Gary Oldman has spoken out to defend Mel Gibson over his anti-Semitic behavior.

The Dark Knight Rises actor has blasted the "political correctness" which has seen the Lethal Weapo actor shunned from the movie world over racist and anti-Jewish slurs he is alleged to have made in recent years: "I just think political correctness is crap. That's what I think about it. I think it's like, take a f***ing joke. Get over it."

Mel is said to have made anti-Jewish slurs while being arrested for drink-driving in Malibu, California in 2006 with police reporting that he told his arresting police officer, "F***ing Jews ... the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world."

However, Gary insists it is unfair to treat Mel - who has since apologized for his behavior, calling it a moment of "insanity" - "like an outcast, a leper" and make an example out of him just because he's a celebrity. "We're all f***ing hypocrites. The policeman who arrested him has never used the word, 'n****r', or, 'that f***ing Jew'? I'm being brutally honest here, it's the hypocrisy of it that drives me crazy," he told Playboy.

The British star also jumped to the defense of 30 Rock star Alec Baldwin, who has been criticized for his use of homophobic language: "Alec called someone a F.A.G in the street while he's p***ed off coming out of his building because they won't leave him alone. I don't blame him."