Gerard Butler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gerard Butler
Butler in 2016
Born	Gerard James Butler (1969-11-13) 13 November 1969 (age 55) Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Alma mater	University of Glasgow Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Occupation	Actor film producer
Years active	1992–present
Works	Full list

Gerard James Butler (born November 13, 1969) is a famous actor and film producer from Scotland. He is known for playing many different roles in movies. Before becoming an actor, he actually studied law.

In the mid-1990s, he started acting in small parts. Some of his early films included Mrs Brown (1997) and the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). He also appeared in Tale of the Mummy (1998).

In 2000, Gerard Butler played Count Dracula in the horror film Dracula 2000. He also played Attila the Hun in a TV show called Attila (2001). Later, he was in movies like Reign of Fire (2002) and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (2003). In 2004, he starred as The Phantom in the musical film The Phantom of the Opera.

Gerard Butler became very well known for his role as King Leonidas in the fantasy war film 300 (2007). Since 2010, he has also voiced a character in the popular How to Train Your Dragon movies. He has starred in many action films, including the Has Fallen series where he plays a Secret Service agent. Other action roles include Geostorm (2017), Den of Thieves (2018), Greenland (2020), and Plane (2023).

Early Life and Education

Gerard Butler was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He is the youngest of three children. His family moved to Montreal, Canada, when he was very young. However, his parents' marriage ended, and his mother brought him back to Scotland when he was 18 months old.

He was a top student at St Mirin's & St Margaret's High School. He earned a spot at the University of Glasgow School of Law. As a teenager, he also attended the Scottish Youth Theatre, where he first explored acting.

Gerard Butler did not see his father again until he was 16 years old. His father passed away when Gerard was 22. This was a very difficult time for him. Before his last year of law school, he took a year off to travel and work in California. He then returned to Scotland to finish his law degree.

As a child, he had ear surgery. This left him with some hearing loss in his right ear and a condition called tinnitus, which causes ringing in the ear.

Path to Acting

From Law to Stage

After finishing law school, Gerard Butler started working as a trainee lawyer in Edinburgh. However, he often missed work. He was fired just one week before he would have become a qualified lawyer. At 25, he decided to move to London to follow his dream of becoming an actor. He later said he really wanted to be famous.

At first, he couldn't find any acting jobs. He worked as a waiter, a telemarketer, and even demonstrated toys at fairs. In London, he met an old friend from his youth theatre days. This friend helped him get an audition for a play called Coriolanus. The director was very impressed by his energy and decided to cast him.

This was Gerard Butler's first professional acting job, at age 27. Less than a year later, he got a part in a play called Trainspotting at the Edinburgh Festival. When he was 30, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue more acting roles.

Becoming a Film Star

Gerard Butler at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival

Gerard Butler's film career began with small roles. He appeared in Mrs Brown (1997) and the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). He also had a role in Tale of the Mummy (1998).

In 2000, he got two important roles. He played Attila the Hun in the TV show Attila (2001). He also played Count Dracula in the movie Dracula 2000.

He then appeared in Reign of Fire (2002) and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (2003) alongside Angelina Jolie. In the film Timeline (2003), he played an archaeologist who travels back in time.

In 2003, director Joel Schumacher chose Butler to play the main character in The Phantom of the Opera. This was a film based on the famous musical. Butler had no musical experience, but he started taking singing lessons. Both the director and the musical's creator, Andrew Lloyd Webber, were impressed by his singing. The movie and Butler's performance received mixed reviews, but he was nominated for an award.

Other movies he made around this time include Dear Frankie (2005) and Beowulf & Grendel (2005).

In 2006, Gerard Butler starred as Spartan King Leonidas in the movie 300. This role is often seen as his big breakthrough. He trained very hard for four months to look strong for the film. In 2007, he was in the romantic comedy P.S. I Love You with Hilary Swank.

In 2008, he appeared in Nim's Island and RocknRolla. In 2009, he starred in Gamer, The Ugly Truth, and Law Abiding Citizen, which he also helped produce. In 2010, he starred in The Bounty Hunter with Jennifer Aniston. He also began lending his voice to the character Stoick the Vast in the animated film How to Train Your Dragon.

Gerard Butler in 2013

In 2011, while filming Chasing Mavericks, Butler was hospitalized after being pulled under large waves. He was released from the hospital later that week.

Butler starred as Secret Service agent Mike Banning in the action thriller Olympus Has Fallen (2013). He said he broke two bones in his neck while filming this movie, but he didn't realize it until later. He voiced Stoick again in How to Train Your Dragon 2 in 2014.

Two years later, he returned as Mike Banning in London Has Fallen. He also played Set in Gods of Egypt. In late 2018, Butler starred as a submarine captain in Hunter Killer. He played Mike Banning again in the 2019 film Angel Has Fallen. He also returned as the voice of Stoick in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World that same year.

In 2020, Butler starred in Greenland. In 2024, it was announced that he would play Stoick again in the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon.

Personal Life

Since 2011, Gerard Butler has spent his time between Los Angeles and Glasgow. He supports the Celtic F.C. football club, which he has loved since he was a child. In 2011, he played in a charity football match for the club.

In 2013, he bought a share in the Jamaica Tallawahs cricket team. He has also supported the charity Mary's Meals since 2010. He visited their program in Liberia in 2014. In 2018, his home in California was destroyed in the Woolsey Fire.

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

Gerard Butler has won and been nominated for several awards for his acting.

See also

In Spanish: Gerard Butler para niños