Because we spend our lives watching movie stars have epic adventures as larger-than-life characters in realities far more exciting than our own, it’s easy to forget that they’re real people with real lives. And sometimes, real people have car trouble, which is exactly what happened to Mel Gibson earlier this week.
In what appears to be a gas station parking lot, Mel Gibson was busy putting air in his truck tires when he was approached by an ecstatic fan. With a smile stretching ear to ear, Rafael (the fan) shows himself on camera and says, “helping my friend Mel Gibson, The Patriot!” before turning the camera around to show that he is, in fact, standing next to the Braveheart superstar.
Rather than expressing annoyance at being filmed while working on his truck, Mel Gibson banters with the fan. Overwhelmed with excitement, Rafael says, “Oh my…lucky day for me!” to which Gibson replies with a laugh, “I don’t know, what if I rob you?”. Gibson’s pleasant demeanor charmed not only Rafael but the entire Twitterverse as well.
“Lucky day for me”
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) February 8, 2022
“I don’t know, what if I rob you” pic.twitter.com/4QB09I7mUc
At the end of the clip, Gibson is struggling to hold his flashlight and work on the tire at the same time, so he asks Rafael for help. Rafael obligingly stops filming so he can shine his own flashlight on the truck’s tire.
To thank him for his help (and give him the memory of a lifetime), Gibson is shown in a second clip taking a photo with Rafael, who appears to be so thrilled by the encounter, he simply can’t stop saying “The Patriot!”. We get it, Rafael, we’d be a little starstruck too.
The second Mel Gibson video is better than the first. #MelGibson pic.twitter.com/2ysBotJjh3
— Moussa Abdou (@AdelabuLawrence) February 9, 2022
Love for Gibson Spurs Creation of ‘Mel Gibson Day’
Though Rafael is one of the lucky few who get to meet the action star in person, he’s far from the only fan of the Lethal Weapon actor. Mel Gibson is so beloved, in fact, that he has his own holiday in Southport, North Carolina.
Mega fans of Gibson can come down to Southport on December 16 to share in their love for the actor. Why Southport? Well, Gibson was recently in the town filming the movie Boys of Summer and took quite a liking to the area. It’s unsurprising that the small southern city charmed him, as it’s known as “America’s Happiest Seaside Town”!
Gibson spent his free time enjoying the sites and sounds of Southport, eating at Castucci’s Italian Restaurant, and honing his physique at Cap Fear Fitness. Overjoyed that the star was getting so much enjoyment out of his town, the mayor of Southport, Joseph P. Hatem, presented Gibson with a key to the city.
During the presentation ceremony, Hatem said, “I’m very happy Hollywood has returned to North Carolina. We thank [Gibson] for being an important part of that successful return. We have not seen this much excitement in Southport since the filming of Safe Haven.”
