ITV Entertainment Interview:Gerard Butler

ITV Entertainment Interview :Gerard Butler


ITV.com


March 26,2007


Screen star Gerard Butler takes time out to tell us what it was like playing Frank Miller's comic-book King of the Spartans in 300!

What can you tell us about your character and his role in the film?

He is very big and very bad; he is the King of the Spartans.

The Spartans - when you are introduced to them in the film you realise that there really isn't anyone quite like them, in terms of their toughness and masculinity, their focus... He is an extension of that.

You wrap it all up, put them into one and give them sort of a visionary person leading them - he's like a front spearheading them.

How much did you know about Leonidas and the 300 before you took the role?

I knew the story but not in huge detail, I never read the graphic novel so it was all new to me.

I kind of like that though because you come in with no preconceived notions. When I read the script and then the graphic novel I was hooked - it was a new kind of hero to me.

There are many out there with preconceptions of Leonidas, both from the legend and from the comic book, how has they your portrayal of King Leonidas been perceived ?

That is for someone else to judge, it is one of those things they score at the test screenings and it seemed to do pretty well.

It was actually a big fear of mine because in the graphic novel he is such an intense character, the way he is drawn, his posture and attitude.

We went as close as we could to achieving that, even physically with the amount of training and the beard, we had a chance for a short beard but we said that is not how we are doing things in this film.

How did you find working with a blue screen?

It was interesting, sometimes frustrating and sometimes we preferred it. We had our own little environment and it became our home, we knew where everything was and felt comfortable there.

It also made seeing the film really interesting because I haven't been there or really experienced it.

But some scenes you see were tougher than they looked, scenes with sandbags and photographs on poles. The audience take it for granted that you are having a conversation but in reality it was a lot harder.

How is Zack Snyder to work with?

He is very cool, great energy, huge amounts of preparation but you would never know it.

He makes this whole process seem fluid and easy, always laughing and joking and I don't think he ever raised his voice to anyone once throughout the whole film.

He was right in amongst it. He is like a fighter himself, so when he is there, he is right there with you doing the scenes too - which was very unusual but great for me.

What can we expect coming from you in the future?

Who knows! Right now, I have a romantic comedy coming out with Hilary Swank called 'P.S I Love You'. I am working on a thriller with Pierce Brosnan and Maria Bello called 'Butterfly On A Wheel' and I believe I just signed up to do a remake of 'Escape From New York'.

And then, who knows what is going to be next? I just try to keep it different.



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