Mel Gibson Reveals Which (Controversial) Actor He Still Wants to Collaborate with.
Mel Gibson continues to hold onto a dream list of collaborators after nearly 50 years in the entertainment industry. The 69-year-old actor and Flight Risk director recently shared his wish to work with an actor he admires during a panel appearance at MegaCon in Orlando, Florida, on Friday, Feb. 7.
Gibson, who spoke at the Orange County Convention Center about his career and personal life, was asked by moderator Victor Dandridge whether there was an "up-and-comer" he hadn’t worked with yet but would like to. Gibson responded enthusiastically, saying, “There’s so many young, talented people now. Some of these guys are really good, too. So gifted — it’s another level. ... They took it a step further.”
He then named Shia LaBeouf as someone he’s particularly drawn to, saying, “He can be kind of a tricky customer, but I love this kid Shia LaBeouf. There's something so truthful about what he does, and he gets into it.”
LaBeouf, 38, is well-known for his roles in Holes, Disturbia, Transformers, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Honey Boy, The Peanut Butter Falcon, and Megalopolis. However, LaBeouf's career has been marked by controversy, including a 2017 arrest in Georgia and a recent legal battle with his ex, FKA Twigs. The singer-songwriter filed a lawsuit in 2020 alleging sexual and physical abuse, which LaBeouf has denied.
Gibson, who revealed in January that he lost his Malibu home in the Los Angeles wildfires, has also had his own fair share of controversies throughout his career. The two-time Academy Award winner has publicly discussed his journey with sobriety after a 2006 anti-Semitic tirade during a drunk-driving arrest.
In a more recent development, Gibson was named a "special ambassador" to Hollywood by President Donald Trump three weeks ago. Gibson was surprised by the honor and mentioned it during a January interview, saying, “I was surprised when Trump, 78, named me, Sylvester Stallone, and Jon Voight all ‘special ambassadors’ to Hollywood, which the president called a 'great but very troubled place.'”
Gibson’s latest project, Flight Risk, which stars Mark Wahlberg, Topher Grace, and Michelle Dockery, marks his first feature-film directorial effort in almost a decade. His last directorial project was the 2016 film Hacksaw Ridge.
During a January appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast to promote Flight Risk, Gibson confirmed plans to film a sequel to his 2004 biblical epic The Passion of the Christ. He shared, “I'm hoping next year sometime. There's a lot required because it is— I'll just tell you this, it’s an acid trip.” Gibson also revealed that the sequel will be titled The Resurrection of the Christ.
“I don’t have a start date; I just have to begin pre-production and see what happens, and it’s just gonna roll in its own time,” he continued. “I thought it was late. I thought I was taking too long, but it’s probably just right. It’s when it’s supposed to be.”
