Summary
AtSan Diego Comic-Con, Roland Emmerich explains his initial nervousness upon working with Mel Gibson onThe Patriot. Emmerich was the director of the film, which starred Gibson as Benjamin Martin, a farmer who becomes a part of the Colonial Militia during the American Revolution. In addition to Gibson,The Patriotstarred Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs, Chris Cooper, Tcheky Karyo, and Tom Wilkinson, among many others.
Speaking onCollider’s Directors on Directing panel at SDCC, Emmerich explains his initial hesitation about working with Gibson. The director described Gibson as “a very angry guy deep down,” making Emmerich"really, really nervous to shoot The Patriot.“Emmerich also worried about crossing Gibson when Emmerich preferred Ledger in the lead role rather than another actor, who many people wanted for the part. Check out the full quote from Emmerich below:
[Mel Gibson was] a very angry guy deep down. So I was really, really nervous to shoot The Patriot because I said, “Oh, Mel Gibson is an Oscar-nominated actor.” The first problem I had was that I wanted Heath Ledger instead of another actor. I naturally had to call [Mel] and say, “I kind of like the other guy.” Then he said, “Well, you’re the director.” And hangs up on me. True story. I said, “Okay.” And Heath said yes. This was a yes for me. [Laughs] Only my sister was with me, and everybody else wanted to have the other guy. After three days, he actually told me, “You were right because this guy will be a major star.”
Mel Gibson Has Been A Controversial Figure
But His Career Continues On
The fact that Ledger helped bridge the gap between Emmerich and Gibson is a particularly interesting aspect of this story. Before his tragic death in 2008,Ledger had a prolific careerin film, but it was only just starting to heat up by the timeThe Patriotdebuted in 2000. He had already been in the teen rom-com10 Things I Hate About You, but it wasThe Patriotthat helped to launch Ledger’s dramatic film career. Following the Emmerich film, Ledger went on to be nominated for Academy Awards forBrokeback MountainandThe Dark Knight.
Ledger won the Oscar forThe Dark Knightposthumously.
The quote is also interesting when looking back onGibson’s career. Even at the time, Emmerich recognized that Gibson was an “angry guy,” implying some level of the actor being difficult to work with. Now,Gibson has gotten even more controversial, as the actor has been known to make commentary that has been regarded as anti-Semitic, racist, and homophobic. As such, this idea that he is an “angry guy” could be read with far more problematic implications in the present moment.
Despite this controversy, Gibson has managed to maintain a career throughout the years. In 2017, he directed the Oscar-nominated filmHacksaw Ridge, whose accolades included aBest Director nomination for Gibson himself. He also starred in theJohn Wickspinoff seriesThe Continental, playing Cormac O’Connor. This year, Gibson’s creative career will also continue through directing thethrillerFlight Risk. Overall, Gibson remains a difficult figure over two decades afterThe Patriot, albeit for an additional set of reasons.
The Patriot
Cast
This historical drama follows Benjamin Martin, a widowed farmer and veteran of the French and Indian War, who is reluctantly drawn into the American Revolutionary War when his family is threatened. The film explores themes of vengeance and redemption as Martin leads a makeshift militia while striving to protect his children.
