MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS AN ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING DIRECTOR
AND ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS MOVIE STARS IN THE WORLD.
HE'S RETURNED TO DIRECTING AFTER TEN YEARS WITH THE NEW FILM
"HACKSAW RIDGE."
LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, PLEASE WELCOME MEL GIBSON!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen:ED ANY TO SEE YOU.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: MEL GIBSON.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> Stephen: ON MY SHOW.
>> IN THE FLESH.
>> Stephen: YEAH, I'M A BIG, LONGTIME FAN OF YOURS.
>> WHY, THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: BUT, OBVIOUSLY, BEFORE WE START ANY INTERVIEW, I
HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MEL GIBSON, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE THING YOU
THINK ABOUT, AND THAT'S YOUR BEARD.
( LAUGHTER ) WHAT IS THE DEAL?
WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT BEARD?
AND ARE WE ANYTHING TO BRAID IT LATER AND PUT A BEAD ON THE END?
WHY DO YOU HAVE A BEARD RIGHT NOW?
>> I LIKE PEOPLE PLAYING WITH MY-- WELL, IT WAS HALLOWEEN.
IT WAS A FULL MOON.
I WAS IN THE ATTIC AND CHEWED THROUGH MY CONSTRAINTS AND I
ONLY HAD TIME TO SHAVE MY BACK.
IT'S FOR A FILM PART, I'M DOING "THE PROFESSOR AND THE MAD MEN."
>> Stephen: BASED ON THE BOOK.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WITH SEAN PENN.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WHO IS THE MAD MAN?
AM I AM A LITTLE JEALOUS OF YOUR BEARD BECAUSE THIS IS THE BEST I
CAN COULD DO.
THIS IS THE BEST I COULD DO.
>> THAT'S EXCELLENT.
THAT'S A NICE COLOR.
>> Stephen: THANKS VERY MUCH, YEAH, THANKS VERY MUCH.
>> IT'S WISDOM.
>> Stephen: I'M GRAY FROM THE NECK DOWN.
>> REALLY?
GLI NEVER MET YOU BEFORE.
WE MET BACKSTAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME, SO HOW ARE YOU DOING?
( LAUGHTER ) YOU-- YOU-- YOU HAD SOME ROUGH
PATCHES OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
>> YEAH.
ROUGH PATCH.
>> Stephen: UH-HUH.
AND HOW WAS THAT?
>> EH, NOT MY PROUDEST MOMENT.
NOT MY PROUDEST MOMENT, STEPHEN.
BUT 10 YEARS HAVING BY.
I WORKED ON MYSELF, AND I'M HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER THAN A
LONG TIME AND I'M FORTUNATE.
>> Stephen: HOW ARE YOU FORTUNATE?
>> I GET TO DO WHAT I LOVE TO DO.
I GET TO DO THAT.
I'M GRATEFUL.
I GET TO TELL STORIES.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE A CATHOLIC AND I'M A CATHOLIC.
AND ONE ONE OF THE TENET OF THE FAITH I WAS TAUGHT IS SUFFERING
IS A GOOD THING.
HONEST TO GOD.
DO YOU THINK THERE'S ANY VALUE TO THE SUFFER AGO BECAUSE YOU
WENT THROUGH SOME SUFFERING OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, I IMAGINE,
SORT OF BEING A PARIAH IN SOME CIRCLES FOR WHAT YOU DID.
IS THERE ANY VALUE?
DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING FROM THAT?
AND DID YOU BECOME A BETTER MAN IN ANY WAY?
>> GRAVEL RASH SUFFERING.
WELL, LESTIME ON THE MEAT RACK AFTER IT'S ALL DONE, RIGHT?
>> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.
( LAUGHTER ) THAT MUST BE-- THAT MUST BE
AUSTRALIAN CATHOLICISM.
WHAT IS LESS TIME IN THE MEAT RACK MEAN?
>> MEAT RACK, IN ANOTHER REALM.
>> Stephen: LIKE PURGATORY.
>> YEAH, THAT'S IT.
>> Stephen: TEMPORARY SUFFERING BEFORE WE HAVE THE
PRESENCE OF GOD.
>> TEMP PORAL PUNISHMENT BEFORE THE MAIN COURSE.
>> Stephen: WAS THERE A MOMENT WHEN YOU SAID,"I'M GOING TO GET
THROUGH THIS?" >> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU SAID, "OKAY,
THIS IS GOING TO BE OKAY.
I'M GOING TO-- PEOPLE ARE GOING TO ACCEPT THE APOLOGY AND WE'RE
GOING TO MOVE FORWARD."
>> JUST WHEN I APOLOGIZED, I THINK.
AND, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, YOU TAKE A HIDING, AND THAT'S OKAY.
>> Stephen: YOU SAY YOU TOOK TO HIDING.
>> NO YOU TAKE A HIDING.
>> Stephen: OH, YOU TACK A HIDING.
>> A BEATING.
YOU TAKE THE SHOTS.
YOU TRY NOT TO YELL TOO MUCH.
YOU BE MANFUL ABOUT IT.
YOU DON'T REACT TOO MUCH.
BUT IT'S INTERESTING.
IT'S A MOMENT IN TIME.
IT'S A BIT PITTY THAT ONE HAS TO BE DEFINED WITH A LABEL AFTER
HAVING A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN IN THE BACK OF A POLICE CAR AFTER
DOUBLE TEKEEL AS.
THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
THIS IS NOT-- THAT MOMENT SHOULDN'T DEFINE THE REST OF MY
LIFE.
>> Stephen: NO, I DON'T BELIEVE ANY PERSON-- NO PERSON--
( APPLAUSE ) >> YEAH.
>> Stephen: NO PERSON IS THEIR WORST MOMENT.
>> NO.
>> Stephen: YEAH OR ELSE I'M IN HUGE TROUBLE.
>> WELL, ABSOLUTELY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER THING, TOO, IS THERE'S NO ACTION I'VE
EVER-- YOU KNOW, THAT EVER SUPPORTS THAT LABEL THEY PUT ON
ME.
SO IT'S JUST NOT WHO I AM.
>> Stephen: DO YOU EVER LOOK AT DONALD TRUMP AND SAY, "HOW
COME I HAD TO APOLOGIZE AND HE MIGHT BE PRESIDENT?"
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
( CHEERS ) WELL, NOW, NOW, YOU KNOW, I'M
READING ARTICLES ALL OVER THE PLACE.
HOLLYWOOD IS RE-EMBRACING MEL GIBSON AND YOUR NEW FILM
"HACKSAW RIDGE" GOT A 10-MINUTE OVATION--
>> IT WAS NINE MINUTES AND 45 SECOND S.
>> Stephen: DID YOU STOPWATCH IT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> Stephen: IT HAS GOTTEN 100% ON ROTTEN TOMATOES RIGHT NOW.
PEOPLE ARE LOVING THIS FILM.
IT'S A DEEPLY MOVING, FILM ABOUT DESMOND DAWZ, A CONSCIENTIOUS
OBJECTOR WHO JUST WON'T PICK UP A GUN BUT IS WILLING TO SERVE
HIS COUNTRY.
WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THIS STORY THAT APPEALED TO YOU?
>> WELL, IT'S SO INSPIRING, AND IT'S ABOUT TIME SOMEONE TOLD A
STORY.
A REAL-LIFE SUPERHERO, ONE THAT DOESN'T WEAR SPANDEX.
>> Stephen: YOU DID THAT ONCE BEFORE WITH JESUS.
>> THAT'S TRUE.
>> Stephen: NO SPANDEX ON JESUS.
>> I THINK I DID IT ON STAGE.
>> Stephen: "JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR?"
>> THAT WAS IT.
>> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY SPANNED OAKES THAT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF HIGH NOTES.
HE'S A REAL SUPERSTAR.
>> HE'S A REAL GUY WHO REALLY DID, YOU KNOW, AMAZING THINGS.
HE WAS AN ORDINARY MAN DOING EXTRAORDINARY THINGS AND IN
EXTREMELY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND THAT'S IN THE HELL OF WAR, IN COMBAT.
AND I DON'T SEE IT AS A WAR FILM ALTHOUGH OF ALTHOUGH IT'S KIND
OF GRAPHIC BECAUSE I WANT TO SHOW --
>> IT'S VERY GRAPHIC.
>> I WANT TO SHOW WHAT OUR VETERANS GO THROUGH FROM BACK IN
THE DAY TO RIGHT TODAY.
THEY GO THROUGH A LOT FOR US AND THEY TAKE A BEATING AND I WANT
THE AUDIENCE TO EMPATHIZE WITH THAT AND PUT THE AUDIENCE IN THE
FOX HOLE.
BUT IT'S A MAN WHO EXISTED AND CRAWLS INTO THAT, AND WHILE
OTHER MEN ARE REDUCED ANIMALS HE IS CRAWLING OUT OF THEIR WITHOUT
A WEAPON AND SAVING HIS BUDDY S.
>> Stephen: HE SAVED 75 MEN IN OKINAWA.
>> AND WITH BULLET FLYING AROUND HIS EAR AND HE PUT HIS LINE ON L
ON THE LINE FOR EVERYBODY ELSE AND THAT'S THE DEFINITION OF
ULTIMATE LOVE.
IF HE WAS AROUND TODAY, I WOULD WANT HIM TO BE PRESIDENT.
>> Stephen: I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS THAT?
>> IF HE WAS AROUND TODAY, I WOULD WANT HIM TO BE PRESIDENT.
>> Stephen: NEITHER OF THE PEOPLE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT
HAVE ANY MILITARY SERVICE.
THAT'S INTERESTING.
IT USED TO BE SOMETHING WE EXPECTED OF SOMEONE RUNNING FOR
THE HIGHEST OFFICE IN THE LAND BECAUSE THEATRE COMMANDER IN
CHIEF AT THE END OF IT.
>> YEAH, I GUESS SO.
>> Stephen: YOU SAY IT'S A LOVE STORY, AND YOU SAY IT'S NOT
TO GLORIFY WAR.
DO YOU THINK THERE'S ANY WORRY, NO MATTER HOW YOU TELL THE STORY
OF WAR, THAT JUST-- IT BEING A MOVIE GALORIFIES IT IN SOME WAY?
BECAUSE WHAT THE CAMERA POINTS AT MAKES IT BEAUTIFUL IN SOME
WAYS.
A LOT OF THOUGHT GOES INTO HOW TO-- HOW TO MAKE IT LOOK GOOD ON
SCREEN, AND YOU CAN'T HELP BUT GLORIFY IT BECAUSE IT BECOMES
ENTERTAINMENT.
>> SURE, I GUESS YOU WANT IT TO BE CINEMATICALLY COMPELLING BUT
AT THE SAME TIME IF YOU JUST TAPOSE WHO THAT MAN IS AND HIS
FAITH, I THINK HAVING IT BE LIKE THAT SORT OF HIGHLIGHTS THE
HIGHER NATURE OF THE FILM.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, FOR ME IT NEEDED TO BE THAT WAY.
THAT'S HOW I TELL STORY S.
>> Stephen: 75 MEN.
ALL THE THINGS DEPICTED IN THE FILM, DID HE REALLY DO ALL THAT?
>> HE DID THOSE THINGS.
IN FACT THERE WERE THINGS HE DID I COULDN'T PUT IN THE FILM
BECAUSE NO ONE WOULD BELIEVE IT.
>> Stephen: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
>> HE DID ACTUALLY STEP ON A GRENADE TO SAVE HIS BUDDIES AND
HE SOOK SHRAPNEL, AND SAW A GUY WAS TO WOUNDED, PUT THAT GUY ON
THE STRETCHER AND SAID TAKE HIM FIRST, AND CRAWLED BACK 300
YARDS AND GOT SHOT FULL OF HOLES BY SNIPERS.
IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THE AMOUNT-- AND HE WAS IN THE
PHILIPPINES BEFORE THEN, AND HE WAS ALREADY DOING WHAT HE DOES
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS-- AND HE WON ONE-- GENERALLY,
THEY'LL DO SOMETHING IN A MOMENT, BUT THIS MAN VERY
CONSCIOUSLY DID WHAT HE DID OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
>> Stephen: AND HE'S WANT ONLY CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR TO
RECEIVE THE MEDAL OF HONOR?
>> WELL, HE WAS THE FIRST.
THERE HAVE BEEN OTHERS WHO HE INSPIRED THAT HAVE SINCE DONE
THE SAME THING.
>> Stephen: WELL, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE LITTLE BREAK.
WE'LL BE BACK WITH MORE MEL GIBSON.
STICK AROUND.