Bring The Noise UK FILM INTERVIEW: Gerard Butler

http://www.bringthenoiseuk.com/201212/music/interviews/film-interview-gerard-butler


FILM INTERVIEW: Gerard Butler

Playing for Keeps

Gerard Butler – Round Table Interview


Starring: Gerard Butler as ‘GB’

With: Mr Green, Mr Black and Mr Brown, and Mikey Serpico as Mr Blue

The scene is a very swish central London hotel. The star awaits, while four young journos sit in awkward silence along the corridor. They’re all here to interview Scottish hunk Gerard Butler about his new film, Playing for Keeps – a romantic comedy/drama about a faded soccer star who tries to rebuild a relationship with his son, while learning how to be an adult and fending off the advances of various desperate housewives (including Catherine Zeta Jones, Uma Thurman and Judy Greer). The pre-release internet buzz has been awful, but the 9am screening of the film was not nearly as horrific as it could have been.

While most stars are under strict orders to talk nothing but business, we’re treated to almost 25 minutes of Butler on fine, even slightly manic, form. As well as the film, he talks about playing for Celtic, becoming an angry leprechaun and what it’s like nearly to die three times – as you do.

Butler is perhaps an even more captivating presence in real life than on screen and although his accent has more West-Coast USA than West-Coast Scotland these days, he still speaks with the kind of Glaswegian motor mouth that made sure our allotted time flew by… he even came and met us at the door, what a nice man!

GB: Hi, hello… come in… how’re you doing? Y’awright?

Mr Green: Yeah… I don’t think I’ve ever really been greeted by somebody at the door…

GB: I was just standing here waiting and thought, “Are they waiting for me?” So I thought I may as well come out and go, “Hello!”

Mr Green: So, Playing for Keeps – did you see the script, see football was involved, the chance of getting Celtic involved and go, “yes, I’m signed up for that”?

GB: No, believe it or not, this script, when I saw it, was a baseball movie called ‘Slide’ and I thought… ha… I can’t f*cking play baseball!

I still have a rotator cuff injury from a movie that I did years ago, another soccer movie about England playing the US, and in it I was supposed to do a baseball scene. I trained for months but I hurt my rotator cuff and we ended up cutting the scene anyway… and I thought baseball’s a lot harder than it looks (laughs)!

Plus we thought there’s not really an international market for baseball and it would be fun to be in a movie where I’m able to play football… and then, for me being a Scotsman, we went to Celtic and said we’d love for it to have been Celtic and Liverpool – let’s make it like a Kenny Dalglish thing – so we went to both those clubs to ask if we could use their footage, and that’s where it kinda went from.

We felt it was a nice transition, a nice arc, of a guy going from Glasgow to Liverpool to DC United to Where am I?! Y’know… I’m now in Virginia, a Scotsman in Virginia trying to start a new life. I just thought the whole idea was kinda sweet, and yet a little bit pathetic…

Mr Blond: Did you get to choose your goals?

GB: Yeah we looked at a few goals and I got to choose the goals… the ones that I could at least do that looked half decent!

Mr Green: And did you film any of that footage at any of the stadia themselves?

GB: No… that was all shot in Shrieveport, inside a studio. Then, what we did, was shoot it separately; we mimicked the moves from the actual games… they were European games, Celtic and Liverpool, and then we just placed them in digitally.

Mr Blue: The one thing I did notice with that, was you were crossed the ball by a 2001-era player but you finished it with a CR Smith 1990s top?

(Everyone laughs… ooohs… long comedy angry stare by GB)

GB: Naw… I think it was right…

Mr Blue: Nah, it was an NTL shirt… so 2000-2002?

GB: Haha… I didn’t know that! That’s gonna be one of those things on IMDb… goofs. I always read those things on IMDb where it has goofs and you think, “who the f**k notices these things?!” (Laughs)

Mr Blue: Haha… me!

(Laughs all round)

Mr Black: How are your football skills? Did you really knock the bottle off the top of the crossbar? Was that you?

GB: I did! I did do that… it just took three days!

(Everyone laughs)

GB: Nah, it didn’t take three days… I’ll tell you what happened. I had been practising – I practiced a lot just so that I didn’t look like an idiot. One night I had been taking shots from the right hand side, back behind the half way spot, and I hit the crossbar twice by hitting it with the outside of my foot, swung it round, hit the crossbar and thought, “Oh my god… this is amazing!” And then suddenly you’re there, there’s a crowd and you’re really close, and you go, boom high, doom low… then I realised the ball was flat.

When I used to keep the ball up, it’s easier to keep it up and look good when it’s a little bit deflated, but to hit the crossbar when you’re taking a shot you have to have it fully pumped, and at first I didn’t realise that. But after missing it twice, I decided to step up and kick it – I don’t know how you describe it but – this wasn’t part of the movie but I was f*cking up, so I thought I may as well just pretend I don’t give a shit – so I walked up and did this (the Ronaldo-style right leg behind left kick) and I hit the crossbar. That’s the shot that you see in the movie and that was a kinda special moment for me cos I thought if I can’t do it normally…(Laughs)

Mr Blond: That’s a pretty special skill – I remember Lionel Messi crossing a ball like that and everyone went mad about it…

GB: (Stands up) It needs work, I practiced it, you’ve just got to step into it and go, *pumpf* but it wasn’t really part of the scene, I was just meant to hit the bar then put the Gatorade bottle on and hit the Gatorade bottle off, but in the end I did it… but my favourite moment was without doubt the back flick, cos that wasn’t supposed to happen!

Mr Green: Well it worked! It looked good…

Mr Blue: If that was genuinely you that’s very impressive… it looked like the kinda thing that you’d have to bring in a stunt guy…

GB: Nah, I never had a stunt guy.

Mr Blue: A stunt leg?

GB: Nah, I never had a stunt guy for any of it… we’re too cheap for that!

Mr Blond: Have you ever played in any of the actors’ games …

Mr Blue: Hollywood United…

GB: Yeah, I played for Hollywood United a couple of times, many years ago… but I played for a charity game for Celtic after this movie, cos it kinda got me back into it a bit, so I played a charity game for Celtic against Manchester United at Parkhead… I think there was like 60-odd thousand people which was maybe the most incredible moment of my life!

And I had a chance after about two minutes… I’m up front with Henrik Larsson playing Man U, and the ball comes down to me, open goal… I mean, I was on the edge of the 18 yard box but still it was not a bad chance – all I’m thinking is… are you kidding me!? I might be about to score against Manchester United, I might be about to score against Man U… and I hit it with my left foot, when I’m not a left footed player… I almost hit the corner flag! And that was about it for my chances during the game!

And then I also played for the Rest of the World against England in a charity game at Old Trafford. It’s just fun to get out there, and doing it for a good cause makes it all the more exciting. But I tell you, when you make movies you don’t so much get to participate in that “being in moment” that you get in theatre or in sports games, so it takes you back. It was really exhilarating and terrifying…

Mr Blond: Obviously you work with big name actors all the time, but when you meet a footballer are you taken back to being a fan, all starry eyed?

GB: Absolutely – when I played in that Celtic game and Martin O’Neill was the captain for that game he said (laughs) “Gerard Butler, I want you up front with Henrik Larsson” and I can’t believe I’m hearing this right now. So I went up to Martin and said, “What do you… what should I do!?” and he said, “Just go talk to Henrik”… So I go up to Henrik Larsson and say, “What’s best? What do you want me to do?” and he says “Just hang off to my left, hang off to my right – I’ll just knock it on to you,” and I’m thinking… I didn’t expect a year ago that I would be having these conversations with my absolute hero…! So yeah, these are great moments in your life, and without doubt I’m as big a fan of… even other actors but when it’s in a different field, sports then actually… (trails off).

I actually went to see the Galaxy when they just won the MLS, I was at the game and I was standing next to Kobe Bryant and we chatted for ages – really good dude – but at the same time you’re going… “this is Kobe Bryant,” I’m speaking to one of the best athletes of all time and he’s actually advising me on how to heal injuries, how he takes 2 ice baths every day (and I’m thinking, “like f**k am I going to do that… I might be from Scotland but…”) Yeah… There’s a lot of privileges and opportunities that come with this and sometimes you take them for granted, and when you sit back and realise, wow… I did play in a charity game for Celtic against Manchester United, I played at Old Trafford against England, I’m hanging out at those games… it’s a good life, y’know.

Mr Green: You’ve got a bit of a pattern going on… you mentioned that movie where you injured your shoulder, then you’ve had this one, and then apparently you’re starring in this movie, Dynamo which is meant to be about Nazis and Ukrainians?

GB: Yeah, Dynamo’s a long way off… y’know I’m surprised that… it’s very early stages, we don’t even have a script for that yet. The project was pitched, we really liked the idea… it’s like a Schindler’s List more than a Playing for Keeps (laughs)! It’s a powerful, very harrowing movie. But that’s a while away from being made – I don’t like that people are bringing that up in the middle of this soccer movie because people are like, “So that’s your next movie?” but really, that movie’s a good bit away.

Mr Green: Well, your next movie, if I’m not mistaken, is Movie 43…

GB: (Laughs a lot) I keep forgetting that I did that… I, seriously… it was one day’s work and I’m not saying it’s not… it’s looking like it’s going to be very funny but when people bring it up I’m like, “oh shit there’s that!”.

Mr Green: And you’re playing one of our national emblems in Ireland, a leprechaun… so, how was that for you?

GB: Well… it made that Irish part of me very proud. You’ve got to understand, have you seen the trailer for it?

Mr Green: Yeah.

GB: Do I speak in the trailer?

Mr Green: You do speak, you say something like “I’ll rip your balls off”

GB: Oh really… you’ve got that? OK, because…(laughs)… this is one of my lines, when he takes the tape of my mouth I go (adopts Irish accent) “When all dis is awver oim gonna cloimb up your mudder’s cunt and start a fuckin’ camp foire!” That’s my typical line in this movie – sorry darling – I thought… At one point it was meant to be me and Colin Farrell, we were going to be brothers, but he couldn’t make it… (laughs more)… he ‘conveniently’ couldn’t make it… “oh wait, I need to cut my toe nails that day”… so there’s two brothers, so I’m like “I’ll do the other brother, shit, why not?” If I’m making a fool of myself once, I may as well do it twice.

But it’s just such an outrageous… this is a movie full of the most outrageous, sick ideas that people will either deplore or just really dig (or at least appreciate), and I cannot believe the pool of talent and what they got them to do it – from Halle Berry to Hugh Jackman to Kate Winslet… I mean, I don’t know if you’ve seen the Hugh Jackman part… he basically has testicles coming out of his neck and he doesn’t even notice. This is par for the course for this movie… it’s one that’s not easily gonna be forgotten. But for me it was one day’s work – it was a bloody long day, 18 hours, but it was still just one day’s work.

Mr Green: And you had to get shrunk down to the size of a leprechaun!

GB: But you know what? I had a little person – little person’s what you have to say in America now… what would you guys call someone who’s little?

Everyone: Dwarf?

GB: A dwarf… see you can’t say that in over there… he’s not a dwarf, he’s a little person.

Mr Green: After The Hobbit it’ll be fine…

GB: So yeah, it was a little hobbit (laughs), Bilbo as I’d call him… Nah, but a little person filmed it and I had to replicate his moves and put a bit of acting on top. So he’s being hit and slapped and then fighting, and I had to watch his moves and literally recreate them, even the way he’s moved forward, how he’s moved his head etc. So when I’m speaking I had to replicate that, and put whatever it was I was going to put on top of it. So it was an interesting experiment in absolute nothingness… in stupidity! (Laughs)

Mr Blond: Just getting back to this film…

GB: Yeah, why not!? (Laughs)

Mr Blond: Could you empathise, maybe sympathise with the character as a character…? As an actor your profile really rose with 300 where you were old enough to take it all on board, but footballers get it very young, don’t they? Especially now, with women throwing themselves at them and all the money they could ever wish for… Could you empathise/sympathise… Are there any similarities with being an actor?

GB: Yeah, I think that the similarities are pretty glaring to somebody who’s tasted success, who’s tried to hold their centre through the success, when you’re in the spotlight and getting money thrown at you… fans throwing themselves at you and you’re constantly being praised, it’s hard to stay grounded – either as an actor or a sportsman – and it doesn’t really matter what age you are, it’s a lesson that you need to learn whatever age you start and whenever success hits.

But without a doubt it’s more difficult for sportsmen because in a sense you do stop developing as much when you’re thrown into the limelight in such a big way. It’s hard to mature and for certain parts of your character to develop as they would normally if that was not your field or your life. So I could empathise with this guy – he’s a good dude – he’s not a nasty guy, he’s always tried his best; he’s just been living that life that it’s made it very hard for him to work out exactly who he is and what the most important things in life are. He’s only now learning this at a later age, when unfortunately those plaudits, those highlights, have kinda gone from his life, and he has to sit back and say, “actually who am I and what do I really want?” And there’s something very sweet, but at the same time very sad, about that.

I remember a guy saying to me, “you’ve got to give up the good for the better” and I kinda understood that… you’ve got to give up some of the great, exciting things, but at the same respect you’re giving up those low points as well, for the better. And that’s where I think George is coming to a realisation that in this life he’s got to settle for those things which… it’s time to grow up.

Mr Black: I can’t remember who said it, but I read in the press notes that Gabriele Muccino’s films are often described as being “the redemption of the common man” – is that how you approached this role?

GB: Well, you would say that except George isn’t your typical common man, but I think when it comes down to it, he is, he’s an everyman, listen… He could have been a sports star, he could have been a lawyer or a garbage collector. The fact is he’s come to that cross-roads in his life where he says, “What is important? What is it that I really want in life?”

Everything’s new to him now… he’s in a new career, in a new town, new people and he’s struggling, and he realises that he needs to make some changes within himself, make some sacrifices, if he wants to move on to that next phase of development, whether physically or emotionally… Yeah, that applies in this respect considering the career he’s had, but I think everybody identifies with that because we all move through different ages as we go from high school, we go into university or into our careers, or as we move out of our careers and start thinking about having a family.

You always come to these cross-roads where you have to evaluate what really matters, “where should I really be right now?” And you identify that with your peers, and George looks round and everyone he knows has a kid; he comes to this town, they all have kids and are still married or at least, they have a lot more going on in a dynamic way than he does anyway.

Mr Brown: George’s life changes when he picks up that injury – you’ve picked up several injuries over the course of your career. How does that change your mindset when it comes to approaching stunts? Do you protect yourself more now?

GB: I should do! I mean, I don’t because I think in my last… I always go in saying this time I’m gonna be more careful! In my last movie, I wish you guys had been there because if you see me I’m like, “Wait a minute, I could do this and I could fly back and land on the ground…” and that’s fine if you do it once, but after the fifteenth take and you’re cut to shreds here and here, and your elbows are all swollen up… At one point my arm went black and blue all the way around because I was doing this move, which is a Kung Fu move, and someone had to keep whacking me. And I kept doing this, this, this, and I must have done it 300 times easily, because it was two moves in the fight, and by the next day my arm was black and blue and swollen all round because when I’m doing it I’m not thinking about it, I’m just “Let’s do this! Let’s make it look badass, let’s be in it!” But two movies later, when you’ve still got a chip on your bone and you’re like, “Why the f**k did I did that!? When am I ever going to learn?”

But I do think it’s probably time to start using stunt men more, just be a bit more careful. But it’s hard, because part of the thing I love about this is – and any guy, I think, who would dig those kinda movies – you wanna be in there, you wanna be on that chopper, you wanna be surfing that wave, you wanna be in that fight, you wanna be holding that gun. You wanna be doing the shit the boys do, y’know?

Mr Brown: You had a near death experience on Chasing Mavericks didn’t you?

GB: Yeah… I did… huh! That was when I really went, “right – this is getting stupid!” y’know. But then I went on to the next movie and did more stupidity!

Mr Brown: What was going through your mind when that happened?

GB: It was very painful because not of being able to breath for a long time and when you’re in a wave – I’ve surfed a lot of different waves now, and this wave was probably thirty, forty times more powerful than the normal ones – it’s like you’re in an avalanche, and you don’t know if you’re ever coming up. You can’t breathe and there’s nothing you can do about it, and it’s holding you down and you’ve lost your board, and you’re spinning, you’re spinning, you’re spinning, and nobody can do anything for you because they’re miles away. Then you go, “Why did I do this? What was I thinking!?” But it’s too late.

I remember other surfers talking about that… This one guy was saying, when he was under there and he really thought that was it, “I could be surfing two foot waves with my son in Hawaii right now” and I know there’s a lot of people that’ve had those thoughts and never made it back up and went WHY!? The thing is that I did make it back up, but then it started all over again and I went down another two times, and that really, without a doubt, put the fear of god into me.

Mr Green: Just with the water in general or with movies and stunts that are quite physical?

GB: With the water, in general, but I do think a lot of people who do their own stunts get injured. I was in a car crash, we drove straight into wall. Pierce Brosnan was driving the car, we smashed straight into a wall – it was 3ft high. The cable was supposed to hold us and it didn’t. He drove, and I dunno, he was supposed to apply the brakes. I dunno what happened but we were on the roof, on the edge of a car park in a Range Rover, driving full speed towards the edge of this roof… this shit happens all the time.

They go, “Oh it’s fine, we checked it.” Mistakes happen! The cable didn’t hold us, we smashed into the wall and came back… My neck went out, my ribs came out – I had bruised ribs for months – there’s always stuff going on. But that’s the game you choose and that’s the fun of it, but sometimes, 10 years later, you’re still getting your ribs cracked in… Two nights ago in Oslo I had the chiropractor come out, and he cracked my ribs back in, so… it’s fun!

Mr Green: Maybe for the next contract… ‘stunt man’ maybe?

Mr Blue: Or ‘danger pay’ at least?

GB: Danger pay, yeah… I’m sure they’d throw some danger pay in… They bloody better (laughs)!

Mr Green: Does that mean you’re going to be in or out of the sequel to 300? I’ve heard that Lena Headey is going to be in it?

GB: I think they’ve filmed it already, so I don’t think I’m in it (laughs)!

Mr Blue: You might not remember… might have been just a day’s work!

GB: Haha, no they offered it to me, but it wasn’t really… I do wish them the best, I liked the script but it wasn’t really for me. I couldn’t really understand what I was doing there in the movie, except giving a bit of a political speech… It felt better for me not to be there.

Written By: Mikey Serpico

Playing For Keeps is released in cinemas on 1st January.
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