Gerard Butler talks sobriety at Hollywood parties

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2012/10/23/gerard-butler-talks-sobriety-in-hollywood/1652867/

Gerard Butler talks sobriety at Hollywood parties

Butler talks sobriety at Hollywood parties

7:23PM EDT October 23. 2012 - There's a high demand for Gerard Butler at Hollywood parties, and they're all open bar. So how does the sober star navigate the boozy scene?

"If you drank like I did (in the past) you'd go 'No, probably best not to,' Butler tells USA TODAY, adding that he hasn't had a drink in 15 years. "Once you've been introduced to the art of social drinking you appreciate, 'Well, this is relaxing.' It gets you in the mood. But when you haven't had a drink for a long time, you forget you ever had that. I was (also) a big smoker. I haven't smoked in a long time."

The star of upcoming surfing biopic Chasing Mavericks (out Friday) still manages to grab life by the horns. "Listen, I'm a guy from Scotland," he says with a grin. "I'm fun-loving, I love people. I love to go out but I love to stay in."

And when he does stay in, Butler shared what's on his must-watch list. "I don't watch a lot of TV, but I'll tell you what I did love was The Walking Dead. I thought it was great." He also loves British comedians, from Steve Coogan's character Alan Partridge, a DJ with a big ego who "judges every situation wrong," to comedy troupe The Mighty Boosh. "They kind of remind you of what Monty Python would be doing today. And it is so bizarre. I could just watch that all day."

For more on Butler, check out tomorrow's Life cover story.