Robert Downey Jr Asks Hollywood: 'Forgive Mel Gibson'

Robert Downey Jr has called for Hollywood to forgive Mel Gibson, and "let him work."

The pair have been close friends since the 1980s, and Downey has previously spoken in defence of the Australian star, who has seen a number of personal troubles, including an alleged anti-semitic rant at a police officer, played out in public.

The Avengers star - who thanked Gibson for hiring him at a time in the 1990's "when no one else would", told a star studded audience at the American Cinematheque Awards in Los Angeles on October 14, "Unless you are without sin - and if you are, you are in the wrong f**king industry - you should forgive him and let him work,.

"He taught me many things, and I will use the 'C' word - courage. There's nothing so much wrong with him.

"Of course you have to worry about the guy making the judgment here. He's a good dude with a good heart."

Downey continued: "Mel and I have the same lawyer, same publicist, and same shrink. I couldn't get hired and he cast me. He said if I accepted responsibility - he called it hugging the cactus - long enough, my life would take meaning.

"And if he helped me, I would help the next guy. But it was not reasonableto expect the next guy would be him."

Gibson's most recent film, Beaver, is now out on Blu-Ray and DVD.