Braveheart is a 1995 American epic/drama film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace. Gibson portrays William Wallace, a Scottish warrior who gained recognition when he came to the forefront of the First War of Scottish Independence by opposing King Edward I of England (also known as "Longshanks", portrayed by Patrick McGoohan), and subsequently abetted by Edward's daughter-in-law, Princess Isabelle of France (played by Sophie Marceau) and a claimant to the Scottish throne, Robert the Bruce (played by Angus Macfadyen).