Gerard Butler

Gerard James Butler was born November 13, 1969 in Glasgow, Scotland. He is an actor and a singer and is best known for his roles as the phantom in Phantom of the Opera and King Leonidas in the film 300.

Butler first discovered his love of acting in the Scottish Youth theater but upon graduating high school chose the more conservative study of law at Glasgow University. Although he was president of the University’s law society he claims his heart wasn’t in law and after graduation moved to London to pursue a film career.

In London, he did stage plays until his first film role in Mrs. Brown, opposite Judy Dench and Billy Connolly which was nominated for two Oscars. Later that year, Butler also appeared in the James Bond film Tomorrow never Dies.

In 2000 he played Dracula in Wes Craven’s Dracula 2000.

In 2004 came the breakthrough role of the Phantom in Joel Schumacher’s adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical The Phantom of the Opera, where he had a chance to showcase his singing talent as well as acting.

In March of 2007, the adaptation of the novel written by Frank Miller based on the events surrounding the Battle of Themopylae in Greece, was released as the film 300. With Butler playing the Spartan King, the film garnered over $72 million dollars on opening weekend.