As a result of the fact that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the highest-grossing film franchise of all time, it has turned a lot of actors into massive movie stars. From the outside looking in, it may seem like the franchise’s stars are certain to remain a massive deal in Hollywood in the years to come but that is far from certain.
Once an actor makes it to the top of the business, it can be far too easy for them to fall out of favor and into oblivion. For that reason, a lot of movie stars will do just about anything to make sure that they stay in the general public’s good graces. For example, most movie stars would go out of their way to distance themselves from anyone who was controversial. On the other hand, it is well known that Robert Downey Jr. has remained loyal to an extremely controversial actor.
A Lot To Lose
Over the last fifteen years, there have been very few actors who’ve enjoyed even a portion of the success that Robert Downey Jr. has experienced. After all, Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Iron Man was so beloved by the masses that millions of people were willing to line up to fork over their money to see the superhero save the day on the big screen.
As a result of how popular he has become, Robert Downey Jr. has accumulated a highly enviable net worth. On top of that, Downey Jr. is poised to enjoy even more success in the years to come. Given everything that Downey Jr. has going for him, it is surprising that he continues to be open about being friends with such a controversial actor when he has so much to lose.
His Controversial Pal
At one point in time, Mel Gibson was one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Celebrated for his in the Mad Max and Lethal Weapon series as well as standalone films like Braveheart, Signs, Payback, and Chicken Run, at one time it seemed like Gibson could do no wrong. At this point, however, Gibson’s days of being an almost universally beloved movie star are far behind him.
Even though he continues to be associated with his career in Hollywood, most people think of Mel Gibson’s many controversies first and foremost when his name is brought up these days. After all, not only has he said and done a lot of highly controversial things, Gibson also is the subject of several restraining orders which says an awful lot.
In terms of Mel Gibson’s controversial past, things started to take a bit of a turn when some observers labeled The Passion of the Christ antisemitic. Things got much worse from there when Gibson was pulled over in 2006 and wound up apologizing to an L.A. police officer who was the subject of Mel’s antisemitic rant. Following that event, a recording of Gibson in which he yelled at his ex-girlfriend using a lot of racist and misogynistic terminology was released in 2010. Still not through, in 2013 Gibson reportedly downplayed the number of people who were lost their lives during the holocaust while talking to a Fox News interviewer.
Standing By Mel
In 2011, Robert Downey Jr. accepted the American Cinematheque Award and had Mel Gibson present him with the honor. In the middle of his speech, Downey Jr. suddenly asked the audience of Hollywood power brokers to “forgive” Gibson. “Unless you are without sin — in which case, you picked the wrong f***ing industry, in forgiving my friend his trespasses, offering him the same clean slate you have me, and allowing him to continue his great and ongoing contribution to our collective art without shame.”
By the time that Robert Downey Jr. called for Mel Gibson to be forgiven, he had already been caught using vile language on more than one occasion. With that in mind, it seems mind-blowing that any movie star would decide to so publically back Gibson like that. Earlier in the same speech in which Downey Jr. called for Gibson to be forgiven, Robert explained why he has been so loyal to Mel despite all of the things he’s done.
“When I couldn’t get sober, he told me not to give up hope and he urged me to find my faith. It didn’t have to be his or anyone else’s as long as it was rooted in forgiveness. And I couldn’t get hired, so he cast me in the lead of a movie that was actually developed for him and he kept a roof over my head, and he kept food on the table.”
“And most importantly, he said that if I accepted responsibility for my wrongdoings and if I embraced that part of my soul that was ugly, hugging the cactus he calls it. He said that if I hugged the cactus long enough, I would become a man of some humility and that my life would take on new meaning, and I did, and it worked. All he asked in return, was that, someday I helped the next guy in some small way. It is reasonable to assume that he didn’t think the next guy would be him, or that someday was tonight.”