MovieChat Forums > Mel Gibson Discussion > Gibson turned down starring as Elliot Ne...

Gibson turned down starring as Elliot Ness in The Untouchables for Lethal Weapon.


Man, I’m glad he did as I love me some Lethal Weapon, but still, it would have been cool to see Gibson go toe to toe with De Niro and play off Connery and Garcia. I like Costner and love the Untouchables but Costner’s acting was the weak link in the film, imo, and I think Gibson would have matched his peers performance wise.
https://fandomwire.com/mel-gibson-gambled-his-career-by-rejecting-1987-robert-de-niro-sean-connery-cult-classic-spawned-952m-the-untouchables-franchise/

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Costner was great for the role because Ness was green at the time and Kevin gave the character the vulnerable aspect he needed

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I agree that Costner played the being green role role rather well, but he was a bit wooden at times, imo, and that’s what bothers me, just a little bit, a minor gripe, it’s a damn good movie either way!

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I can't even imagine Mel Gibson in that role. I also can't imagine him having the same chemistry with Sean Connery that Costner had.

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Smart move as Untouchables is one of the worst most cheesy movies of all time.

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I think this is a case where everything played out as it should have. Having grown up in the era, it’s very difficult for me to imagine those particular movies any other way.

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Good choice for both of them.

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Smart move. Untouchables was so cheesy. Classic Brian DePalma bad lighting and over acting. And with that cast, stunning.

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