Robert Downey Jr wants Mel Gibson forgiven
By Alexandra Heilbron on October 20, 2011 | 22 Comments
Mel Gibson gave him a job when he was down and out, and now Robert Downey Jr. wants to return the favor. While accepting an American Cinematheque Award last Friday, he made a passionate plea to the audience, which was made up of Hollywood insiders. “Unless you are without sin — and if you are, you are in the wrong f–king industry — you should forgive him and let him work,” Downey said about Gibson, who has managed to get himself in plenty of hot water since going on a drunken anti-semitic tirade in 2006 while being arrested for DUI. He managed to dig himself a deeper hole when taped phone calls in which he threatened to hurt his then-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, also the mother of his youngest daughter, were released to the media last year, making him even more of a risk for producers.
Although Jodie Foster cast him in The Beaver before the tapes became public, she unfortunately bore the brunt of his unpopularity when the movie bombed. However, Robert continued his plea for Gibson, who was present at the ceremony, saying, “There’s nothing so much wrong with him… He’s a good dude with a good heart. Mel and I have the same lawyer, same publicist, and same shrink. I couldn’t get hired and he cast me,” Downey Jr. said, referring to Gibson casting him as the lead in the 2003 movie The Singing Detective, the first movie Robert was in since 2000, when he was fired from the cast of the hit TV series Ally McBeal following numerous arrests for drug abuse. “He said if I accepted responsibility,” Downey Jr. continued, “…my life would take meaning. And if he helped me, I would help the next guy. But it was not reasonable to expect the next guy would be him.”
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I can’t see it happening. If the audiences aren’t going to come to see him, nobody’s going to take a chance on him. Hollywood is all about making money.
Andrea, I’ll go see him. I want him making movies too. He makes stuff you aren’t likely to see. He made a film about the Scots raising hell, Jesus getting jammed up, and Native Americans… who makes a big budget epic about Native Americans!!! Mel did. Everyone is capable of making a clown of themselves. We’ve all fouled up. This guy deserves a second chance. He’s had decades of awesome flicks under his belt and Hollywood is cranking out too many lame flicks about the same boring crap. I hope Mel does a flick about the Hittites next… those guys need to be day lighted too.
Sure, if he is genuinely sorry, I’d go see his movie’s too. Giving someone a job is a most Fantastic thing to do! If someone has faith in someone else, that person has a greater chance to becoming what he/she was meant to become – a Sucess of Life! Don’t get me wrong, its not easy, but its well worth trying. I think he’ll succeed and then people will like him again, and then he can start making more movies.
I think Rita hinted at what I was thinking. Perhaps I missed it but the only people I am hearing sticking up for Mel are his close friends like Downy Jr. Which is great to see that someone like Mel has friends which will stick with him regardless of the circumstances. At some point though I need to hear Mel come out and speak publicly and honestly. To be frank Downy Jr. put it perfectly…nobody’s perfect. He made a mistake now we all need ot get past it but Mel needs to come forward first.
@TexasPete
I agree his films which he directed are among the best I’ve seen. The only film that migh have placed better camera angles is Avatar with its use of 3D but aside from that he is a talent.
I agree that Mel should get a second chance. Unfortunately, he’s had a second chance, and a third chance, and his f-ups keep getting worse and worse. Sorry, I think he should just go away.
I want Mel back. I think that there are a lot of people who would go see his movies. Sure, he did wrong but RDJ is right.
Who the f#@$! is ANYBODY to “forgive” someone’s ideas!?? He is a person – a person has ideas – PERSONAL ideas. If you don’t agree with HIS ideas, that is totally OK. But I’ve never seen any of his films pushing those ideas down our throats! He is a GREAT filmmaker, an his movies have nothing to do with what you hypocrites rate as “bad morals”. We all should learn to discriminate between the person, the artist, and the art. Go Mel, don’t expect my forgiveness because I don’t think you have wronged me in ANY way (and neither have you wronged all these people who are “judging” you).
Come on people!!!!!!!!!!!! Let this man act and do what he is good at. Is everyone out there so perfect that they can’t get by this? Obviously Mel has some problems and he has been going to his shrink and hopefully getting them all worked out.
I have never laughed so hard as when I saw him in “What Women Want”. LOVE THIS GUY, and I can never get enough of the “Conspiracy Theory”.
Unfortunately for Mel, he lives in the NOW NEWS ERA where if you are famous, you are haunted by photographers till you want to punch them in the nose, trashed on tv for anything you do.
Good for you Robert, you have always been a favourite actor of mine and thank you for stepping it up.
MEL deserves to do what he does best ACT and MAKE MOVIES. To you Mel, zip your lip and show us on screen what you can do! I do love you too!
Roman Polanski is still working !
Never mind his personal life and mistakes. Mel is an extremely talented actor, director and producer. He’s about the best at his jobs.
Nobody has made a bigger a** of themselves than Charlie Sheen, yet people still go and see him.(but I wouldn’t, I can’t stand the guy). And what about Seinfeld?
Mel…..get on with your job, we’re hungry for some more variety in the movieworld again. Sick of remakes and sequels.
I’d like to see him off the black list too. He’s an excellent actor and very kind person. He’s had a rough go of it and a divorce and lots of bad press to show, but I am sure if Robert Downey Jr can make a come back after the drugs, then so can Mel with the right help and support of Hollywood and the fans. First, he’s got to make a really passionate apology and show people he’s TRYING to make his life right.
I don’t understand this need from people to hear a public apology from Mel. Most likely nearly every person saying that would then ridicule him if he did so. The only reason is for their own gratification of watching the man grovel. He can continue to do things as he’s done, quietly giving millions of dollars and his time to Mending Kids, among his other charities, helping people behind the scenes like he did with RDJ and so forth. There should be no need for public consumption of the work he needs to do on himself. You either believe he is trying to better himself and work on his demons or you don’t. Please Mel, just make movies and don’t go crying on TV for people’s “forgiveness”. I have faith in everyone’s ability to turn themselves around and I will be in the audience.
I would like to know how many of these people that are wanting a public apology have ever said something that they have later regretted or done something that they knew they shouldn’t have. Were they made to make a public apology? Why is it that we believe that just because someone is in the public eye it becomes our right to know every little dirty secret about those people and expect more from them than we would expect from ourselves? I know that they are supposed to be role models but they are human just like the rest of us, they will make mistakes just like the rest of us but the fact that they are in the public eye does not make it our god given right to insist that they be perfect. I think that Matthew 7:1-5 describes it best:
Judge not lest you be judged. Matt 7:2-5 “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged [if we judge with an evil heart or dark intent, His judgment of us will reflect it; if we judge nobly with honesty and justice, His judgment of us will reflect that, too], and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you [if we use extremes or exaggerations or other ignoble means, our judgment will reflect it and judging with fairness and compassion will garner likewise in His judgment of us]. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye [point out his sins, “minor” in Jesus’ example here] and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye [our own sins, even and especially those we will not admit, magnified by our selective blindness]? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ [tell him of his “minor” sins] when all the time there is a plank in your own eye [that there are greater or the same sins in our own lives which we do nothing about or think we are above]? You hypocrite* [pointing out the sins of others while by pretense thinking of ourselves as above sin], first take the plank out of your own eye [sincerely ask the Lord for forgiveness and learn and live the Truth and Light by His Word], and then you will see clearly [be in a righteous position] to remove the speck from your brother’s eye [to judge and to help him out of his bondage to sin].” At Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan, Jesus was talking to the multitudes gathered there after hearing of His message and of His healings to beseech them to not become like the pharisees and hypocrites who think they are above sin.
The only people that Mel has to apologize to are the one’s that he has directly affected and if he believes in God…then to God. He owes the rest of us nothing except to continue making the incredible films that he has always graced us with.
Maybe Mel should be on “The Simpsons” again.
“Unless you are without sin”??? pl-e-e-e-e-e-z? Give it up, Downey…
When Mel contributes to something waaaaaaaay more interesting than the Beaver, then maybe….maybe…
I still don’t understand what the big deal is? He got drunk and ranted about an ethnic group. WOW! Join the club. He’s still Riggs!
come on people!!!! are you all perfect???? I would go see him in a heartbeat. what he did is between him and God nobody else.
The only people he needs to apologize to is the people he hurt. Whatever he did doesn’t make him a bad actor or director, he’s great at both and I want to see more movies like Braveheart and Apocalypto just to name those 2.
Bill Clinton was a lousy husband but it didn’t make him a bad President.
Gibson was great at his craft, let him resume a great career.
Well done to Robert Downey Jr, Mel Gibson is a brilliant Actor/Director, I WOULD GO TO SEE HIS FILMS, Mel has given US ALL GREAT FILMS IN THE PASSED now let him MAKE MORE FILMS WE MISS YOU MEL ON OUR SCREENS. BRING MEL GIBSON BACK TO US ALL WE LOVE YOU MEL FROM ALL YOUR IRISH FANS 🙂 HE CAN ACT AND MAKE GREAT MOVIES X
I think that if he has talent and skills that can contribute to art,then that is what we need. If you are expecting people from this industry to be role models, then that is unrealistic. Media reinforces stereotypes of gender, sociocultural, and economics. Don’t expect any of entertainment industry, not just movies/tv, to provide us with role models. They are people with all the range of human character- from the slime ball to the caring responsible citizen. Same goes for sports. We shouldn’t expect people to be human, with all the frailties that are possible.
You’re kidding right?!
If he wasn’t famous they would have locked up his sorry ass long ago. He’s a drunk. He’s an abuser and he’s hateful. Will never ever spend a dime on this piece of garbage again.
And yes, I do believe people deserve a second chance, but he’s had many, many chances over and over again and he just thinks he’s better than everyone. He’s famous so he shouldn’t have to worry about any of this kind of stuff. Too bad buddy, he’s never apologized. He’s never sincerely admitted anything. Why should we care about him? Does he care about any of us? Not a squat. Would he stick up for any of us should the same happen to us? Nope. We’re not famous so why would he care. So why should any of us care? Because he’s famous? Ha! Have to do a lot better than that for me to give a ratsass that he can’t get a job.
I am 25 yo. I watched the first lethal weapon when I was 8. (mom n dad were gone) ANY movie I have seen starring mel gibson or directed, produced whatever by mel gibson has been outstanding. I think hollywood should look at his past accomplishments and let him work again. Hint hint lethal weapon 5 would be kick ass!