The UK Sun -Gerard Butler: Glaswegian men are like gorillas... but in a good way

Gerard Butler: Glaswegian men are like gorillas... but in a good way

Hot shot ... Gerard Butler in new blockbuster Olympus Has Fallen
By MARC DEANIE

MOVIE hunk Gerard Butler has compared Glasgow’s tough guys to GORILLAS.
The Paisley-born star — best known for his action man roles in films like 300 and Law Abiding Citizen — reckons his home city lives up to its no-nonsense reputation.

But he has defended its hot-tempered fellas — and reckons they are just PATRIOTIC.

The 43-year-old says: “Glaswegians? We’re all a bit like gorillas, beating their chests. And yes, there is a hint of menace to some people up there, you feel that you are looking into shark’s eyes at times.

“But I think that it all comes from a sense of national pride and patriotism, which is something that we want to fight for.

“We are one of the toughest places in the world but under it all there is humour and compassion.”

Butler — dating Romanian model and actress Madalina Ghenea — is doing the rounds plugging his latest blockbuster Olympus Has Fallen.

The Scot plays Mike Banning, a discredited US Secret Service agent who almost single-handedly tackles North Korean terrorists who take over the White House and hold the President captive.

The film also stars Shawshank Redemption legend Morgan Freeman, The Dark Knight actor Aaron Eckhart and Dario Franchitti’s ex-missus Ashley Judd.

And the political thriller has opened to good reviews and big box-office takings Stateside, with its UK release just a week away.

Butler revealed former US President George W Bush and his wife Laura got to see a special screening and raved about it.

He says: “They wanted to see it. We gave them a special screening and they loved it. I think that they found it rather rousing.

“I’m not sure if President Obama and Michelle have seen it yet though. They might find it all a bit disturbing, since he’s the man currently in office and we have — by sheer co-incidence — this current Korean thing going on.



Dating ... Gerard Butler and Madalina Ghenea

“And there’s also the fact that in the movie our fictional First Lady meets a rather nasty end within the first ten minutes.” Butler, who underwent sniper training for the part of Banning, says: “It’s almost unbelievable we have this current stand-off between North Korea and America going on and it’s a total coincidence for us. But a rather frightening and sinister one.”

Butler is equally famous for murdering ACCENTS as he is for his handsome looks.

After a shocking Irish brogue in tear-jerker P.S. I Love You, he was forced to apologise.

He admitted his voice was so bad he couldn’t watch the film, adding: “I would like to apologise to the nation of Ireland for completely abusing your accent.”

And Butler is bricking it about his US accent in Olympus Has Fallen.

He says: “Learning another accent was another pressure.

“And it’s never easy because you either pull it off and sound convincing, or you don’t and you look a total fool. I hope that it’s the former here.”

One of his favourite bits of filming was TRASHING the movie set copy of the historic Lincoln Bedroom in the White House.

Butler says: “It looked spot on, so real and authentic.

“And then, in a matter of minutes, bullets were flying, bodies were all over the place, there was blood and brains up the walls.

“It looked absolutely incredible. Eye-boggling stuff. The audiences have been gasping.”


•Olympus Has Fallen opens in the UK on April 17.


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Becks is a class act
GERARD reckons pal David Beckham could be a better actor than him — because he rates himself as RUBBISH.

The pair got to know each other when footie ace Becks played for Los Angeles Galaxy.

And it’s been rumoured that when Beckham — currently turning out for Paris Saint-Germain — retires, he is planning to start an on-screen career.

Gerard admits: “I can’t act for s***.

“So I think he could. He looks more like a movie star than I do — that’s half the battle.”


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