Gerard Butler, known for notable endeavors such as Olympus Has Fallen, 300, Coriolanus, etc., is a Scottish actor who established himself as one of Hollywood’s most capable talents, with his multifaceted on-screen depictions elevating him to international prominence. In 2007, the actor starred alongside Hilary Swank in the Richard LaGravenese-helmed P.S. I Love You. 

P.S. I Love You (2007)

While it failed to impress critics of the time, the dramatic rom-com ended up resonating with many audiences who enjoyed the bittersweet narrative.

Making an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Butler disclosed that although he enjoyed his time on-set, there was a particular incident that the talent was not too proud of. Here, he was alluding to a sequence that transpired into a near-fatal accident, almost endangering co-star Hilary Swank’s life.

Gerard Butler’s ‘Crocodile Clip’ Accident Almost Killed Hilary Swank

Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler

Shedding light on behind-the-scene tidbits about some of his most iconic roles, Gerard Butler told talk show host Drew Barrymore about a dangerous accident that occurred while filming for 2007’s P.S. I Love You—a scenario that prompted Hilary Swank to be sent to the hospital right away.

According to Butler, a scene in the movie required him to “dance like an idiot” while he was donning a look that included having to wear suspenders. It took the talent a day and a half to get through the sequence.

Matters took a rather morbid turn when a crocodile clip “got stuck in the television.” The 300 alum decided to do something about it. Little did he realize what was soon to occur. Following was his statement:
“You know the scene where I’m dancing and I have the—what do you call ’em, suspenders? I shot that scene for a day and a half, and I had to dance like an idiot in the suspenders. At one point, the clip, which was a crocodile clip, got stuck in the television as I’m crawling towards her, and she’s right in front of me, laughing hysterically.”

Gerard Butler recalls the accident that almost killed Hilary Swank

Adding on to the incident, he made the following revelation:

“The camera people had these plastic fronts to protect themselves from this crocodile—it was so dangerous! I had to ping it, and it would go [flying] past my face. I’m crawling towards the bed, it gets stuck, it releases, boom, flies over my head, hits her in the head, slashes her head.”

As the crocodile clip struck the actress’s head, Gerard Butler observed that this action ended up cutting his co-star open. The scenario was so dreadful that the Boys Don’t Cry alum required immediate medical attention.

Butler elaborated, “You could even see the teeth of the [crocodile]. She had to get taken to the hospital.” The bustle and hustle of the studio ceased; it was emptied. The Kandahar star was left alone to reflect on what just happened. It’s safe to say that the Greenland actor, who now looks back on the incident with a sense of levity, felt regret at the time.

Gerard Butler Started Crying After The Harrowing Incident

Gerard Butler felt remorse over what happened

The Hollywood star recalled how after everybody left the set of P.S. I Love You, he was sat in his “boxer shorts and boots and a pair of socks.” And soon, he was reduced to tears. To provide host Drew Barrymore with a perspective on what his thoughts looked like after the incident, Butler affirmed the following:

“I just started crying. I was like, ‘I just scarred Hilary Swank. I almost took her eye out. And I just made a fool of myself for two days!’ … She’s off to the hospital. There’s nobody on set!”
The 53-year-old actor then made a lighthearted comment about having a momentary occurrence of impostor syndrome:

“I shouldn’t be in this movie. I don’t deserve it. That [incident] was like, ‘Yeah, see!’ I knew this was going to happen.”

Despite the horrific incident that placed Hilary Swank in danger of almost dying, the Freedom Writers actress was able to heal well and quickly resumed work on the 2007 romantic comedy.

The film, which was inspired by a novel of the same name, penned by Cecelia Ahern, went on to amass a remarkable $156.8 million at the worldwide box office, against a budget of $30 million. It wouldn’t be, hence, incorrect to presume that the Swank and Butler-led movie did well on the commercial front.

It is also interesting to note that the 2007 pursuit’s critical reception wasn’t favorable. The movie has a 25% rating on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomato Meter, with the critics’ consensus stating, “Hilary Swank is miscast as the romantic lead in this clichéd film about loss and love.” If we consider the audience score, however, the endeavor boasts a rating of 80%—which is comparatively high.