Yahoo Lifestyle Mel Gibson Has ‘Surprised’ Response To His New Donald Trump Gig
President-elect Donald Trump’s naming of Mel Gibson as one of his “special envoys” to Hollywood surprised many, including Gibson himself.
Trump on Thursday said Gibson and his fellow pro-Trump actors Sylvester Stallone and Jon Voight would act as his “eyes and ears” in the industry.
But Gibson said he only learned about his new role from Trump’s post on his Truth Social platform that announced it.
“I got the tweet at the same time as all of you and was just as surprised,” Gibson told Variety.
“Nevertheless, I heed the call. My duty as a citizen is to give any help and insight I can,” he added, jokingly asking: “Any chance the position comes with an Ambassador’s residence?”
Gibson’s home in Malibu was destroyed by the recent wildfires in California.
Gibson has long backed Trump.
The “Lethal Weapon” star in 2021 was caught on camera appearing to give a military-style salute in the direction of the then-former president during a UFC fight. In October 2024, Gibson insulted Trump’s Democratic rival Kamala Harris as having “the IQ of a fence post.”
Gibson’s mid-’90s film “Braveheart” won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. But the filmmaker later faced backlash following allegations of antisemitic comments among myriad other scandals.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the awards Gibson won for “Hacksaw Ridge.” Gibson was nominated for the Oscar for Best Director but lost to Damien Chazelle for “La La Land.”