Gerard Butler (Part 2)

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28 Feb 2024

Gerard Butler

Gerard Butler began his career with various odd jobs in London before being cast by actor and director Steven Berkoff in a stage production of Coriolanus. He initially worked in a stage adaptation of Trainspotting, playing Ewan McGregor's character Renton.

His film debut came in 1997 with a role in Mrs. Brown, playing the younger brother of Billy Connolly's character. Butler continued with small roles in films such as Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and Tale of the Mummy (1998). In 2000, he had two breakthrough roles, portraying Attila the Hun in the TV miniseries Attila (2001) and Dracula in Dracula 2000 (2000).

He played Creedy in Reign of Fire (2002) and Terry Sheridan in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (2003). Butler also starred in Timeline (2003), the film adaptation of Michael Crichton's novel, and took on the title role in The Phantom of the Opera (2004), a film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical.

In 2006, Butler achieved widespread recognition for his role as Spartan King Leonidas in the film 300. He underwent intense training for four months to achieve a strong physique for the role. Following this, he appeared in various projects such as Butterfly on a Wheel (2007), P.S. I Love You (2007), Nim's Island (2008), RocknRolla (2008), Gamer (2009), The Ugly Truth (2009), and Law Abiding Citizen (2009), which he also co-produced.

In 2010, Butler starred in The Bounty Hunter alongside Jennifer Aniston and provided the voice for Stoick the Vast in the animated film How to Train Your Dragon. Throughout his career, Butler has showcased versatility, taking on roles in different genres, including action, drama, and animation.

Gerard Butler's popularity surged after his role as Spartan King Leonidas in "300." In October 2010, he was a guest at Michigan State University's Midnight Madness and homecoming American football game due to the widespread use of his character's lines during athletic events.

While filming "Playing for Keeps" in August 2011, Butler was reportedly writing songs and recording an album, disavowing rumors that Marilyn Manson and Johnny Depp were advising him on the project. In December of the same year, he was hospitalized after being pulled under big waves while filming Chasing Mavericks.

He portrayed Secret Service agent Mike Banning in the action thriller "Olympus Has Fallen" (2013) and reprised the role in its sequels, "London Has Fallen" (2016) and "Angel Has Fallen" (2019). Butler also continued his voice role as Stoick in the "How to Train Your Dragon" film series.

In 2016, he played the role of Set in "Gods of Egypt," and in 2018, he starred as Commander Joe Glass in the submarine thriller "Hunter Killer." The film "Greenland" was released in 2020, and in January 2024, Butler was announced to play Stoick in the live-action film remake of How to Train Your Dragon.

Apart from his acting career, Butler has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the Actor's Branch since 2011.

Gerard Butler has divided his time between Los Angeles and Glasgow since October 2011. In 2011, he faced a surfing incident in Mavericks, California, during the filming of "Of Men and Mavericks," which led to his hospitalization at Stanford University Medical Center. He was stable and released later that week.

Butler has been open about his decision to quit alcohol and, in February 2012, announced that he had completed a course of treatment for substance abuse of painkillers at a rehabilitation facility. This decision was driven by concerns about his increasing reliance on prescribed pain medication, particularly after his surfing accident.

In 2011, Butler participated in a charity match for Celtic F.C., a football club he has supported since childhood. A year later, he represented Celtic in the Hollywood film "Playing for Keeps," playing the role of a "has-been" player.

His involvement in sports also extended to cricket when, in August 2013, he bought an equity stake in the Jamaica Tallawahs cricket team, part of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Gerard Butler has been a supporter of the charity Mary's Meals since 2010. He visited the international development charity's program in Liberia in 2014. In 2018, he attended a fundraiser gala organized by Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), which raised $60 million.In November 2018, Butler's home was destroyed in the Woolsey Fire in California.