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Too soon for a career comeback you say?
The oft-quoted Fitzgerald sentiment, "no second acts in American lives" obviously doesn't apply in modern times and certainly not for American-born, Australian-bred Mel Gibson, who looks like he might be entering his third comeback chapter.
According to the New York Post, Gibson's career rehabilitation will begin with a cameo role in Todd Phillips' currently-underway sequel, "The Hangover 2" starring Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Bradley Cooper. Gibson will allegedly play a tattoo artist and one we presume the 'Hangover' gang meets in Thailand where most of the picture takes place.
We also assume Gibson's cameo role will be somewhat akin to Mike Tyson's in the original film. A source tells the NYP's Page Six, "It's a done deal. Mel will make a cameo as a tattoo artist. Filming is taking place on the Warner Bros. lot, where a Bangkok set has been built, and Mel is expected to film his role in two weeks. Then the production moves to Thailand at the end of October."
In case you've been living under a rock, Gibson became persona non grata for a second time in less than five years when a ugly phone conversation between him and his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva leaked earlier this year after the couple had split. The virulent, misogynistic and epithet-laden conversation led to a massive public outcry and a second career meltdown when his agents, William Morris Endeavor, dropped him. Every Gibson project in the works then immediately collapsed (including a proposed Viking film with Leonardo DiCaprio). Gibson still faces allegations that he assaulted and made threats against Grigorieva and has a restraining order preventing him from seeing her.
In 2006, Gibson was infamously arrested for a DUI charge and a leaked report revealed that during Gibson's arrest he made anti-semitic and sexist remarks to the arresting female officer. Gibson basically disappeared from Hollywood for four years before he returned with "Edge of Darkness" which appeared in theaters earlier this year (and he continued to tussle with journalists about his anti-semitic remarks and drinking issues). His project, "The Beaver" directed by Jodie Foster remains in limbo, in part because Gibson plays a lunatic in the film and it might land too close to home (though the film is rated PG-13). Even before then, Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" was met with anti-semitic allegations in when it arrived in theaters in 2004. His father, Hutton Gibson is a well-known Holocaust denier and has never really helped the younger Gibson's case in the media.
Will howling laughter make audiences forget all this? Is Todd Phillips tempting a little fate, by reintroducing Gibson back into the wild so soon? Is this New York Post report even true? Stay tuned, though our guess is that it might be fact. In our accelerated culture, redemption and forgiveness may be available for serious transgressions much sooner than they have in the past. We'll see. This rumor arrives on the heels of the news that Heather Graham won't be reprising her escort role in "The Hangover 2." Updated: MTV says this news is now confirmed.
Would there be a potential comeback role more appropriate for Mel Gibson than some sort of tongue-in-cheek involvement with Matthew Weiner's critically-adored, '60's-set drama "Mad Men"?
Rumors have it that the fantasy teaming may actually be in the works. Women On The Web report that Weiner is a fan of Gibson and has recently met up with him to plot a collaboration for the show's next season, its fifth, which begins lensing next summer. Weiner is said to have "told a pal recently that he sees a lot of dramatic potential pitting Gibson against Don Draper."
Too good to be true? It looks like it. According to a source close to the show, the rumor is bunk and more importantly Weiner and Gibson "have never met." Ah well. We figured it was too soon for Gibson to be talking about acting roles. He's yet to do the talk-show-interview/crying-in-public routine that these sort of situations usually demand before all is forgiven. Surely this all spawned from wishful thinking but we guess stranger things have happened.
Gibson, of course, still has Jodie Foster's man-and-his-puppet tale "The Beaver" waiting in the wings even if its prospects seem up in the air at this stage. We're also still wondering if his planned William Monahan-scripted Viking epic with Leonardo DiCaprio is officially dead and gone just yet. It might be bias, blind optimism but something tells us audiences haven't been put off Gibson by his recent tape-gate scandal — in fact a recent CBS/Vanity Fair poll said that 76% of respondents replied that they would not be less likely to see a Mel Gibson film following his latest controversy. Whether Hollywood feels the same way is another question.
As Mel Gibson has discovered first-hand on several occasions, the media loves nothing more than a celebrity meltdown story. Not far behind that, though, is the heartwarming comeback story which typically sees the resurrection of a star, who was ironically slammed in the same media outlets not long before that.
Now, looking to pave that very pathway for Gibson is her long-time friend and recent collaborator, Jodie Foster — in response to questions about the actor's recent, infamous Tape-Gate scandal, she describes the actor to More magazine as the "easiest, nicest person I've ever worked with [and] the second I met him [working on 1994's 'Maverick'], I said, 'I will love this man for the rest of my life.' "
"When you love a friend, you don't abandon them when they are struggling. Of course, Mel is an undeniably gifted actor and director, and 'The Beaver' is one of his most powerful and moving performances. But more importantly, he is and has been a true and loyal friend. I hope I can help him get through this dark moment."
Of course, the question remains, when will Summit decide to release the Jodie Foster-directed film? Deadline seems to be making a case for the film getting a release with Nikki Finke leading the charge. So, can we potentially see a late-season, awards-contending release? The film, which follows a depressed man who finds solace in wearing a beaver hand-puppet, is based on 2008 Black List topper from Kyle Killeen and was rumored to be gunning for a fall release this year before Gibson's ugly, much-publicized and still on-going debacle with former girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva put everything on the backburner.
It seems highly unlikely that things have changed since then considering the film's non-appearance at all the recent fall film festivals, though one source of Deadline's Pete Hammond hints that cashed up ('Twilight') and award hungry ("The Hurt Locker") distributors Summit Entertainment "likes to surprise people, so we’ll see." Hammond also adds that he's heard murmurs that Foster "wants to do what’s best for the picture, which was a real labor of love." Hammond adds that he has also heard great things about Gibson's performance with sources to close to the film calling it "extraordinary," "incredible" and "amazing." On top of that, the film also features the promising duo of fellow 2010 award season player Jennifer Lawrence and Anton Yelchin (who will be reuniting for Drake Doremus' upcoming indie-drama "Like Crazy").
Suffice to say, "The Beaver" will be highly anticipated in many circles for many different reasons, including the fact that it will potentially be Gibson's on-screen comeback. The sooner this pic comes out, the better but 2010? Probably too early; we'll believe it when we see it.
Too soon for a career comeback you say?
