Publicity Photos of Tina Turner and Mel Gibson in “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” (1985)

Back in 1985, Tina Turner was the biggest artist in the world. She had huge success with her comeback album, Private Dancer, and co-starred with Mel Gibson in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, which was a box office smash. Tina, of course, played a queen.

However, during an interview with Bet.com, the lead star of the movie shared that he struggled to be in control while filming the movie. “I was a wild boy, I used to get loaded,” Mel Gibson said. “She sent me a photograph of myself one time and she said, ‘Please don’t mess this up.’ Because she was worried about me. I was touched by that, that went in somewhere.”

Tina Turner, who reportedly turned down the offer for Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple, tried her best to make sure that her co-star stayed focused while filming.

Starring alongside Mel Gibson, Tina Turner portrayed the character of the ruthless ruler of Bartertown, Aunty Entity. The character represented both good and evil, as she wanted to rebuild civilization and give people hope, however, in the process of doing so she turned into a cruel ruler.

Filmmaker George Miller shared that he had been aware of Turner’s work and saw her in the role of Aunty Entity. “It was her persona that drew me to her – particularly for the role [of Aunty Entity],” he said in an interview with The Guardian. The filmmaker also shared that the singer-actress was in talks for a long before they even finished the script of the movie.

And she was just perfect for the role. However, the makers did not expect her to accept the offer. It was her first acting role in ten years, after the 1975 film Tommy, and she received positive reviews for her performance.