You could make the case that Mel Gibson and Nicole Kidman are the best-known Australian actor and actress ever, respectively. They obviously have something in common: both are American born. That's right, Kidman's birthplace is Honolulu, Hawai'i, whereas GIbson's is a bit further east. In 1956, Hutton and Ann Gibson welcomed their sixth child—Mel Colmcille Gibson—in Peekskill, NY, a sleepy hamlet in Westchester County about 40 miles up the Hudson River from New York City. At age 12, Gibson and his family moved to Australia.
Mel is a Mel—not a Melvin or Melchior. Mel could have been a Moel, as Gibson's name comes from the 5th century Irish Saint Mel, or Moel as he's also known. His middle name also comes from a saint. You might not recognize Colmcille, sometimes spelled Colm-cille or even Cumcille, but you certainly know his actions. We tend to know him as St. Columba—he's the one who invoked the power of Christ on the Loch Ness Monster, driving the beast away. Or so the story goes...
