Mel Gibson works hard. He is an action star who has strayed from the conventions of those films in ‘The Year of Living Dangerously', ‘The Bounty', ‘Mrs Soffel', ‘Tequila Sunrise' and ‘The Man WIthout A Faced' with which he made his debut as a director. He is that dangerous hurdle, a likeable superstar. Certainly, he has faults but he is an amiable man who has dealt with the early pressures and barbecuing of fame reasonably well. He has moved on at his own pace. Fast. The adopted Aussie blazed onto the international scene as the post-apocalyptic avenger ‘Mad Max'.

WIth the ‘Lethal Weapon' series came another breakthrough. The script was the blueprint for the movies but Gibson and co-star Danny Glover did, he says, ‘embellish like mad.' There will be more outings for Detective Martin Riggs. The popularity of the films recalled the must-see days of the early string of James Bond movies. The formula was similar. Entertainment. And lots of action defined by hair rather than conscious raising shoot ‘em ups.

Before Pierce Brosnan became the latest 007 it was Gibson who was being touted for ‘Goldeneye'.He enjoyed the game. Much has been made of his height (he says he's 5ft 10ins tall) and he recalls one story:' It had me as a midget Bond. Every paragraph had an adjective about my size, a pint-sized Bond.I had to laugh. I might be puny in the brain power department but that's that.'

Instead, he took the title role of Bret ‘Maverick' based on James Garner's popular television series and the film was one of the great successes of last year. It was Mr Amiable playing Mr Amiable.

But Gibson is not always cool. He admits he lost it on ‘Braveheart' going, as he puts it, ballistic'. Richard Donner who directed him in the ‘Lethal Weapon' pictures says:' He's a real tough son of a bitch underneath. There's a lot of anger and hostility. I've seen him come to the edge, seen the pot start to boil, and I know to back off and let others back off.'

He does not apologise for it. The occasional snap eases the srtress. It boils over and finishes quickly. He'd rather have the pressures of films like ‘Bravehart'. ‘It's chancy, a risk, but that's what this business is all about. Challenges and the risks involved with them.'

It was in Scotland that he took his first big leap taking the title role of ‘Hamlet'. Initially, it provoked disdain. Zsa Zsa as Gertrude? Carry On Shakespeare? Gibson did his toughest and physical work until ‘Braveheart'. ‘Hamlet' was almost a dress rehearsal although for that challenge he gave up smokling to help his lungs deal with the Bard's words. No one said he was better than Olivier or Burton or Finney or Barrymore or Gielgud but they didn't laugh either. He was a serious, compelling ‘Hamlet' for the 1990s was the almost unanimous verdict. Glenn Close was Gerturde and an extraordinary list of British stars filled in the lines and the gaps.

Costume and classic and Scotland . The experience, the work that paid off, stayed with him as he flirted with ‘Braveheart.' He doesn't always pick winners -- look at ‘Air America ' and ‘Bird on a Wire' -- but said with a smile:' I always follow my instincts. Now, my insticnts may trip me up but when they blow in my ear I'll follow them anywhere.'

In 1968 he had no choice but to follow his father from Peekskill , New York , to Australia . He was 12, the sixth of 11 children, of Anne and Hutton Gibson. His father is a Ghenghis Khan of a Catholic who banned television and berated his offspring about the evils of sex without marriage, drinking and smoking. He wrote religious tracts and often disagrees with the Vatican 's ‘lenient' views. He finds the present Pope a heretic.

His son and daughter-in-law Robyn have six children aged from six to 14 and sprawling ranches in Sydney and Montana . Gibson finds his most absurd offer the pitch from a company asking him to be their Official Spokesperson for their line of condoms. He laughs:' ‘'Hi! I'm Mel Gibson I'd like to show you...'' This from a guy who has a truckload of kids!'

He says his family gets him through the darker side of fame. And his humour. He travels on an American passport but says he's not at home there or in Australia . He is as ambiguous as his accent.

For the moment it's that Scots brogue which he hopes will enchant audiences worldwide. One Scots lady who was asked in Fort William high street about Gibson as Wallace and Liam Neeson as Rob Roy offered:' They should have got Sean Connery to play them both! A guid Scots actor.'

Mad Mac aka McMel said:' I don't recall any animosity. A few sly chuckles maybe

He recalls the Scots way with a chuckle:'They wouldn't say much in front of you -- it happens at yer back.'

And, of course, he had the ball and chain.

He'll soon know if it was too much weight for one man to carry.

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