Youll Never Guess What Motivates Gerard Butler

Publish date: 2024-06-12

Gerard Butler at a photocall

Scottish born actor, Gerard Butler, has had a successful on-screen career for more than 15 years. Although the 45-year-old star got his start in the 1997 film, Mr. Brown, he is best known for his roles in more recent films such as Law Abiding Citizen where he played the role of Clyde Shelton, a man who seeks revenge on the man who murdered his wife and daughter. Although many of Butler’s roles have depicted him as rough and somewhat menacing, that doesn’t seem to be how the public perceives him. Throughout the years, Butler has also gained a reputation for his charm and striking good looks. In 2004, he was featured in People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive issue, a compliment that he takes deep pride in. In an interview discussing his appearance in the magazine, Butler joked: “When I’m 80 and sagging all over, I can tell my grandkids, ‘Look, when I was a lad, ‘People’ magazine thought I was sexy!'” Even a decade later, Butler was still considered one of the best looking men in Hollywood and he was voted the Sexiest Actor Alive by Glam Magazine in both 2013 and 2014.

However, even with all of the success that Butler has achieved through acting. He actually once had very different plans for himself. Before beginning his acting career, Butler was on a very different path and was hesitant to change. Ultimately, Butler decided that his dreams of fame could no longer be ignored. In an interview with The Guardian, he stated: “I did expect to succeed and I did have faith that I would. In reality, though, it has turned out to be something very different to what I wanted. It’s the work and not the adulation that has proved to be the most fulfilling.” Butler has certainly achieved the fame he once longed for, and although many fans feel connected to him because of his work; there is always a level of anonymity that comes with a high level of fame. Here are five things that you probably didn’t know about Gerard Butler.

5. Gerard Butler attended law school.

Before deciding to pursue a career in acting Butler was a law student at the University of Glasgow where he became the president of the university’s law society. In an interview with Esquire Magazine, Butler stated: “I wasn’t going to be an actor. I was going to be a lawyer. I came from a family just above working class, just below middle class, a great family of wonderful values. The idea of me having a chance for a law degree was enticing. Enticing to me but also very enticing to my family. Wow, one of our own is studying law at university!” Butler continued, “I’ve always kind of had the luck of the devil, even in law school. I kind of blagged my way into the position of president of the Law Society. I’m not the most academic of guys. Considering the amount of work that I put in, it’s amazing that I got through law school. And with an honors degree.” Butler, who was fired from his first job in the law field shortly after starting, believes that that was one of the best things that could’ve ever happened to him.

4. Gerard Butler is motivated by fear.

Gerard Butler has admitted that while he is a big Hollywood celebrity, he is not immune to nervousness and fear. However, Gerard Butler believes that fear is one of the factors that often motivates him most. In an interview, he shared, “I am motivated by fear though….It’s really rewarding to see it all pay off. I don’t know what it’s called but it makes me happy. Endorphins that’s it!

3. Gerard Butler loves Latina women.

Although Gerard Butler has recently been spotted with a new brunette, he says that he’s always loved Latina women. During an interview discussing his movie Playing for Keeps, Butler said: “Yes, I love Latinas! If someone other than me were to describe my type of woman, they often describe a taller woman with dark hair and dark skin, which is a lot like the Latinas I’ve met in Miami. It’s not that I have one specific type [of woman] that I love but I like girls that [have those features]. So when you come to Miami there are plenty of beautiful Latina women around and I love their energy and their spice…”

2. Gerard Butler’s favorite actor is Christian Bale.

While many celebrities often cite their favorite actor as someone who came generations before, Butler has gone with a more contemporary choice by selecting as Christian Bale as his favorite actor. Bale and Butler have been lifelong friends and even starred together in the 2002 film, Reign of Fire.

1. Gerard Butler did a stint in rehab.

In 2011, after a surfacing incident while filming Chasing Maverick, Butler entered rehab to treat his addiction to painkillers. Although Butler was initially quiet about his time in rehab, he eventually opened up after rumors began surfacing that he was suffering from an alcohol addition. Butler, who admits to having an addictive personality, shard that he had formed an unhealthy dependency on pain pills and eventually decided that seeking help was his only option. Butler, mentioned that while a “stronger person” may have been able to overcome the addiction without rehab, he simply did not have the strength to quit on his own. Butler stated: “‘It was more about becoming a mental warrior and not letting pain bother you.”

(Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)