Angelina came up, and as soon as we said hello, I thought, This is going to be great. I'm really going to love doing this with her. And I did. And then I was very excited to do the movie after that.
Angelina had wanted a stronger male character to play opposite her, and I think one of the other advantages in that was a sense of competition.
As long as you do the best work that you can and not make it bland... because you're going down a lane that is trying to make everybody happy. You have to take an angle on these things.
By that point, I had started taking singing lessons. And after the first session, I mean, I was surprised that the windows didn't shatter. And after the third session, I really didn't know where this voice had come from.
Choosing the right mask helps you... We went through many masks. It was very particular leather that as soon as you smudged it, you had to get a new one. We went through about 55 masks.
Funnily enough, when I originally went in for my screen test, that set was already built.
Generally I don't like doing remakes, but I think that's more in the cynical world of Hollywood where normally remakes are purely for commercial reasons.
I always find stuff in my characters to relate to.
I felt like retiring after The Phantom.
I had to get used to wearing a mask and wearing a prosthetic and performing with those things while singing and expressing myself through stylized movement, while keeping it as human as possible so the audience could be closer to the horror of the Phantom.
I had to go and sing with the musical director of the film, Simon Lee, who is just incredible, and it went great. I sang with him about five things, things we'd worked on. And then I went to sing for Andrew Lloyd Weber.
I had to prove myself to a lot of different people.
I have a level of fear going into every project, and that's what keeps me going.
I knew I'd just done one of the most amazing things that I will ever get a chance to do. Just to be part of a musical that's not your background and to pull it off and to think that we've done something that's really special.
I love doing the stunts. It's as simple as that.
I mean, I made The Phantom, although The Phantom was, believe it or not, an independent film. It was just a very large, expensive independent film.
I sang in a rock band when I was training as a lawyer. You know, not professional, we just did it for fun. We just did gigs all over Edinburgh and some in Glasgow and some at festivals.
I spent many years not knowing where my dad was... Not knowing if my dad was alive, even. He turned up when I was 16 out of the blue.
I started singing for The Phantom in January, and we started filming in October and I sang all the way through to the next June. In fact, I was singing for about two months before I even knew I had the role.
I was amazed and upset by the looks I got just walking around the studio... It illuminates the ugliness and the beauty that exists within each of us, and that's what this story represents to me.
I was getting to bed about 10 P.M. so wound up and not getting to sleep by 11, and because I was putting the prosthetics on for five hours, I had to be up at 3 in the morning.
I was training to be a lawyer... I was president of the law society at Glasgow University, and my bass guitarist was my secretary of my law society; the lead guitarist and writer worked at the law firm that I worked.
I went from somebody who didn't sing to somebody who didn't speak.
If I think the movie's not going to turn out, I quickly try and disassociate those feelings and push myself away... .
My manager and my agents, they go over my contracts.
Of course when you spend four hours in prosthetic makeup and you really are looking at yourself and you see how revolting you've become in a way, it obviously adds another strand and helps you... a little bit more.
The chance to be both artistically appreciated and commercially appreciated... That's what you hope for.
The Phantom, as well as being backed up by that music, it just so was a role that I identified with so powerfully. From the first second that I walked on to perform.
The Scots will do anything to beat the English or just to see them lose, but I've never bought into that really.
There was certainly a beautiful buzz going on last year, and now it feels like, as you say, we're having to kind of get that momentum going again.
Gerard is the youngest of three children.
Gerard loves playing football, horse riding, skiing, and water skiing.
Gerard is a Catholic.
Gerard has worked with such charities as 'Kids Kicking Cancer' and 'CLIC Sargent.'
Gerard gave up on becoming a lawyer after being fired from a law firm a week before he was qualified to practice law.
Gerard's parents divorced when he was a child.
Gerard's nickname is 'Gerry.'
Gerard has received: a Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards - November 29, 2001 - Screen Winner a Ischia Global Film and Music Fest Special Fashion Awards - July 16, 2004 -roughly translated to mean "Best New Actor") a Bowmore Scottish Screen Awards - June 28, 2005 - Best Actor
Gerard Butler was suppose to play the part of James bond in newer 007 movies, but the role was taken by Daniel Craig.
Gerard frequently jokes about preferring the mask side of his face to the regular side of his face.
In 2005, Gerard was nominated for the Golden Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical for his role in The Phantom of the Opera.
Gerard has quickly gained a reputation as one of the nicest actors around, as he always takes time to socialize with fans and hangs out with crew members as much as co-stars on film sets.
Gerard's eyes are actually grey/green colour but often appear blue on screen.
Gerard graduated from Glasgow University with a degree in Law.
On the first day of shooting his film debut in 1997 movie, Mrs. Brown, Gerard had to bound naked into a freezing sea, and as a result developed hypothermia.
Gerard's first movie role was in the 1997 movie, Mrs. Brown.
Gerard is of Irish decent.
Gerard is 6' 2" tall.
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