Why Mel Gibson Won't Finance More of His Own Films: 'I'm Not a Fool' (Q&A)

The actor, at Karlovy Vary to pick up a lifetime achievement award, tells THR about his new projects. "I never did really have a master plan," he says.

Gary Oldman's recent controversial comments and references to Mel Gibson "biting the [Hollywood] hand that feeds him" may have revived the controversy over the actor-director's 2006 anti-Semitic remarks, but for Gibson himself, the affair is long over and not up for discussion.

STORY Gary Oldman Defends Mel Gibson

Gibson, in Karlovy Vary to pick up the festival's Crystal Globe for lifetime achievement, instead spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about his new projects and why he won't finance any more of his films.

Oldman revived discussion of your controversial comments and often strained relationship with Hollywood. Do you think you've resolved those issues?

It's behind me; it's an 8-year-old story. It keeps coming up like a rerun, but I've dealt with it and I've dealt with it responsibly and I've worked on myself for anything I am culpable for. All the necessary mea culpas have been made copious times, so for this question to keep coming up, it's kind of like ... I'm sorry they feel that way, but I've done what I need to do.

You've played a wide range of roles as an actor and made movies as a director with difficult themes, like Apocalypto and The Passion of the Christ. What do you want to do now?

It's tricky, those films you refer to, nobody would have financed them, they more or less worked, but I would never have got anyone else to finance them. I'm out of that business of financing my own films because they see you coming and take you for a ride. I'm not a fool. It's difficult for the things I deem worthy to direct, where you can get a really good compelling story out of — nobody else has much faith in it and never did.

Is there anything specific you can talk about now?

There are specific things, but I don't want to talk about them, you know why? Because every time I do somebody else goes and does it. It's a kind of industrial espionage thing and they do it badly for TV.

What roles are looking to play?

Nothing specific, but I've just finished a film in New Mexico, called Blood Father directed by Jean-Francois Richet, a very nice, good French film director and the theme for him is very Americana. I play this motorcycle guy who happens to have a daughter, who happens to be in trouble … and an adventure ensues.

Do films that explore such relationships interest you?

It varies … I never did really have a master plan. I just do what's in front of me and what interests me at the time. There are ideas everywhere and they come literally from everywhere and that's good. But there are no new ideas, ever. The only thing you can do that is different is to execute the idea differently.