GEORGE MILLER - MILLER: 'MEL IS A CLASSIC TORTURED CATHOLIC'

Australian director GEORGE MILLER insists his MAD MAX star MEL GIBSON is wracked with guilt over his Catholic religion and that's what makes him a great artist. Miller directed Gibson in his breakthrough role and claims he is a wonderful person who happens to have a dark element to his personality. He explains, "On the difficulty that he had with his drinking, I've known him to be an incredibly sweet and lovely person with a dark side. "The first Mad Max he was 21. He was a baby out of drama school doing Shakespeare. Like everyone in those days he'd do his drugs and drinking. "I've seen him angry at his family, his friends. I've seen him angry at me, I've seen him angry at his church. He's always been devout. Most of all I've seen him angry at himself. "He's a classic tortured Catholic. He's a good man who thinks he's a bad man. I also think he's one of the sweetest people I've ever met and incredibly kind and generous, so that's the paradox. "I think that paradox, to be honest, is what give a lot of these actors charisma. I think charisma needs that tension."