1 Tonight on Sunday, the man who took bungy jumping to the world. The stunt that started it all. It was kind of a media frenzy. They focused a lot on me. China's next ` but at what cost? Too much focus on work and not enough focus on my family or myself. Now AJ Hackett is taking another leap of faith. Mum was not really happy when she heard about it. We didn't tell her. Hell hath no fury like Mel Gibson,... He was born a happy child, and then stuff happened. ...finally willing to open up about that meltdown... Imagine the worst moment you ever had being broadcast to the world. ...in his first major interview in years. No, I'd do it all different. Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2016 Kia ora, I'm Miriama Kamo. Kiwi AJ Hackett has inspired millions of thrill-seekers worldwide to plummet from high places attached to a long rubber rope. But while the business soared, it took a toll on his personal life. For years, AJ rarely saw his three children, and his marriage crumbled. Now, as John Hudson finds, AJ Hackett is rebounding. Here it is. Little bit of a wobble on. Back in Queenstown, AJ Hackett reconnecting with his daughter Margaux. Finally here. Finally. You're looking refreshed. I've always tried to have a balance between family, myself and work, and in the last seven or eight years, I've had that balance way out of balance ` too much focus on work and not enough focus on my family or myself. Nothing like a good, fresh Kiwi carrot. When Margaux grew up in France, much of the time, her dad was overseas. For a wee while, we didn't see him that often any more, cos he was getting quite busy, and so he didn't have that much time to come back home. PEOPLE WHOOP, CHEER In the past three decades, adventure tourism has exploded ` and with it, AJ Hackett Bungy. Today, they're jumping off a massive suspension bridge in Sochi, Russia. Two jumps off the Glass Bridge are about to open in China. And there are new projects underway in Singapore and Indonesia. And chances are you'll be hearing more about the Hackett brand and the Hackett kids over the next few years. I'm very lucky having Margaux on the pathway that she's getting into with her skiing and that. It's a` It's a very old passion of mine and a really good excuse for me to stop working a lot and follow her around for a change. Just like her dad, Margaux is a total daredevil. Yeah, it's pretty cool. She did her first bungy with AJ at just 4. And I was the youngest girl to ever do it. < Overcome that fear early. Yeah, yeah, no. Just get on the programme, you know. (LAUGHS) Mum was not really happy when she heard about it. (CHUCKLES) We didn't tell her. LAUGHTER < When did she hear about it, then? When I got home. < Right, OK. 'Guess what, Mum?' LAUGHTER < Did you get in trouble? Oh, no, well, she survived, you know, so it's all good. (LAUGHS) Yeah. PETER, BJORN AND JOHN'S 'YOUNG FOLKS' and jumped off the world's highest platforms, Margaux Hackett has taken to a sport that involves jumping and skiing. There's no easing into it. There's no, uh` There's no 'oh, I don't quite know'. This is the week where we're gonna do it, OK? This is it. And as they say, you're either gonna do it or you go home. The Cardrona ski field has closed to the public, but high on the mountain, an elite group of young freestyle skiers are training. Yeah, I'm a bit tired, but I'm` I'm awake and ready to go. You gonna push a few boundaries today, or is it...? I'm not sure about today, but definitely in the next two weeks. These guys are among the world's best. And Margaux's got her heart set on the Olympics? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, she's very very focused on this. You know, good coaching, good support, and, uh, the facilities that they offer down here in Wanaka and Cardrona are` are second to none worldwide, so she's on a very very good pathway to blowing them out of the water. But today, she's still jet-lagged. (SCREAMS) It was actually ice today, so those ones actually really hurt, and, uh, I'm just more concerned about her actually breaking something. Fortunately, no bones broken this time, and a comforting hug from Dad helps with the pain. < Sore? Um, I was at that moment, but I think I was more scared than sore, cos, yeah, I` I` I couldn't control it, really. It just happened, and I had to try and stay on my feet. And how do you carry on if you crash like you did today? Oh, you just have to, really. That's just what happens. And if you're OK, you just get up and have a little break. The 'go hard or go home' attitude runs deep in the Hackett blood. I think that the adventure gene is pretty much installed in most Kiwis, and some` some` some have taken it to a different level in our family, especially on my mum's side. AJ's uncle Jim was a brilliant engineer. He went to the Antarctic with Sir Edmund Hillary in the '58 Trans-Antarctic Expedition, looking after the little Massey-Ferguson tractors, among other bits. AJ's mum, Jo, climbed the Southern Alps and hitch-hiked around Australia. Mum was keen on making us adventurers, so she had a really good philosophy, which was, rather than telling them, 'Don't do that,' you just say, 'Well, hey, if you climb up that tree and you fall out and you break your leg or your neck, 'well, Mum and Dad are gonna be really sad, so be careful,' and it sort of sinks in. So you are a little bit careful, but you'll still climb the tree, which is great, you know? In the '80s, AJ and his mates would spend their weekends experimenting, testing their parachute harness, testing themselves. SPLIT ENZ' 'HARD ACT TO FOLLOW' # There's a lot of good acts around... The harness soon gave way to an ankle attachment, while the bridges got bigger. Well, quite a few people have been killed bungy jumping, but ` touch wood ` it has never been with us. It's normally just stupid, uh` stupid practices, silly things where people haven't been connected to a bungy cord, for example, and they've had it at the wrong height, and they've, uh, gone into the ground a little bit too hard. In 28 years, 3.5 million people have jumped with AJ Hackett bungy. Whoa!! But AJ didn't invent bungy and nor did he bring it to NZ. He made it world-famous with stunts like this ` jumping off the Eiffel Tower. After jumping from the Eiffel Tower, it was kind of a media frenzy, and it really opened it up, and they focused a lot on me. Three, two, one. He returned home with an international reputation as the bungy man. There was a lot of pressure on me in NZ to` to do other stuff, hence, um, jumping off things like the Stock Exchange Tower. By now, AJ thought bungy might have some limited commercial potential. I thought there might be the odd movie piece or television commercial that may come along. I thought that would be the route it would take, and I'd carry on as a builder. What changed your mind, then? > Uh, I was a partner in a ski shop in Ohakune, and, um, it wasn't going particularly well. AJ needed cash to bail out his failing snowboard business, so he and his partners started charging people to bungy off a nearby bridge. So they'd rock up with some friends, and then their friends would watch their mates jump, and they'd all go, 'Oh, OK, I can do that as well.' It was a real word-of-mouth thing? > Yeah, yeah, it was total word of mouth. In 1988, they started looking for a permanent base and discovered the old Kawarau bridge just outside Queenstown, a disused, dilapidated thorn in the side of the Department of Conservation. We rapidly built up a nice pile of` pile of cash, and DoC were able to completely restore it. Adventure tourism in NZ was born. AJ Hackett Bungy spread. But while the business was booming, AJ's marriage was falling apart. Was it a case of AJ Hackett Bungy taking you away too often? Um, probably. Probably had, uh, a lot to do with that, I would say. It was very unfair on her and on the kids, you know, so that's been one of the tough parts about, uh, expanding a dream around the planet. We had three kids, and we still loved each other, but we couldn't live together any more. Even though it was tough for the kids, it was a lot easier for them to still see that their father still respected their mum and their mum still respected their dad. Because they both love them. > Yeah, absolutely. You know, there's just` It wasn't their fault. So it's, um` it's good. You know, and it just` I think it builds stronger kids at the end. The Hackett boys, Dean and Jayden, are now part of the bungy business as AJ slowly pulls back. I've been changing over the last couple of years and spending more and more time with my family and a little bit less time on work, and I'm trying to squeeze that down, but with these new projects, I'm... (CHUCKLES) It's gonna be` You'll be bungied the other way again! > (LAUGHS) Exactly. You know, I get bounced around a bit, you know? And 13 years after their first jump,... Three, two, one! ...Margaux and her dad are closer than ever. (CHUCKLES) Oh, you're getting all emotional. (LAUGHS) A bit teary. Getting a bit teary. Aw, aren't they gorgeous? Well, up next ` raw, even awkward. Mel Gibson speaks openly about his fall from grace and what he's faced coming back. It is, uh, disheartening when you've been, like, 10 years dry, on the wagon, sober, and, uh` and you have to read every year or so that you're loaded, so that's` that's disappointing, because it's like a public notice that you're loaded, but you're not. 1 Welcome back. Such a very public meltdown ` Mel Gibson's infamous abusive phone call to the mother of one of his children. Tonight, he speaks openly for the first time about what he calls the 'worst moment of his life' and how being 10 years sober has lead to his comeback film, Hacksaw Ridge, featuring son Milo. Well, where will we start? He was born a happy child. (CHUCKLES) And then stuff happened. (YELLS) Not the window! No! Stuff really did happen ` some of it great,... Mel Gibson for Braveheart. ...some of it disastrous. NEWSREADER: Mel Gibson was pulled over for speeding and drunk driving. In recent years, Mel's made news for all the wrong reasons ` The handcuffed actor also began a barrage of anti-Semitic remarks. ...his outrageous behaviour,... Gibson blamed the disease of alcoholism. ...his racist and abusive rants. (PANTS) You find out pretty quickly that it's like, 'This is out of your control.' Um, like, the first time you leave your hotel room and a group of people follow you with cameras and stuff, and you say, 'That's enough. Please, go away now,' and they go, 'Nope.' So there's nothin' you can do. And you realise that there literally is` You don't have the same rights. I just wanted to be good at what I did. The by-product of that brought the other stuff and the celebrity stuff. ENGINE ROARS But in the beginning, Mel was just another wannabe star, straight out of drama school and into the post-apocalyptic world of Mad Max. Yeah? You wanna see crazy? I'll show ya. (BABBLES WILDLY) At what time did you think, 'I'm somebody'? 'Yeah. 'When the pay cheques got bigger, cos you realise, you know, the business of filmmaking in Hollywood is not a charitable institution. You were getting $20 million at least a movie. Yeah, well, it was` I never actually admitted to anything, nor will I yet. But, uh, yeah, you get some hefty lumps, you know? < That's a lot of money. And it was worth it to some people. ...just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... our freedom! ARMY CHEERS Throughout his career, Mel's movie choices have been courageous. In 1995, he starred in the blockbuster Braveheart, about Scottish national hero Sir William Wallace. HORSES NEIGH He also directed the epic. Hold! Now! ARMY ROARS 'It's a big jump to being a director.' 'Cos I had this yearning to do it.' Aargh! CROWD EXCLAIMS I enjoyed it immensely. I get a kick out of orchestrating the big stuff and having stuff play out or roll out the way I, kind of, visualise it. And, um, I think, um, I just` I have a gift for the visual. And the Oscar for Best Picture... That gift was rewarded with two Oscars ` Best Picture... Braveheart. ...and Best Director. Mel Gibson for Braveheart. And, uh, now that I'm a bona fide director with a golden boy, I, uh, well, like most directors, I suppose what I really wanna do is act. CLICK! BOOM! Mel Gibson's films have earned more than $6 billion at the box office. He was at the top of his game, in huge demand, when it all came crashing down. One night, in Malibu, a decade ago, Mel found himself in a very different spotlight. He was arrested for drink driving. REPORTER: Police say the 50-year-old was driving at twice the speed limit and recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.12. You had a` an impeccably clean run... Yeah. ...for a Hollywood star. Nothin' went wrong. And then you hit a couple of road bumps. Sure. People do that. Sure. > But if their name's not Mel Gibson, we don't hear about it. No, I guess not. You're Mel Gibson, so you had to pay for it. Of course. But that's, you know` You're there. It's a good thing to do to sort of take someone down a little bit, especially if they seem to be on top. For other people, it's called just maybe a nervous breakdown. Uh, for me, it's something else. I don't even know what they called it. I didn't look. It's too hard to look at. But it was a bump for sure. That bump included a divorce from his wife of 26 years, Robyn Moore, and an, at times, turbulent relationship with Russian pianist Oksana Grigorieva. Mel! Mel! Mel! Mel and Oksana had a daughter together but separated, very publicly, in 2010, culminating in this abusive phone call. While he now regrets his obscene outburst, Mel accuses Oksana of releasing the tapes to extort a bigger share of his half-billion-dollar fortune in the settlement. Could you read that for me? OK. Yes, I do remember saying this, yeah. That's` Yeah. READS: 'You have to put it in a proper context of being in an irrationally heated discussion 'at the height of a breakdown, trying to get out of a really unhealthy relationship. 'It's one terribly awful moment in time said to one person in the span of one day 'and doesn't represent what I truly believe or how I've treated people in my entire life,' which is, you know, fair enough. Everybody has` Imagine the worst moment you ever had being recorded and broadcast to the world. And it wasn't meant to be public. You didn't stand on a soapbox and do it. But that's what happens, you know? So... All in the past. You are not to annoy, harass or molest anyone involved in this case. You are not to threaten anyone. You are not to use force or violence against anyone. Thank you, everybody. Mel agreed to take part in a 12-month domestic violence programme and is also attending Alcoholics Anonymous to try and finally beat his lifelong addiction. Well, yes, I'm a member of a 12-step programme, and I achieved sobriety like that. I got 10 years of, uh, sobriety under my belt, but it's, um` And I'd had other lengths before that, like eight years one time, fall off, four years, you know? It's like that, like through a revolving door. It is, uh, disheartening when you've been, like, 10 years dry, on the wagon, sober, and, uh` and you have to read every year or so that you're loaded, so that's` that's disappointing, because it's like a public notice that you're loaded, but you're not, so it's an obvious, you know` It's` It's disingenuous reportage. BOMB WHISTLES What the hell is your delay, Captain? We're waiting, sir. Waiting for what?! Throughout his career as an actor and acclaimed director, Mel has been attracted to conflict. Shoot down that corridor there. He chose to make his newest movie, World War II drama Hacksaw Ridge, in Australia, casting his son Milo on the front line. He's one of the guys in there. What was he doing? He's a good-lookin' young fella. He's got a Thompson gun, and he has the odd bit of dialogue here and there. But you see him. He's amongst it with the rest of the guys. He's just one of the troop, you know? Help me. You'll have to trust me. Hacksaw Ridge tells the true story of Cpl Desmond Doss, a pacifist who refused to carry a gun into battle. War is ugly. War is hell. Hate war. Love the war heroes. INTENSE MUSIC Knowing what you now know, would you want to be an actor? No, I'd do it all different,... because there's` there's a thing that happens, and there's no` I'm not, sort of, like, you know, going 'poor me' or anything. It's` It's the way things fell out, but, um, you give something away. It's called personal anonymity, and you never have it again. 'And that's a very precious commodity.' Well, Hacksaw Ridge premiered at the Venice Film Festival and opens here November 3. Up next ` we recently brought you a story about legendary photographer Marti Friedlander. We celebrate another milestone in her life. During this week, I discovered the love and the loyalty of all these friends that I have. And my darling Gerard, I thank you so much. AUDIENCE APPLAUDS Hello again. Two months ago, we brought you a story about legendary photographer Marti Friedlander, who's spent nearly 60 years capturing images of NZ life. Well, this week, the University of Auckland acknowledged Marti's work with an honorary doctorate. But, we discover, the acknowledgement comes at a difficult time. Marti Friedlander, photographer. For nearly 60 years, she's captured our landscapes, our history, good keen blokes, courageous families, politicians, painters, protesters. Marti Friedlander is a good photographer ` NZ's most famous and justly so. And her photos testify to what it is that Marti has been passionate about ` her photographs of Maori kuia and their moko. Her subjects were depicted as monumental and heroic. This week, Marti Friedlander was unable to stand to receive her honorary doctorate. She's being treated for cancer. During this week, I discovered the love and the loyalty of all these friends that I have, and my darling Gerard, without whom I would never have had this experience, darling, I thank you so much. An amazing woman honoured with a standing ovation. Aw, how lovely. Marti, we are thinking of you. Well, that's our show for tonight. Do join us on Facebook and Twitter.