Gibson credits hard work on himself for Hollywood comeback

LOS ANGELES -- It had been a decade since Mel Gibson last directed a feature film, but this year, after keeping a low profile for all those years Gibson is back with an Oscar nomination for 'Hacksaw Ridge.'

The 89th annual academy awards mark an apparent comeback for the star once seen as being out of second chances following a 2010 domestic battery charge and a drunken, anti-Semitic tirade during a 2006 DUI arrest.

"I'm ashamed that that came out of my mouth," Gibson told Diane Sawyer.

Many in Hollywood said Gibson would never be forgiven, and this is Gibson's first Academy Award nomination in 21 years.

He's been nominated for Best Director for his WWII drama 'Hacksaw Ridge.'

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"Winning is not important. I think it's really gratifying to be sort of recognized by peers who are filmmakers," Gibson said.

The recovering alcoholic credits his reemergence in the tinsel town spotlight to a lot of hard work on himself.

Colleagues who worked with him on the film noticed the difference.

"The Mel Gibson that I worked with on this film is unlike and Mel I've worked with before. Cool, calm, collected. He's been working on turning his life around for a long time and I'm glad he's finally being acknowledged for it," 'Hacksaw Ridge' sound mixer Kevin O'Connell said.

While not everyone feels that time has healed all wounds, and some have vowed to never work with the star, Gibson and his supporters hope on Sunday his work will be judged instead of his past.