Gerard Butler goaded into boot camp for '300'

By Stone Martindale Feb 21, 2007, 3:03 GMT

Gerard Butler - yes thanks, we\'ll take two please... © Scott Alan / Photorazzi

It's not just the actresses that get the business from producers over their weight, male actors do too, as witnessed by Scottish star of "300", Gerard Butler.

DailyRecord.co.uk reporter John Dingwall uncovered a calorie caveat and slimming challenge for the handsome actor, who had to whittle down for his role in the effects heavy film.

Dingwall reports that Butler "got into amazing shape" for the Frank Miller film, based on his graphic novel, but it was after Butler was given the "what for" over his slightly fleshy physique.

The Phantom Of The Opera star plays King Leonidas, the leader of a 300-strong army of Spartans who war against the Persians in the Battle of Thermopylae over 2500 years ago, reported Dingwall.

Gerard began training three months before he was asked to turn up for production company sponsored boot camp sessions.

According to Dingwall's interview, Butler confessed: "When I went into this film I was in really bad shape. I had just come from Italy and three different people who I had never met before had commented on me being fat.

"I got the role shortly after the film got the go ahead and I had made a promise to myself that I would make this the film of my life, so I went a little crazy.

"The boot camp for the movie was very intense but I had already been training for three months before that.

"I had my own trainer six-days-a week doing two hours a day working on weights and cardio.

"I was running and circuit training but then I started doing it with Mark Twight, who is a mountain climber who trains other climbers, cage fighters and undercover operatives. The guy is just insane.

"We would do a lot of circuit training using a lot of primitive tools like kettle bells, medicine balls, rings and huge elastic things which attached to the wall. You would have to run and then stop and hold. I also worked with the stunt people in an non-air conditioned warehouse and that was like an oven inside. That was the stuff that really made you sweat. I was pretty much naked and the floor would be soaking wet with our sweat.

"By the time I went into boot camp I was already into pretty good nick, but the boot camp was still tough."

The proof is in the pudding for Butler, his hard work and abstemious diet is evident in this film.

But such dedication to beauty always comes at a cost:  "Afterwards I had tendonitis in almost every part of my body. I had a bad injury in my forearm which still comes up if I go back into the gym....Then there was a lot of whacks. Whenever you're doing a lot of sword fighting, you're always getting whacked in the head or punched."

"300" features great British thespians such as Bermuda born Lena Headey in the role his wife, Queen Gorgo, and HBO's "The Wire" Dominic West as the warrior Theron.

Australian actor David Wenham plays Dilios; Wenham was just cast in Baz Luhrmann's "Australia."

"300" was filmed entirely on a blue screen background and is shot in monochrome palette. CGI special effects add monsters and heighten the battlefield scenes.

A proud Scot, Butler had some withering commentary sussing the abilities of his American and English acting peers: "I'm not naming any names, but some of them have these plummy accents and you think to yourself: 'You couldn't fight your way out of a paper bag and you're commanding armies or are supposed to be a knight or whatever. That's all so King Arthur.

"I wanted to be the guy who my men could look to and say: 'Yeah, I would follow him.' ..."I also wanted to see that in their eyes, that I could feel they had respect for me.