January 15, 2025: Actor Gerard Butler opened up about the grueling experience of filming 300, particularly the numerous injuries that occurred on set.
Butler recalled how many of his co-stars were taken to the hospital due to injuries sustained during the intense action sequences. "I remember every day somebody was getting taken to the hospital," he shared. "You'd be doing a fight, you turn around, there's a guy down there, a spear went in his eye. Another time, you turn around, there's a guy over there who just fell, broke his ankle. I mean, it was insane."
Butler, who played King Leonidas in Zack Snyder's iconic action film, also reflected on his own close calls during filming. In particular, he mentioned a dangerous incident while filming Chasing Mavericks, where he was "taken down by a huge set of waves." Butler thought he might not make it, but he was rescued and revived with a defibrillator after being taken to the hospital.
In addition to the injuries sustained during action films, Butler also shared stories about mishaps on other movie sets. He recalled accidentally injuring co-star Hilary Swank in PS I Love You and narrowly missing Angelina Jolie's face with a gun while filming Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life. Butler also mentioned being injured by bullets, explosions, and a camera rig that fell on him and Swank during a shoot.
Despite these close calls, Butler has continued to push forward with his career, even filming Den of Thieves 2: Pantera after tearing his ACL. His anecdotes highlight the physical toll that action films often take on actors, especially in high-risk stunts and sequences.
