Mel Gibson still has lots to give

Jan 29, 2010, 6:02 GMT

Mel Gibson returned to acting because he realised he still had something to offer.

The 'Braveheart' star - who has spent the last eight years behind the camera directing movies such as the successful yet controversial 'The Passion of the Christ' and the action-adventure 'Apocalypto' - realised he should go back to being an actor because there was so much more he could do with the "good piece of material" which had suddenly come his way.

He said: "Well, I walked away from it after 'Signs' because I just felt I was stale and I needed to maybe... it wasn't ringing my bells. So I focused on directing and writing and producing and all that kind of stuff, and then it was time to come back.

"I got the acting bug back because I felt like, all of a sudden, maybe after all these years, I might have something to offer again. That coincided with a very good piece of material. If it wasn't 'Edge of Darkness', it would have been something else, but this was the best thing that I saw."

The Hollywood actor - who stars in the new action movie 'Edge of Darkness' where he plays a detective investigating the murder of his activist daughter - said being a good director was about listening to those around him.

He told website film.com: "You hang around the hub and watch what's going on, and ask a bunch of questions. You're there for the inception of an idea. You're there to see it executed. You're there to doubt it. And you're there to share the fruits of victory or failure. So, it's like a big science experiment... how can you not pick it up?"