Gerard Butler is mostly known by fans as a capable and convincing action hero who provides thrills with genuine entertainment in all of his films.

His films like 300 (2007), Law Abiding Citizen (2009), The Has Fallen (2013-2019) series, Den of Thieves (2018), and recently Plane (2023) provide the needed adrenaline rush that is expected out of an action film. Butler’s intense performances in all these films elevated the stakes and suspense of the material and made them enjoyable and entertaining to watch.

He has also ventured into other genres such as rom-coms including P.S. I Love You (2007), The Bounty Hunter (2010), and The Ugly Truth (2009).

The latter had Butler star opposite Katherine Heigl and became a big success at the box office grossing $205 million against a $38 million production budget. Butler once talked about one of the most memorable scenes from the film which left him in awe of Heigl’s versatility as an actor.

Gerard Butler was Impressed with Katherine Heigl’s Acting Talent

Gerard Butler in The Ugly Truth

In an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Gerard Butler was asked to recall and talk about special anecdotes regarding some of the memorable films in his career.

When the topic of The Ugly Truth came about, Butler claimed that one of the funniest scenes he has ever done in his career was in that movie.

He referred to the scene in the movie where Katherine Heigl’s character has to fake an org*sm in front of Butler, in an homage to a similar scene from When Harry Met Sally (1989). He praised Heigl’s acting prowess saying,

“She’s basically having an org*sm during the scene because this and just keeps playing with the controls. So she had to make the speech whilst you…and she was so good. It was one of those ones where I could just sit back and enjoy a hilarious brilliant performance.

She’s phenomenal. She’s good but this scene, that was, I think, her best part of the movie. She was great in the whole movie but that scene, I literally was in the moment but also like wow. She’s amazing. She is amazing.”
Butler has nothing but admiration and kind words for his co-star’s performance in what would be a difficult scene to pull off to feel and look authentic. He was in awe as he watched her perform the scene with such confidence and bravado and left him speechless.

Katherine Heigl Also Reflected on that Scene

Katherine Heigl in The Ugly Truth

In an interview with SheKnows, Katherine Heigl reflected on the experience of shooting that particular scene where she had to fake an org*sm. She expressed that it is not as easy as it sounds and it was a physically exhausting process. She said,
“Oh, my God, it was a nightmare. And, let me tell you, ladies, these were fake org*sms, but it was really just physically exhausting.

It’s so much physical movement, with the legs dancing under the table and all the tensing up of the body and, by the end of the day, I felt like I had done a marathon. I thought I had run 20 miles. Then, I went, ‘Okay, now I get why it’s called physical comedy’. No one wants to org*sm 35 times”
Heigl’s comments are indicative of her ability to authentically look convincing while performing something that is asked of her.

The dedication and passion with which she pulled off the scene is an admirable quality of her acting abilities and her level of versatility, juggling both comedy and intensity.

What is Gerard Butler Working on Now?

Gerard Butler in 2023’s Plane

Gerard Butler had two action thrillers which were released in 2023. While Plane which was released on January 13, 2023, received positive reviews, Kandahar which released on May 26, 2023, received mixed reviews from critics. Plane became a box office success while Kandahar failed at the box office.