Gerard Butler
Born: 1969-11-13 in Paisley, Scotland, UK
Known For: Acting
Biography
Gerard James Butler (born 13 November 1969) is a Scottish actor and film producer. After studying law, he turned to acting in the mid-1990s with minor roles in productions such as Mrs Brown (1997), the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), and Tale of the Mummy (1998). In 2000, he starred as Count Dracula in the gothic horror film Dracula 2000. He played Attila the Hun in the miniseries Attila (2001), then appeared in the films Reign of Fire (2002) and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (2003) before starring in the science fiction film Timeline (2003). He played Erik, The Phantom in Joel Schumacher's 2004 musical The Phantom of the Opera. Butler gained wider recognition for portraying King Leonidas in Zack Snyder's fantasy war film 300 (2007). In 2010, he began lending his voice to the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. Also in the 2010s, he portrayed a Secret Service agent in the action thriller Has Fallen film series, played military leader Tullus Aufidius in the 2011 film Coriolanus, and Sam Childers in the 2011 action biopic Machine Gun Preacher. Butler had further action film roles in Geostorm (2017), Den of Thieves (2018), Greenland (2020), and Plane (2023).
Filmography
2026
- Greenland 2: Migration as John Garrity
2025
- How to Train Your Dragon as Stoick
- Den of Thieves 2: Pantera as Nicholas 'Big Nick' O'Brien
- Soaring to Life: The Making of How to Train Your Dragon as Self
- In the Hand of Dante as Louie / Pope Bonifacio VIII
2024
- Paris Has Fallen ... (Executive Producer)
- ARK: The Animated Series as Gaius Marcellus Nerva (voice)
- The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland as St. Nick (voice)
2023
- Kandahar as Tom Harris
- The Bricklayer ... (Producer)
- Plane as Brodie Torrance
2022
- Sherri as Self - Guest
- Last Seen Alive as Will Spann
2021
- Copshop as Bob Viddick
2020
- La semaine des 4 Julie as Self
- Greenland as John Garrity
- Love Reaches Everywhere
2019
- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World as Stoick (voice)
- How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming as Stoick (voice)
- Angel Has Fallen as Mike Banning
- Them That Follow ... (Producer)
- The Vanishing as James
2018
- Den of Thieves as 'Big Nick' O'Brien
- Hunter Killer as Captain Joe Glass
- Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj as Self (archive footage)
2017
- Geostorm as Jake Lawson
2016
- Gods of Egypt as Set
- London Has Fallen as Mike Banning
- A Family Man as Dane Jensen
2015
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Self
- Septembers of Shiraz ... (Producer)
2014
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
- How to Train Your Dragon 2 as Stoick (voice)
2013
- Olympus Has Fallen as Mike Banning
- Movie 43 as Leprechaun 1 & 2 (segment "Happy Birthday")
- The Frame as King Leonidas
- Discovering Mavericks as Self
2012
- Playing for Keeps as George
- Chasing Mavericks as Frosty Hesson
- Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen as (archive footage)
2011
- Coriolanus as Tullus Aufidius
- Machine Gun Preacher as Sam Childers
- Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury as Stoick the Vast (voice)
- Saturday Night Live: The Best of '09/'10
2010
- How to Train Your Dragon as Stoick (voice)
- Legend of the BoneKnapper Dragon as Stoick (voice)
- The Bounty Hunter as Milo Boyd
2009
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- Law Abiding Citizen as Clyde Alexander Shelton
- The Jay Leno Show as Self
- The Ugly Truth as Mike Chadway
- Gamer as Kable
- Tales of the Black Freighter as The Mariner (voice)
- Live from Studio Five as Self
2008
- RocknRolla as One-Two
- Nim's Island as Jack Rusoe / Alex Rover
2007
- The Graham Norton Show as Self
- 300 as King Leonidas
- P.S. I Love You as Gerry
- Wrath of Gods as Self
- Guilty Hearts as Peter
- Butterfly on a Wheel as Neil Randall
2005
- The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson as Self
- Beowulf & Grendel as Beowulf
- Trailer for a Remake of Gore Vidal's Caligula as Prefect Cassius Chaerea
- The Game of Their Lives as Frank Borghi
2004
- The Phantom of the Opera as The Phantom
- Dear Frankie as The Stranger
2003
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
- Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life as Terry Sheridan
- Timeline as Andre Marek
2002
- Reign of Fire as Creedy
- Shooters as Jackie Junior
- The Jury as Johnnie Donne
- HypaSpace as Self
2001
- Attila as Atila the Hun
- Attila as Attila the Hun
- Please! as Peter (as Gerry Butler)
- Jewel of the Sahara as Captain Charles Belamy
2000
- Dracula 2000 as Dracula
- Harrison's Flowers as Chris Kumac
1999
- The Cherry Orchard as Yasha
- One More Kiss as Sam
- Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married as Gus
1998
- Fast Food as Jacko
- Tale of the Mummy as Burke
- The Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star as Marty Claymore
- Little White Lies as Peter
1997
- Leute heute as Self
- Tomorrow Never Dies as HMS Devonshire Leading Seaman
- Mrs Brown as Archie Brown
- An Unsuitable Job for a Woman
1993
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien as Self - Guest
- GMTV as Self
1992
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as Self
1984
- Jeopardy! as Self - Clue Presenter
- Goldene Kamera as Self
1981
- Wetten, dass..? as Self
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Host