Mel Gibson recently opened up about some major roles he passed on during his career.
During a panel at MegaCon in Orlando, Florida, on Friday, Feb. 7, the actor discussed two major opportunities he declined—playing James Bond in the 1980s and taking on the role of Maximus in Gladiator (2000).
When asked about roles he had missed out on, Gibson, 69, admitted, “Of course, you look back and think, ‘Man, I wish I had done that.’”
He specifically recalled turning down Gladiator, saying, “Ridley [Scott] came to me with Gladiator, but I was working on The Patriot, so I couldn’t do it. Russell [Crowe] took the role, and he did a fantastic job.”
Reflecting on his career choices, Gibson added, “It’s interesting to think about the things you pass up… there’s a whole list of them.”
The James Bond Offer
Another surprising opportunity Gibson turned down was the chance to play James Bond in the 1980s. At just 26 years old, fresh off his breakout role in Mad Max (1979), he received a call from legendary Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli.
“He told me, ‘We want you to be James Bond,’” Gibson recalled. However, the two-time Academy Award winner hesitated, concerned about being tied to the iconic role for years to come.
“I was 26, and I just kept thinking about how Sean [Connery] could never quite escape that character,” he explained.
Though Connery eventually moved beyond Bond, Gibson described him as being “in 007’s prison for decades.” He praised Connery’s performance in The Untouchables (1987), calling him “fantastic” in the role.
Ultimately, Gibson chose to pass on Bond, saying, “I thought, ‘I’m not gonna do that. I’ll do something else instead.’” (Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton would go on to portray the character throughout the 1980s.)
Lethal Weapon Reunion at MegaCon
While he may have turned down Bond, Gibson did take on a role that became a pop culture classic—Martin Riggs in Lethal Weapon (1987) and its three sequels, released in 1989, 1992, and 1998.
During his MegaCon panel, fans were treated to an unexpected reunion when his Lethal Weapon co-star Danny Glover, 78, made a surprise appearance. As Glover joined him on stage, the audience erupted into applause, giving the pair a standing ovation as they embraced.
Beyond Gibson and Glover’s reunion, MegaCon featured other cast reunions, including stars from Twilight, Happy Days, The Breakfast Club, and more, as actors shared behind-the-scenes stories from their beloved films and shows.
