Mel Gibson initially turned down the role of William Wallace, feeling that he was too old for the part (Gibson was 38 at the time, while the real Wallace died at 35) , but Paramount Pictures would finance the film only if Gibson starred in it, so he agreed.
In an October 2009 interview with "The Daily Mail," Mel Gibson admitted that the film was heavily fictitious, but claimed the changes had been made for dramatic purposes. He also admitted he had always felt he was at least a decade too old to play Wallace.
Wallace's two most trusted captains throughout the film are Hamish, who is Scottish, and Stephen, who is Irish. Hamish was played by Irish actor Brendan Gleeson and Stephen by Scottish actor David O'Hara.
One of the film's weary extras reportedly mistook one of Mel Gibson's children on the set for an errand boy, and asked him to bring a cup of tea. Gibson was within earshot, and nodded and whispered to his son, "Go get it."
When asked by a local why the Battle of Stirling Bridge was filmed on an open plain, Gibson answered that "the bridge got in the way." "Aye," the local answered. "That's what the English found."