oz? Just to add to your damp perfection, he is absolutely right that the whole city used to smell of caramel/chocolate on certain days. Hugh Jackman and chocolate... I might kidnap him next time he visits his mum.
fmac2987 · 29/01/2022 22:48

@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'.

When Russell wins an Oscar he's Aussie, when he throws a mobile phone or gets agro at someone he's Kiwi
AmbushedByCake1 · 29/01/2022 22:58

Russel Crowe has an Aussie accent though, not kiwi. Confusing!

Damnloginpopup · 30/01/2022 06:09

Simple test: were they in neighbours or home and away? Yes - Australian. No - foreigners.

Probably.

SquirrelG · 30/01/2022 06:48

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'.

We most certainly do, as Australia is always claiming our celebs (human and animal).

imip · 30/01/2022 06:56

Didn’t know about Hugh Jackmsn though his wife was a very famous Australian and he was the non famous one, so pretty Australian!

There are other NZ actors that are thought is as Australians - Sam Neill springs to mind. I suppose race horses do not between aus/NZ. I am Australian but live in the U.K. / I guess if my kids were ‘famous’ they could claim either as home. Their accents are English though.

I always remember seeing Phar Lap stuffed as the final exhibit at the museum!

imip · 30/01/2022 06:58

@SquirrelG

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'.

We most certainly do, as Australia is always claiming our celebs (human and animal).

I confirm this as an Australian Grin
MangosteenSoda · 30/01/2022 07:03

@Damnloginpopup

Simple test: were they in neighbours or home and away? Yes - Australian. No - foreigners.

Probably.

The iconic Alan Dale (Jim Robinson) is a Kiwi. I only found this out recently and it blew my mind. His real accent is strongly Kiwi.
ShippingNews · 30/01/2022 07:09

His family moved to Australia when he was 12. And that is where he stayed. He didn't live there briefly, he moved and then grew up there. Before he was ever famous, his father was a famous TV quiz show champion. Was the family American or Australian ? Like many families they were a bit of this and a bit of that.

CircleofWillis · 30/01/2022 07:19

I love this quote from the film Phar Lap. (Presumably from an Australian news editor)

Sub Editor: We have two versions ready to go. If he wins, "Australian wonder horse beats the world."
News writer: And if he loses?
Sub Editor: "New Zealand horse fails in Mexico."

CovidCorvid · 30/01/2022 07:29

There’s someone else like this and very annoyingly I can’t think who. But everyone thinks they’re aussie but they were born in Middlesbrough and went to Oz as a small child.

Juniper68 · 30/01/2022 07:33

@AnotherPoster

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.
I thought that was a freudian slip Grin
SchoolWillBeUpShitCreek · 30/01/2022 07:38

@CovidCorvid many, many people left Middlesbrough to move to Australia . From what I understand, Perth is just like Boro down under. Grin
I can't tell the difference between a kiwi and an Australian accent. Or US and Canadian either. I assume like the UK, there are wildly varying accesnts and dialects anyway?

I like Hugh Jackman Blush

CovidCorvid · 30/01/2022 07:48

@SchoolWillBeUpShitCreek as an ex boro resident I can understand that. 😆

I’m now wondering if it’s the other way round. Someone people think is from Middlesbrough but they’re Australian. It’s bugging me

Damnloginpopup · 30/01/2022 07:53

Australia, New Zealand, same thing 😁

nancy75 · 30/01/2022 07:53

[quote SchoolWillBeUpShitCreek]@CovidCorvid many, many people left Middlesbrough to move to Australia . From what I understand, Perth is just like Boro down under. Grin
I can't tell the difference between a kiwi and an Australian accent. Or US and Canadian either. I assume like the UK, there are wildly varying accesnts and dialects anyway?

I like Hugh Jackman Blush[/quote]
The difference in the accents is the vowel sounds, most famously a New Zealander will sound like they are saying ‘ fush & chups ‘ to our ears.

Once you can hear it the 2 accents are massively different

CovidCorvid · 30/01/2022 08:01

I can tell a kiwi from an aussie but I get kiwis and south africans muddled

Luredbyapomegranate · 30/01/2022 09:04

Cate Blanchett’s father was American, so she has citizenship of both

ememem84 · 30/01/2022 09:11

@nancy75 ah yes fush and chups!

SchoolWillBeUpShitCreek · 30/01/2022 09:11

@CovidCorvid the South African accent is completely different to me, very angry sounding.

MrsTimRiggins · 30/01/2022 09:18

[quote ememem84]@nancy75 ah yes fush and chups![/quote]
And an igg 🥚 🍳

I absolutely adore the New Zealand accent. We have a lot of friends out there and were there ourselves for some time, and it’s the only accent I was cool with accidentally picking up just the slightest hint of! A friend who has been out there now for a few years sounds so funny, too kiwi to be Cornish but too Cornish to be kiwi!