'It was insane': Gerard Butler reveals filming accidents - including hypothermia and heat exhaustion - which left him fearing for his life on movie sets

Action hero Gerard Butler says filming his next movie has created lots of injuriesAction hero Gerard Butler says filming his next movie has created lots of injuries
Action hero Gerard Butler says filming his next movie has created lots of injuries | Getty Images
Hollywood heroes are famous for escaping from deadly battles with little more than a few scratches but the truth isn’t always the same as fiction, as one of film’s biggest names has revealed.

Gerard Butler has that not only has he had filming accidents which left him fearing for his life but also suffered hypothermia and heat exhaustion. The superstar actor has witnessed scores of horrifying incidents on set during his blockbuster career.

The 55-year-old actor revealed that several cast members on the set of 300 had to be rushed to hospital, including one person who was hit in the eye with a spear.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Speaking to his Den of Thieves 2: Pantera co-star O'Shea Jackson Jr. for an instalment of PEOPLE's 'Comparing Notes' series, he recalled: "I remember every day somebody was getting taken to the hospital.

"You'd be doing a fight, you turn around, there's a guy down there, a spear went in his eye. Another time, you turn around, there's a guy over there who just fell, broke his ankle. I mean, it was insane."

The 'P.S. I Love You' star also claimed he "almost drowned" filming 2012's Chasing Mavericks after "getting taken down by a huge set of waves".

He said: "I thought I was done. They had to take me out, take me to hospital, put me out, give me the defibrillator. I mean, it was intense."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Butler also recalled his car smash stunt with former James Bond Pierce Brosnan for the 2007 thriller Butterfly on a Wheel which "destroyed" his neck.

He continued: "And this thing was supposed to stop as he was supposed to slam the brakes.

"We hit a wall on a rooftop, three-foot-high wall, full speed, in a Range Rover. It destroyed my neck, and it was after 300. I was already so beaten up in 300."

His injuries don't stop there, with the Hollywood star also battling hypothermia filing in the Icelandic Sea and heat exhaustion in Montreal during his career.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He went on: "And I spent a day filming in the Icelandic Sea, got basically hypothermia there, overheat(ed) once in Montreal doing a movie.

"They put wetsuits on us, but then we had to put our whole costume on, and it was 110 degrees. And we were in that all day ... and we're still having to perform so many things."

He also recalled leaving his P.S. I Love you co-star Hilary Swank with a scar on her head and said he "almost shot" his 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life' co-star Angelina Jolie

.He added: "I've scarred Hilary Swank on the head ... she has a scar. Almost shot Angelina Jolie in the face. I was coming down, hanging upside down. I had to fire a gun, but I had no control over where this thing went. So I was just firing and I just missed it.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"I've been shot by bullets, casings, explosions. A whole camera rig once fell down on Hilary Swank and I."

Despite taking a few knocks over the years, Butler loves filming death-defying stunts.

He concluded: "It's awesome. I wouldn't change it for the world."

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

Telling news your way
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice