Jason Isaacs Confronted Mel Gibson Over “Unforgivable” Antisemitic Rant

Jason Isaacs and Mel Gibson shared the screen as rivals in the 2000 Revolutionary War epic, The Patriot. Six years later, their professional connection took a hit when Gibson was arrested in Malibu, California, for driving under the influence. During the arrest, Gibson went on an “antisemitic outburst,” famously claiming that Jewish people were “responsible for all the wars in the world.” Isaacs, who is Jewish, felt that Gibson’s behavior during his arrest was “unconscionable and unforgivable.”

During a recent interview with Vulture, the White Lotus actor recounted an exchange he had with Gibson at a charity event that took place some time after the incident.

“I was invited by my friend to some charity cricket event for Australians in film. And he said, ‘If you come, Mel will.’ And I said, ‘I don’t want to see Mel.’ I hadn’t seen him since that terrible antisemitic outburst when he got stopped by the police.”

Isaacs did attend the charity event to help raise funds, and Gibson spotted him.

“Mel was [at the charity event], and he called ‘Jace’ across the room, very friendly. I went, ‘Rabbi Gibson, how are we?’

“He came up and he said, ‘I was really drunk, man. I was trying to get [the arresting police officer] to hit me or shoot me or something. I’m having a terrible time.'”

Isaacs says Gibson is “not my friend, but — maybe to my eternal shame — I forgave him instantly because he was there making himself vulnerable.” During his conversation with the publication, Isaacs also shared that Gibson was very charming, intelligent and self-deprecating, but he had “said and done some things that are unconscionable and unforgivable.”

Mel Gibson’s Controversial Career, Explained

The 2006 incident impacted Mel Gibson’s career and public image, and while he later issued apologies, stating he acted “like a person completely out of control” and that his words were “despicable” and “do not believe to be true,” the damage was done. The incident followed the backlash Gibson faced for his 2004 directorial feature, The Passion of the Christ. That film was widely criticized by Jewish organizations and community leaders for its depiction of Jewish characters as vengeful and for seemingly shifting the blame for Jesus’s death onto them. Jason Isaacs also touched on that point during his interview:

“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 that doesn’t exist in the gospels. I have no idea what to do about him. But if he knocked on my door tonight and said, ‘Look, my hotel’s canceled. Can I stay?’ I’d say, ‘Yes,’ probably,”

Following his 2006 arrest, Gibson faced accusations of domestic violence and making racist remarks, and his career continued to suffer, but in 2016, Gibson experienced a significant comeback as a director. His 2016 war film Hacksaw Ridge was critically acclaimed, earning him Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Picture. He recently directed the Mark Wahlberg-led Flight Risk, which failed to impress critics. He is also planning a sequel to The Passion of the Christ, titled The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection.

Source: Vulture