Almost 700 years after his death, the story of William Wallace and his heroic battle against the forces of Edward I was told in sweeping cinematic fashion by actor / director Mel Gibson, in his legendary epic Braveheart.
With such a huge undertaking, as both an actor and a director for a film so massive, Gibson undoubtedly could have run himself ragged.
Except he didn’t, and he kept himself in fighting form by setting aside some “me time,” a strategy that he eventually passed down to The Birth of a Nation’s star / co-writer / director, Nate Parker.
So, naturally, it’s the pinnacle of difficulty for Mel Gibson or Nate Parker to take on serious, historical epics that require the research and dedication to stay true to the facts.