Mel Gibson shares that he had a close call with death while filming a Braveheart

stunt, and it can be seen in the movie. Released in 1995, Gibson directs and stars in the historical epic, playing real-life Scottish warrior William Wallace as he leads a rebellion against the English crown in the 13th century. Braveheart was a critical and commercial success for Gibson, with audiences and critics alike enthralled by the brutal and bloody battle sequences.

During a recent panel at MegaCon Orlando for which ScreenRant was in attendance, Gibson reflects on filming Braveheart, revealing that one battle scene got a little too real. The actor and director explains that after one scripted stunt, he fell off of his horse and would’ve been crushed beneath the animal’s hooves had his stunt double not rushed in to the rescue. Check out Gibson’s recollection of the close call below:

We had this push-ʙuттon horse, and it was a horse where if you pull back on the reins and then you dig your heels into it, how do you know [if] you’ll rear on up? So I was doing this thing with the horse, and this guy comes and stabs me with a spear in the chest and I do this whole thing with the horse. The horse kept going, and it’s in the film, because I fall off the damn horse. But they didn’t cut to the next part because the next part was the horse, a 2,000 pound horse, coming right down on me.

I see this and think, “I’m ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.” My stunt double, this guy called Mic Rogers, I don’t know where he came from, but his arms come into the sH๏τ all of a sudden, and he yanked me out from under this horse which hit the ground with such force that I would’ve been ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.

What Mel Gibson’s Dangerous Stunt Means For Braveheart

The Film’s Reception Explained

There’s a reason why stunt performers are brought in to film dangerous scenes in movies, and Gibson’s story certainly proves this. Not only are they more highly trained and experienced than actors, making accidents and injuries less likely, but if something does go wrong, an entire production doesn’t grind to a halt. Still, Gibson’s willingness to do some of his own stunts in Braveheart ultimately helped the film to succeed when it comes to battle sequences.

In addition to a compelling story of bravery and rebellion, Braveheart‘s bloody brutality is undoubtedly part of its appeal. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film scored a 76% from critics and an 85% from audiences, indicating a generally favorable reception. Though some reviews took issue with Braveheart‘s lack of historical accuracy, the well-staged, epic action helped to make up for this. Made on an estimated budget of $72 million, Braveheart went on to gross $209 million worldwide, making it a success.

Our Take On Gibson’s Braveheart Stunt

Gibson’s Commitment Helped The Movie Succeed

Whether Braveheart is the best movie that Gibson has directed is, of course, a matter of personal preference, but it’s undoubtedly one of the most ambitious. The film was released at the height of the actor’s star power, and his performance as Wallace is commanding and emotional. Gibson’s physicality also works well during the action scenes, and he is convincing as a 13th-century Scottish warrior.

It’s not clear what other dangerous stunts Gibson did himself during the filming of Braveheart, but his commitment to the movie is certainly admirable. The actor’s latest story about his close call during filming is the perfect excuse to revisit the 1995 film, keeping an eye out for the stunt he describes.