Gerard Butler is a rather fascinating personality that people know too little about.

Gerard Butler In A Green JacketVia ShutterStock

Gerard Butler was first introduced to the world of dramatic arts when he enrolled in the Scottish Youth Theater in Paisley, Scotland, before taking a different career path.

It wasn’t until the actor was in his late 20s that he returned to the stage as a performing actor. With his rugged charm, Butler became known for his movie roles and went on to bag challenging performances in romantic comedies and thrillers to show his versatility and acting range.

Gerard received critical appraisal for his acting and was nominated for various accolades, including a Saturn and an Empire Award. However, there is a lot more to the star than what meets the eye, and here are some lesser-known facts about Gerard Butler.

8. Gerard Butler Was Born And Brought Up In Scotland

Butler, known for his honesty and bluntness, was born in Glasgow. However, his parents are of Irish origin. The star was relatively young when his family moved to Montreal, Quebec. He grew up in a Catholic home that prioritized education as his parents were having financial problems.

7. His Mother raised him

Gerad’s mother, Margaret, and father, Edward, divorced when he was very young. His mother returned to Scotland with the children and raised them by herself. Butler did not meet his father until he was sixteen when Edward returned to his life.

6. He Studied and Graduated From Law School

Butler was a bright student in school. He was the Head Boy at his high school and secured a spot at the highly coveted University of Glasgow School of Law.

The star was the President of the University’s law society. Before graduating from law school, he took a year off to travel to California. He received a job at a law firm in Edinburgh. However, he decided to chase his Hollywood dream instead.

5. He Lives A Teetotal Lifestyle

While taking a break from law school in his final year, the actor started consuming alcohol in greater quantities and got in trouble with the law in California. After making his way to Hollywood, his excessive drinking problems returned. Gerard decided to enter the Betty Ford Clinic and lived an alcohol-free life for more than twenty years.

4. He Has Three Adorable Pet Dogs

The actor is a lover of dogs and has three furry-faced pets at home that keep him occupied during his free time. The actor prefers to own small dogs and has rescued two of his pets from film sets. One of his oldest pets is called Lolita, and she is a pug. In 2017, he brought his third pet home, a pooch named Shushka. Butler rescued her while filming a movie on the mountains in Bulgaria in 2017.

3. He Was A Part Of A Rock Band

Along with being a law student, Gerard Butler channeled his passion for music by forming the rock band Speed. Even though Butler was not a trained professional, he was the lead vocalist for his group. He found music as a fun outlet and performed gigs with his friends in various music festivals across Edinburgh and Glasgow.

2. He Was 27 When He Earned His First Acting Job

Abandoning the career path of being a lawyer, Butler went ahead with his plan of becoming a full-time actor and became a stage performer. He rose to prominence in 1997 with his supporting role in the costume drama Mrs.

Brown starring him alongside Dame Judi Dench as Queen Victoria. He also had a small role in the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies and got his first experience of playing a historical figure as a titular character in Dracula 2000.

1. He Runs A Charity With Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow

A man with a big heart, Gerard Butler is one of the few actors who has been able to shine a spotlight on the Scottish charity organizations that consistently serve their communities.

The organization is called Mary’s Meals, a feeding program that offers meals to children in impoverished communities in Haiti and Liberia. In 2010, the actor was honored with a Cinema For Peace Honorary Award for his charitable work.

Gerard has worked hard to make a better living for himself and his family. Coming from a small town in Scotland, he made it in Hollywood through his incredible performances that have swooned audiences everywhere. The actor was last seen starring in the 2021 actor thriller movie Copshop.