Gerald Butler’s Best Performance

Portraying James Ducat in the mysterious thriller The Vanishing, we’re looking back at the talented actor’s best performances to date.

The Phantom of The Opera – In the live action adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1986 musical, Butler brings a vulnerable yet suspicious performance on the classic character, The Phantom. Director Joel Schumacher was impressed with Butler’s performance in Dracula 2000. However, the actor did have to take a few voice lessons before attempting the most challenging song by The Phantom, “The Music of the Night.” The practice paid off due to Butler’s actual voice was used for the film.

300 – Out of the many films Butler has done, 300 was noted as one of the most challenging due to getting into his spartan physique. His four-month workout and diet, created by Mark Twight, included Olympic lifts, functional training and metabolic body movements. It was a success for Butler’s portrayal for the historically well-known figure, King Leonidas, is noted as a memorable character of the early 2000’s films.

P.S. I Love You – This rom-com explored what would happen when the one you love is gone, but sends you life-changing letters on your birthday. Butler’s Gerry may not be as present as his past characters, but holds a bitter-sweet importance as Holly’s, Hilary Swank, guide to life. His depiction of an Irish man being over-the-top romantic and charming acts makes him a classic character of the romantic comedy genre.

Machine Gun Preacher – The biographical drama set in the South Sudan, Sam Childers is the defender of the orphans against the Lord’s Resistance Army. Butler’s character starting as an alcoholic drug-using biker changes his life and goes on a missionary trip to Uganda. During one of the nights, children appear to sleep outside and a soldier tells him how it’s safer for them to be here than their own village. The real Sam Childers approved of Butler’s portrayal. This was one of the few roles where Butler was proud he was able to honour the real human in incredible storytelling.

How To Train Your Dragon series – One of the most successful animated features spanning over three movies and two shorts since 2010, Butler’s Stoick is the hysterical father of Hiccup in a family of Scandinavian Vikings. Butler even stated how this is one of the proudest roles he has ever portrayed. Which only adds more considering he was actually the first actor to be casted for the How To Train Your Dragon film.