The Continental EP Talks Casting the Controversial Mel Gibson: ‘He Was Right for the Part’
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When delving into the vivid, circa-1970s world established by the tetralogy of John Wick films, who does one cast as the Continental hotel’s hair-trigger manager?
In the case of Peacock’s The Continental: From the World of John Wick, a three-“night” prequel series premiering this Friday, Sept. 22, the role goes to Hollywood vet Mel Gibson.
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“It was the usual [casting] process,” The Continental executive producer Albert Hughes, who also directed the first and third hour-plus episodes, tells TVLine. “In Hollywood it’s always about, like, the five names for one role, and then you go about systematically seeing who’s available, whose people respond….”
Hughes and the mini’s other executive producers, including those representing Lionsgate Television Group and Peacock/NBCUniversal, wound up agreeing on Gibson to play Cormac, manager of the New York Continental. When a young Winston Scott (The Flight Attendant’s Colin Woodell, in the role played by Ian McShane on the big screen) lands in his crosshairs, Cormac orders a manhunt — all while trying to fend off pressure from the enigmatic Adjudicator (Katie McGrath) representing the High Table’s keen interests.
Thing is, Gibson has a very problematic past dating back some 30 years and involving anti-Semitic, racist and homophobic slurs, domestic abuse, and DUIs. There have been more than a few op-eds over the years asking (and even titled), “How Does Mel Gibson Still Have a Career?“
Hughes, though, says, “The personal life stuff, that’s not my place to get into” when casting a role.
“I was more focused on what I grew up watching — these very passionate performances from Lethal Weapon, my favorite movie Road Warrior…,” he explains. “He has this quality that I find in other actors — Shia LaBeouf has it, Tom Cruise has it, Tom Hardy has it — where when I watched the roles, I believed them. Like, I can see Shia LaBeouf in Transformers and be like, ‘He’s buying into this world.’ And that’s what Mel has.
“The personal life stuff, that’s not my place to get into,” the EP/director says. “I’m just trying to do my job and appreciate a person who knows what he’s doing in front of the camera and behind it.”
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Interestingly, Episode 3 of The Continental — no spoilers here — makes clear that Gibson’s character has his own strong opinions about people and things. But was any measure taken to “dial back” those traits, lest they too closely evoke the actor’s real-life transgressions?
Hughes at first only smiles when asked that question.
“I think there’s something in there, like, ‘He was right for the part,'” Hughes offers. “The character goes off the rails and… it’s a fun episode, let’s put it that way.”
Want scoop on The Continental, or for any other TV show ? Email your question to InsideLine@tvline.com, and it may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line!
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