Donal's vast experience on stage stands him in good stead for his film career. Prior to "Resistance", Donal had appeared in "Blood Oath", "Rebel & The Punisher", "Cowra Breakout" & "Emma's War".
Portraying Eric in the film had it's challenges. "Eric is a man of few words. Most of his emotions had to be conveyed through his physicality. The closer the camera was to me, the easier it became." says Donal. Who is not a demonstrative actor. As Elliot says, "He gave a really restrained performance. So much was internalized that a subtle strength was added to his character." Says Donal, "Eric is the most dangerous type of solider. Despite all the propaganda he has been fed, he manges to retain the ability to think for himself. In preparation for the role, I created a rather bleak world for Eric. I imagine what it would be like to live in. I drew a map & traced Eric's journey across it, from his home city to Ithaca Plains. But while the world of "Resistance" is an invented one, the political oppression & brutality of it is far from fictitious."
USA/WORLD NEWSMAKERS
GIBSON MEN SWITCH FOR THE RETURN OF JOHN SMITH Meet Donal Gibson, Mel's brother. He's an actor. He lives in L.A. He likes to goof around. Just like Mel.
But it wasn't until now that Donal actually took over a role for Mel. The big star was the voice of John Smith in Disney's "Pocahontas." Now, for "Pocahontas II," a straight-to-video release due out Aug. 25, Donal is the voice of John Smith. Same Australian accent. Same joking style.
Little brother Donal, 40, got the role because Mel, 42, was suffering "post-Braveheart exhaustion," Donal says. "He was doing way too much and very graciously said, `Hey, do you want to do it?'"
Donal, who has no significant other he wants to mention - unlike the married-with-six-kids Mel - was trained in the theater.
Trying to be a movie star in Mel's shadow can't be easy. "I'm so used to it now that I barely consider it. I know that it's either a help or hindrance. I certainly don't try to compete with him. I would be insane."
Wednesday 2 September 1998
Pocahontas continues her fight for peace
Susan King Los Angeles Times
Native actor Irene Bedard is back as the speaking voice of the heroine in Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World.
Mel Gibson played heroic John Smith in the first movie, but his voice is now supplied by Gibson's younger brother, Donal.
After voicing the role of the plucky American Indian heroine in Pocahontas, the 1995 Disney animated hit, Indian actress Irene Bedard received numerous letters from children expressing their love for her character.
"I think kids in general just understand the basic meaning of things," says the Alaskan-born Bedard. "(The children) said, 'She stopped this war. How cool. What a hero she is. I want to be like her.' "
"It's really beautiful that this movie inspired kids to learn about Native Americans, as well as what Pocahontas went through in Jamestown and what occurred afterward."
Bedard is back as the speaking voice of Pocahontas -- Judy Kuhn supplies her singing voice -- in Disney's made-for-video sequel Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World, now in video stores.
The story picks up where the original left off -- Pocahontas travels to England to meet the king and queen, hoping to persuade them to keep peace between the Old World and the new. She's escorted by a dashing British diplomat, John Rolfe (Billy Zane), and her comedic animal buddies Meeko, Percy and Flit.
Also returning for this voyage is the evil Ratcliffe (David Ogden Stiers). Mel Gibson, though, isn't back as the heroic John Smith -- his voice is now supplied by his younger brother, Donal. Jean Stapleton is also on hand as Rolfe's nearsighted housekeeper, Mrs. Jenkins.
Larry Grossman and Marty Panzer wrote the five new songs, and Lennie Niehaus provided the musical underscore.
"Pocahontas II is more of a continuation than a sequel," says Bradley Raymond, who directed the film with Tom Ellery. "The feature really told the first half of her life with John Smith and when John Smith left America. In this one, she goes to London. It's a continuation of her life, and it's also the classic fish-out-of-water story."
Raymond says it was very important to keep Pocahontas' character consistent with the feature. "She was the person who was keeping the two worlds at peace. It was her who was balancing the two worlds."
Pocahontas II was two years in the making at animation studios in Japan, Toronto and the United States. Trying to re-create the magic of a hit film, says Ellery, was more of a challenge than "a daunting task. We had great animation studios working for us, and we got really lucky with our art director and production designer and the character designers."
Although he sounds like -- and is a dead ringer for -- his brother, Donal Gibson had to audition for the role of Smith.
"After I did the audition, I thought to myself, 'What if I don't get it?' " says Gibson, who appeared as a warrior in his brother's Oscar-winning Braveheart. "I figured I was the right choice. I think Mel was way too tired after Braveheart (to do the voice)."
Gibson found bringing Smith to life "kind of relaxing because you don't have to worry about what you look like. You don't have to pluck your eyebrows. As long as you are getting the right emotional range, it's fine."
Bedard says she feels like a kid again when she does a project like Pocahontas II. "I really enjoy getting into a room and just playing and imagining. That brings me back to my childhood in many ways."
Children, says Bedard, always ask her what happened to Pocahontas. "This sort of answers some of that."
Other Gibson stars in `Pocahontas' sequel
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STAFF REPORTER The voice sounds the same. And the face is just as we remembered it, too. But it's Donal - not Mel - Gibson bringing John Smith to life in Disney's animated video, "Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World." "Well of course we look the same," said Donal Gibson, phoning from his Santa Monica, Calif., digs. "We're cartoons."
Donal, who has acted alongside his older brother in such films as "Braveheart" and "Maverick," stepped in for Mel when the straight-to-video project came up. The "Pocahontas" sequel will be in stores on Tuesday.
The two Gibsons sound indistinguishable in the role of Smith, who was our heroine's love interest.
"I think that was certainly a factor in my being cast for the part," Gibson said. "And I wanted to do it because my nieces and nephews wanted me to do it. A lot of people I know with kids were saying, `My daughter or son is going to love you because they already liked the first `Pocahontas.' "
Of course Mel did do something Donal didn't: he sang a song.
"Unfortunately, I didn't get to sing," he said. "But yes, I can sing really well."
Truly?
"Well, no," he said, laughing. "I'm lying. I can ride a horse, too."
You're lying, right?
"Of course I am. I need a job."
Something he wasn't lying about was the patent he's working on. The secretive Aussie who was born in America won't divulge what that is, just as he won't reveal his age or his marital status.
That's an awful lot of secrets for a self-confessed guy with nothing to hide.
"You've got to have a little mystery about you to keep life interesting," Gibson said. "Especially if you're an actor."
He's not as secretive about the fun he had working on "Pocahontas II" in Los Angeles. "It was a long process, but it was really great," Gibson said. "The animation took about two years."
Asked what he had in common with the character he gave voice to, Gibson said, "Of course I'm dashing and handsome, too."
Two seconds later, he said, "No, I'm not really."
OK. Then spill the beans about that name of yours. Where's the other "D"?
"It's Irish, but people always think it's misspelled," Gibson said. "I'll say, `There's only one D in my name.' And one person actually said, `Oh, I see. Your name's Onald.' True story."
No doubt.
(Copyright 1998)