back for the show s tournament of champions. the winnings, along with $145,000 settlement with new york central railroad, allowed the family to leave america for australia, in part so mel s brother could escape the vietnam draft. although his father was in world war ii and even got a purple heart, he was very much against the vietnam war. he said, my sons aren t going to go. reporter: 12-year-old mel would have to fight his own battle in school. he s a yank, with the american accent. and the kids, you know, tease him and they don t really accept him so easily. reporter: one of gibson s coping mechanisms was humor. he sort of clowns around a lot, you know. his father tells him, you know, the one thing you ll never do, they don t pay a clown. reporter: mel would prove his father wrong with some unsolicited help from his sister. without his knowledge, she filled out an application for him to attend australia s national institute of dramatic
undefeated and later be invited back for the show s tournament of champions. the winnings, along with $145,000 settlement with new york central railroad, allowed the family to leave america for australia, in part so mel s brothers could escape the vietnam draft. although his father was in world war ii and even got a purple heart, he was very much against the vietnam war. he said, my sons aren t going to go. reporter: 12-year-old mel would have to fight his own battle in school. he s a yank because he has an american accent and the kids, you know, tease him and they don t really accept him so easily. reporter: one of gibson s coping mechanisms was humor. he sort of clowns around a lot, you know. his father tells him, you know, the one thing you ll never do, they don t pay a clown. reporter: mel would prove his father wrong with some unsolicited help from his sister. without his knowledge, she filled out an application for
considered priesthood. instead he worked the railroad until a bad accident put him out of a job and out of a paycheck. he started going on game shows. he went on jeopardy!. reporter: hutton would go undefeated and later be invited back for the show s tournament of champions. the winnings, along with $145,000 settlement with new york central railroad, allowed the family to leave america for australia, in part so mel s brother could escape the vietnam draft. although his father was in world war ii and even got a purple heart, he was very much against the vietnam war. he said, my sons aren t going to go. reporter: 12-year-old mel would have to fight his own battle in school. he s a yank, with the american accent. and the kids, you know, tease him and they don t really accept him so easily. reporter: one of gibson s coping mechanisms was humor. he sort of clowns around a lot, you know. his father tells him, you know, the one thing you ll never do,
most complicated, infuriating, talented star hollywood has ever produced. reporter: from mad max don t get mad at me. reporter: to maverick, lethal weapon to braveheart he was what women want and what men want to be. you re like a genius, you know that. can i tell you, buddy, i m blessed. reporter: but the audience s love affair with mel gibson would take a turn for the worse on this highway. caught driving drunk, he mouthed off to police. now upstaged by his profanity-laced telephone rant. you like a [ bleep ] on heat and if you get raped by a pack of [ bleep ] it will be your fault, all right, because you provoked it. reporter: angry slurs at his baby s momma, oksana, but those became the least of his concerns as the actor faced possible domestic violence charges stemming from an altercation with oksana early last year. a drastic departure from the film star once known best as a family man and a person of passionate faith. people are wonderin
superstar. mel gibson! he got out of the gate fast. i mean, you have a good looking guy who could act. an actor and academy award winning director and producer whose films have taken in billions at the box office. i feel like a hundred bucks. mel gibson is probably the most complicated, infuriating, talented star hollywood has ever produced. reporter: from mad max don t get mad aat me. reporter: to maverick, lethal weapon to braveheart he was what women want and what men want to be. you re like a genius, you know that. can i tell you, bud y i m blessed. reporter: but the audience love affair with mel gibson would take a turn for the worse on this highway. caught driving drunk, he mouthed off to police. now upstaged by his profanity-laced telephone rant. you like a [ bleep ] on heat and if you get raped by a pack of [ bleep ] it will be your fault, all right, because you provoked it. reporter: angry slurs at his baby s momma, oksana, but