Over the past decade, Gerard Butler has starred in multiple movies playing the stoic, gritty action hero. Butler is someone who is willing to do anything to get into the skin of his character.

His capability to carry a film on his shoulders first became apparent in Zack Snyder’s 300. In the Frank Miller adaptation, Butler played the warrior king of Sparta, Leonidas.

However, to play the fearless Greek king, the 53-year-old had to transform his physique and go through grueling training. During the bodybuilding transformation, the Scottish actor realized he could build the physique of a lifetime. Hence, Butler dialed everything up to eleven.

Talking about the 300 film, it is a fictional retelling of the historical Battle of Thermopylae. During the battle, King Leonidas, along with 300 Spartans, fought to the last man to hold off the invading Persian army.

Hence, in Snyder’s live-action version of Miller’s graphic novel on the historic battle, Butler needed to look and act the part of a ferocious leader. He didn’t take things easy.

Gerard Butler seized the opportunity

While Butler had starred in films like Reign of Fire (2002) and Beowulf & Grendel (2005), the $456.1 million blockbuster required the actor to reinvent himself.

Historical accuracy wasn’t the top priority, but Spartan soldiers with chiseled abs taking on an overwhelming number of enemies certainly was. So Gerard Butler began his bodybuilding training to put on muscle.

via Imago

After his physique began changing, Butler realized he had a rare opportunity. “You know I will never be like this again. So you think how much more can I push it?” said Butler in an interview. YouTuber Will Cozens compiled snippets from various interviews where Butler talked about his physical transformation in a short video.
According to Cozen, Butler said, “I wanted to have a physique that you wouldn’t believe.” The actor also focused on his core, but not just to flaunt a six-pack. Besides bodybuilding, the actor and surfer, trained for hours with a spear and shield.

“My six-pack and that movie was ridiculous. That was months and months and months of training and dieting and intense workouts,” the 53-year-old said.
In fact, the Olympus has Fallen actor was so determined to look shredded and pull off action scenes he hired two trainers.

In another snippet, Butler said he trained for “four hours in the gym,” day in, day out. At one point, the 53-year-old confesses not knowing what he was doing.

However, the Gods of Egypt star’s hard work paid off. 300 earned over $456 million with a production budget of $60 million.

It also holds the 24th position in the highest-grossing opening weekend list. While the critics didn’t hold the movie in high regard, it’s become a cult classic among action cinema fans.