Mel Gibson was a smutty Naked Gun-style caption waiting to happen when he was snapped running around with his hand up a beaver yesterday.

But the 53-year-old actor and expectant father hasn't finally lost it all together – the crazed expression and animal hand puppet was for a scene in his new movie The Beaver.

Surprisingly, the film - currently shooting in Upstate New York - is directed his Maverick co-star Jodie Foster.

According to IMDB, it's about a guy who “walks around with a puppet of a beaver on his hand and treats it like a living creature.” Genius!

Hollywood on the run