Mel Gibson
MEL GIBSON was born in upstate
New York and moved with his family to Australia when he was 12 years old.
Gibson attended the National Institute of Dramatic Arts at the University
of New South Wales in Sydney. His stage appearances include "Death of a
Salesman." Gibson was eventually brought to the attention of director George
Miller who cast him in "Mad Max," the film that first brought him worldwide
recognition. This was followed by the title role in "Tim." Gibson's portrayal
of a handicapped young man won him an Australian Film Institute Best Actor
Award. He was further established as an international star by the two hit
sequels to "Mad Max" "The Road Warrior" and "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome"
along with Peter Weir's "Gallipoli," which brought Gibson a second Australian
Best Actor Award. A few years later, Weir and Gibson again collaborated
on "The Year of Living Dangerously." Gibson made his American film debut
in "The River." He starred in another popular trilogy with the high-grossing
"Lethal Weapon" film series. Gibson's other films include "The Bounty,"
"Mrs. Soffel," "Tequila Sunrise," 'Bird on a Wire" and "Air America. When
Gibson starred in "Hamlet" directed by Franco Zeffirelli, the film was
the first to be produced by Gibson's production company Icon Productions.
The role brought him the William Shakespeare Award from the Folger Theatre
in Washington, D.C. Icon also produced, with Mel Gibson starring, "Forever
Young" and "Maverick.
Sophie Marceau
SOPHIE MARCEAU is making her starring debut in an English language film after starring in films produced in her native France. Marceau became an actress by chance when she was 13 years old. After being unable to find a holiday job at so young an age, she borrowed money to have photographs made of herself and found representation at a talent agency. After several months, she was asked to test for the lead role in a film that was to become a tremendous hit and make her a star. The film was "La Boum," which was followed with "La Boum 2." For the latter film, she received a Cesar award for female revelation of the year. Marceau went on to star with Gerard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve in "Fort Saganne," which was followed by "Joyeuses Paques" and "Police," again with Depardieu. She has acted in three films directed by Andrzej Zulawski: "L'Amour Braque," "Mes Nuits Sont plus BelIes que Vos Jours" and "La Note Bleue."In 1992 she starred in "La Fille de D'Artagnan" directed by Bertrand Tavernier.
Brendan Gleeson
BRENDAN GLEESON has appeared in "The Snapper," "Far and Away," "The Field" and "Conneely's Choice." His U.K. television appearances include "Love Lies Bleeding," "The Hamster Wheel," "The Bargain Shop," "In The Border Country," "The Treaty" and "Passion Plays." Gleeson was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. A prolific theatre actor since 1987, Gleeson was awarded a Jacobs Award for "The Treaty" in 1992. Some of his recent stage appearances include "The Man from Clare" and "Juno and the Paycock" at the Gaiety Theatre and "Pilgrims" at the Project Arts Theatre. "Juno and the Paycock" was also staged in Chicago. Gleeson is also a fiddle player and playwright whose plays include "Babies and Bathwater," which will be performed by the BBC Radio Belfast.
Angus McFadyen
ANGUS McFADYEN is making his motion picture acting debut in "Braveheart."
His U.K. television appearances include "Making Waves," "The Lost Language
of Cranes," "Soldier, Soldier," "God of Happiness" and "Care." Raised in
France, McFadyen is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh and studied
acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama. His theatre credits include
"The Tempest, Cloud Nine" and "The lmmortals" for the Edinburgh Fringe
Theatre. He is also a playwright whose "1905" was honored with the 1991
Questors Student Playing Award.
