Spielberg Rejected Gibson From Schindler's List for an Unexpected Reason
It all turned out to be very ironic in the end.
Summary:
- Mel Gibson was interested in playing the lead role in Schindler's List, but Spielberg opted for a non-movie star for the part of Oskar Schindler.
- Liam Neeson eventually portrayed Schindler, earning his only Oscar nomination for the role.
- Ironically, Gibson later faced an anti-Semitic scandal, impacting his movie star image.
Mel Gibson was interested in starring in Schindler's List, but this opportunity was turned down by Stephen Spielberg – all because he wasn’t considering A-class stars for portraying the protagonist.
“Mel Gibson’s name came up. He was interested,” Creative Artists Agency founder Michael Ovitz tells The Hollywood Reporter. “His agent put him forward. But it wasn’t going to happen. Steven wanted a non-movie star for the part.”
Liam Neeson, who eventually played the role of Schindler, recalled other actors who were considered for the role, including Harrison Ford and Kevin Costner.
Liam ended up receiving his only Oscar nomination for his role as Schindler, but lost to Tom Hanks with Philadelphia.
Steven Spielberg himself won his first two Oscars for directing and producing Schindler's List and said it was "the best film" he ever made.
The $22 million budget classic, based on Thomas Keneally's 1982 novel Schindler's Ark, won a total of seven Oscars and grossed $322.2 million worldwide.
Ironically, 14 years later the actor found himself at the center of an anti-Semitic scandal. Gibson tarnished his movie star image during a 2006 drunk driving arrest when he told Deputy Sheriff James Mee that “the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.”
The day after his arrest, Gibson entered rehab and had a divorce later on from his wife of 26 years, Robyn Moore, and her subsequent $400 million divorce settlement in 2011 was the highest in Hollywood history.
However, Gibson continued his film career, directing several films, including the upcoming thriller Flight Risk. He also appeared as a hotel manager in the series The Continental: From the World of John Wick and played in the thriller Desperation Road. Gibson was recently nominated for the Razzie Award for his role in Confidential Informant.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter