Last summer, people thought the 'Mad Mel' incident would ruin the career of one of the most respectable and prolific actors in Hollywood up to that moment. When Mel Gibson was arrested for driving under the influence and the world found out about the anti-Semitic comments he made, both the Jewish community and most of the other big shots in Hollywood promised that they would never work with that kind of person again.

Gibson apologized twice about the things he said and then entered an out-patient treatment in rehabilitation program. But, still, many have not yet forgotten that he said those things and the way he behaved, and he of all people is fully aware of it.

In the first interview he gave since the scandal, scheduled to air on October 13 on 'Good Morning America', Gibson told Diane Sawyer that he deeply regrets everything he said and the way he behaved towards the arresting officers, laying all the blame on his being heavily intoxicated. The 50-year-old star said that he had a history with alcohol and drug abuse and, months before the incident took place, he had fallen off the wagon and started drinking again.

'What I need to do to heal myself and to be assuring and allay the fears of others and to heal them if they had any heart wounds from something I may have said. So, this is the last thing I want to be is that kind of monster', Gibson said about his spiritual journey to recovery.

Having people say that they would never work with him again did not discourage the ambitious director, who is currently promoting his latest flick, 'Apocalypto'. 'Um, and it's their choice. There's nothing I can do about that. I'll always continue to work. I've never much depended on anyone but myself, as far as that goes. And, hey, I'm not under the illusion that everything's just going to be hunky-dory work wise forever. I've never been under that illusion. Things could go away tomorrow', Mel Gibson remarked.

Will people continue to see his movies and the ones in which he stars? Well, that's something that Gibson asks himself very often. As he said, this is entirely a matter of 'wait and see'.