Fame hasn't made MEL GIBSON any happier than he was when he was a teenager.

THE PATRIOT star, who walked away with Favourite Motion Picture Actor at last night's (07JAN00) PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS in Los Angeles, admits the million dollar (pound) pay checks he's earning and the fame he's achieved actually mean nothing to him.

He admits, "It doesn't matter who you are, you always live a little bit behind your means anyway so it makes little difference. "I was just as happy when I was making 28 bucks a week being paid by the government to go to college as I am now. Happier even in some ways." (MB/WN/MCM)

Source: WENN