David Henrie was once ‘afraid’ of Mel Gibson: ‘I have heard horror stories’

David Henrie revealed why he "was very much afraid" of Mel Gibson.

“I was afraid to work with Mel. How do you direct an Oscar-winning director?” Henrie shared with Us Weekly of his directorial debut, Monster Summer, starring Gibson.

“I have heard horror stories about friends of mine working with big celebrities — not Mel, other big celebrities — and having really tough times not being able to direct that very large, well-known celebrity because they’ve done it, they know what they’re doing and they’re not going to take directions from a kid."

He continued, “So I was very much afraid that that [working with Mel] was going to be that.”

However, the concerns went away pretty soon, as the 68-year-old actor proved to be the “exact opposite”. Henrie gushed that directing the Braveheart actor was “so freaking cool”, as he acted as a support, being the only adult on the cast amongst teens.

Set to release in theaters on Friday, October 4, Monster Summer tells the story of Noah (Mason Thames) and his friends, whose fun-filled summer on Martha’s Vineyard takes a turn when they encounter a mysterious force.

Determined to protect their island, the group teams up with Gene (Gibson), a reclusive former police detective, for a thrilling adventure to uncover the truth and save their island.

“The kids kind of woke up a young side of him,” Henrie said of Gibson, who hasn’t starred a children’s movie since 1995’s Pocahontas.

“This is a newer thing for him, [and] he was having fun. He’s like, ‘This is different. I can have fun. I can be a kid again.’ And you sense that from him.”