Andrew Garfield Says Mel Gibson ‘Deserves’ Forgiveness

Andrew Garfield told People he believes Mel Gibson “deserves” to be forgiven for the anti-Semitic and racist remarks the Braveheart star has made in the past. Gibson infamously made a series of offensive remarks during a 2006 DUI arrest, which led to his divorce from longtime spouse Robyn Moore. He also came under fire in 2010 for a disturbing voicemail he left for then-partner Oksana Grigorieva in which he used a barrage of racial slurs.

Garfield, who is Jewish, starred in Gibson’s acclaimed 2016 directorial effort Hacksaw Ridge. He told the outlet that the director “deserves respect” and “deserves to make films” despite his controversies, adding that he and Gibson had “deep, important conversations” prior to accepting the lead role of Desmond Ross, who in real life was a conscientious objector who felt compelled by religion to serve his country in World War II.

“I learned a lot,” Garfield said of his time working with Gibson. “I learned that people can heal. I learned that people can change, that people can get help. I learned that everyone deserves respect. And that people deserve second chances, third chances, fourth chances. That none of us are infallible.”

The Amazing Spider-Man star added that Gibson has “done a lot of beautiful healing with himself…And thank God. Because he’s an amazing filmmaker, and I think he deserves to make films. He deserves to tell stories because he has a very, very big, compassionate heart,” Garfield said. “I just really trusted him. And he's a visceral storyteller so he can feel... He's like he can't help but feel everything. He's a real empathetic guy.”

Despite rarely headlining mainstream studio fare these days, Gibson has been quietly accepted back into Hollywood. Much of that was thanks to Hacksaw Ridge—the film earned six Oscar nominations, including Best Director for Gibson and Best Actor for Garfield. It won awards for Sound Mixing and Sound Editing. The following year, Gibson appeared opposite Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell in the big-budget studio comedy Daddy’s Home 2.

In January, Gibson will release his directorial follow-up to Hacksaw Ridge, Flight Risk, which stars a bald Wahlberg and a regular-haired Topher Grace. It marks his most audience-friendly, mainstream directorial effort since 1995’s Braveheart.