Jason Isaacs has made it clear: Mel Gibson is not his friend.
The two actors worked together over two decades ago in The Patriot, but since then, things have been far from warm between them. In a candid interview with Vulture, Isaacs, who is Jewish, explained why he’s kept his distance from Gibson, especially after the infamous 2006 DUI arrest during which Gibson made antisemitic remarks.
Isaacs recalled being invited to a charity event by a friend who mentioned Gibson would also attend. His reaction? “I don’t want to see Mel,” he said, making it clear that he had avoided him ever since the arrest and the fallout from Gibson’s hateful outburst.
But eventually, Isaacs did attend. When he saw Gibson at the event, the encounter was unexpectedly emotional. Gibson called out to him, and they ended up having a brief but revealing conversation. “Mel was there, and he called ‘Jace’ across the room, very friendly. I went, ‘Rabbi Gibson, how are we?’” Isaacs said. Then, Gibson began to open up.
“He came up and said, ‘I was really drunk, man. I was trying to get him to hit me or shoot me or something. I’m having a terrible time.’” According to Isaacs, Gibson shared some very personal struggles in that moment. The honesty hit Isaacs hard. “He’s not my friend but – maybe to my eternal shame – I forgave him instantly because he was there making himself vulnerable.”
Still, Isaacs isn’t pretending everything’s fine. He emphasized that the forgiveness was momentary and doesn’t mean he’s let it all go. “You can’t forgive everything from everyone. I’m not saying I forgive Mel. I’ve seen him once a decade for five minutes. We text each other once in a blue moon about something or other.”
What troubles Isaacs most is the lingering damage from Gibson’s past. He pointed to The Passion of the Christ and criticized the inclusion of a “Jewish demon” not found in any gospel texts. “I don’t know what to do with the fact that he put a character into The Passion of the Christ which is essentially a Jewish demon. I have no idea what to do about him.”
Despite everything, Isaacs admitted he’d still show basic kindness. “If he knocked on my door tonight and said, ‘Look, my hotel’s cancelled. Can I stay?’ I’d say, ‘Yes’, probably.”
Gibson did issue a public apology back in 2006, taking responsibility for his antisemitic remarks. He said there was no excuse for his behavior and expressed regret for hurting the Jewish community.
But for Isaacs, the situation remains emotionally unresolved. His story shows how difficult it can be to navigate forgiveness when past actions are so deeply harmful, especially within the public eye.
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