10 Things You Never Knew About Braveheart (1995)

He Almost Said No

Mel Gibson loved the script but initially passed on it. The story kept nagging at him until he finally decided to take it on himself.

Brad Pitt Was Almost Wallace

Gibson originally wanted to direct only and eyed Brad Pitt for William Wallace. He reluctantly stepped into the lead himself when no one else fit.

Scott Neeson on the set of Braveheart, 1995 — Scott Neeson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Terry Gilliam Said No Thanks

Before Gibson locked in, Terry Gilliam turned down the chance to direct Braveheart.

Sean Connery's Goulash Lesson

Sean Connery was asked to play King Edward but declined due to prior commitments. Gibson later used Connery's pronunciation of 'goulash' as a reference for his Scottish accent.

Warner Bros Wanted Lethal Weapon

Warner Bros would only fund the film if Gibson made another Lethal Weapon sequel. He refused, so the deal fell through.

Ireland Stole The Shoot

The Irish government convinced Gibson to move most filming from the UK to Ireland and supplied 1,600 Irish Army Reserve members as extras.

Same Soldiers, Two Armies

To save money Gibson reused the same Irish Army reservists for both sides. They grew beards and swapped uniforms for medieval costumes.

R Rating Required Bloodless Battles

Gibson toned down the battle scenes to avoid an NC-17 rating. The brutal medieval warfare was trimmed to secure an R.

Three Hours Cut Down

The original cut ran a massive 195 minutes. Paramount head Sherry Lansing demanded it be trimmed to 177 minutes.

Horner's Second Gibson Score

James Horner composed the score with the London Symphony Orchestra. It marked his second collaboration with Gibson as director.