Mel Gibson Gives Advice to His Younger Self: ‘Shut the F*ck Up’

Mel Gibson has kept a low profile in recent years, but his latest film appears to mark an auspicious return. The “Hacksaw Ridge” director made an appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” last night, pondering (and joking about) everything from scary movies to his regrets during the talk-show host’s Big Questions with Even Bigger Stars segment. Watch it below.

The segment finds Colbert and Gibson stargazing on a blanket, with the latter saying he likes to “lay up here for hours just listening to the wind rustling through my beard,” a reference to his Santa Claus–worthy facial hair; he then asks, in a childlike manner, how many stars there actually are in the night sky. The most poignant moment comes near the end, when Colbert asks Gibson what advice he might give to his younger self.

“Don’t be so caught up in the little things, take advantage of all the gifts the the world has to offer, live every day to the fullest,” Gibson responds. He then pauses for just a moment and concludes, “I’d also tell myself, my younger self, to shut the fuck up,” which is greeted with cheers.

“Hacksaw Ridge” stars Andrew Garfield as Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector during World War II who went into battle without a gun and saved many lives. The film hits theaters on Friday.