Gibson gained favorable notices from film critics when he first entered the cinematic scene, as well as comparisons to several classic movie stars. In 1982, Vincent Canby wrote that “Mr. Gibson recalls the young Steve McQueen… I can’t define ‘star quality,’ but whatever it is, Mr. Gibson has it.”[15] Gibson has also been likened to “a combination of Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart.”[16] Gibson’s roles in the Mad Max series of films, Peter Weir‘s Gallipoli (1981), and the Lethal Weapon series of films earned him the label of “action hero”.[17]
Later, Gibson expanded into human dramas such as the Franco Zeffirelli film version of Hamlet (1990), and comedic roles such as those in Maverick (1994) and What Women Want (2000). He moved to directing and producing with The Man Without a Face (1993), Braveheart (1995), The Passion of the Christ (2004), and Apocalypto (2006). Jess Cagle of Time compared Gibson with Cary Grant, Sean Connery, and Robert Redford.[17] Connery once suggested Gibson should play the next James Bond to Connery’s “M”. Gibson turned down the role, reportedly because he feared being typecast.