Andrew Garfield Says Mel Gibson “Deserves To Make Films”: “He’s Done A Lot Of Beautiful Healing With Himself”
Andrew Garfield learned a lot from Mel Gibson on the set of 2016’s Hacksaw Ridge and says the filmmaker should continue making films.
The We Live In Time actor, who is Jewish, feels that everyone deserves opportunities to grow and learn from their past mistakes, including Gibson following his antisemitic comments.
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“I learned a lot, actually. I learned that people can heal. I learned that people can change, that people can get help,” Garfield said about working with Gibson. “I learned that everyone deserves respect. And that people deserve second chances, third chances, fourth chances. That none of us are infallible.”
Garfield noted that Gibson has “done a lot of beautiful healing with himself,” adding, “And thank God. Because he’s an amazing filmmaker, and I think he deserves to make films. He deserves to tell stories, because he has a very, very big, compassionate heart.”
“He’s the kind of director that would come from behind the monitors, just with his eyes wet. He knew when it was right and he knew when it wasn’t right. And I just really trusted him,” Garfield continued. “And he’s a visceral storyteller so he can feel… He’s like he can’t help but feel everything. He’s a real empathetic guy.”
Gibson received backlash after a 2006 arrest where he was recorded making anti-semitic, homophobic, and racist remarks. The actor and director’s career plummeted following the incident. Still, he has continued to work steadily on films like Dragged Across Concrete, Boss Level, Fatman, Father Stu, Hot Seat, Confidential Informant, and Monster Summer.
Gibson’s next film as a director and producer is Flight Risk, starring Mark Wahlberg, Topher Grace, and Michelle Dockery, which is slated to be released in theaters at the beginning of 2025.
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