Few action movies feel as enormous and imposing asZack Snyder’s300. Few characters feel as legendary and badass as King Leonidas of Sparta. The project, which isslated to get its own TV series, was a tremendous undertaking, culminating in a movie that is, well, truly epic.Gerard Butler’spowerful utterance of iconic quotes are entrenched in the pop culture zeitgeist.Don’t act like you haven’t wanted to yell, “This is Sparta!” on some occasion or other. Though his casting in the role feels like it was destiny, there was a time that Butler, and the film itself, may not have even been made. Leonidas might not have been there to protect Thermopylae were it not for a few important meetings and one important caveat: that Gerard Butler quit smoking.
King Leonidas of Sparta leads 300 of his best warriors to defend Greece against the massive invading Persian army led by King Xerxes. Outnumbered and facing insurmountable odds, the Spartans make their stand at the narrow pass of Thermopylae, using their superior tactics and fighting skills to hold off the Persians.
Warner Bros. President Alan Horn Was Hesitant About Making ‘300’
Even before any casting decision was to be made,300had to be greenlit by Warner Bros. At the time,Alan Hornwas both president and COO of the production company, and was initially uninterested in producing the film. After the critical panning ofWolfgang Peterson’sTroyand the commercial flop ofOliver Stone’sAlexander, Horn wasn’t enthused at the idea of making another historical epic.Horn shared withThe Hollywood Reporterthat he didn’t want “any more arrows and swords,” but fortunately, his opinion wasn’t set in stone. After meeting with Zack Snyder, he placed his faith in the project. But when Snyder pointed to Butler as his King Leonidas, that faith was met with some unease.
Alan Horn Didn’t See Gerard Butler in the ‘300’ Role
Today, it feels like Gerard Butler was always destined to be the King of Sparta, but when300was first being cast, he didn’t seem like the apparent choice. Butler’s most notable recent role was as the titularThe Phantom of the Opera,Joel Schumacher’sfilm adaptation of the legendary musical byAndrew Lloyd Webber. The film garnered a mixed response; some view it asan affront to Webber’s tremendously successful musical, while others still look back on the movie with much more kindness and nostalgia. Butler’s performance, specifically his singing, was the most scrutinized aspect of it all. The actor himselfrecalled being surprised at the castingbecause, though he had sung in a rock band in school, he had never been classically trained in singing. But vocal criticisms aside, Butler nonetheless turned in a commendable performance in the lead role.
Butler had taken to the stage as a dark and brooding lead actor before, having first gotten Schumacher’s attention from his role inDracula 2000, but nearly being typecast in that positionalmost prevented him from working on300. Though Butler had been in action films, having starred inReign of FireandBeowulf & Grendel, he wasn’t yet established as a traditional action leading man. Coming off playing a more romantic character,Horn saw too much of the Phantom in Butler, and couldn’t see him in a role so starkly different from the tragic romantic lead.Butler remained faithful in the vision, however, and was sure to convince Alan Horn that he was the right man for the job.
Demonstrating some Spartan resilience and perseverance,Butler planned to convince the studio executivethat he was up for the challenge — which he accomplished with considerable success. Butler scheduled a meeting with Alan Horn and, though the details of their conversation haven’t been publicized, the actor walked away proving that he was the right choice for the role. Horn recalled that Butler was, “really physically imposing,” ultimately displaying the necessary stature and gravity that was needed for a role like Leonidas.But there was a catch.Horn knew that Butler was a cigarette smokerfrom hisPhantom of the Operadays, and even recalled the smell of cigarettes on the actor during the meeting, which the Warner Bros. president was fervently against. Believing that a public figure like Butler should be a role model,Horn wanted to make sure that he wasn’t being a negative influence with his smoking habit. So if Butler wanted the part,he had to quit smoking. Butler agreed, was crowned King of Sparta, and the rest is ancient history.
Gerard Butler Trained Intensely for Zack Snyder’s ‘300’
Butler still needed to be in Spartan shape for the role, which demanded a grueling regimen for the actor. Although some airbrushing makeup was certainly used to make his abs pop on screen, Butler didn’t want his body to be augmented by visual effects, so he took to histraining regimen and dietwith grave intensity.On a soldier-like six-hour day regime, Butler trained for months in preparation, continuing even throughout filming by squeezing in workouts at lunch, night, and in between takes. Embodying the life-or-death commitment of the Spartan he was portraying, he wanted to recreatethe same intensity that Leonidas would have lived with.
Sorry Zack Snyder, ‘300’ Deserves To Be Buried, Not Continued
Of all the movies to make into a TV show, this one certainly isn’t it.
As the actor recalled, “That was the best shape I have ever been in in my life,” though it demanded such exhaustive hours of training and sacrifice. However, such a dramatic body transformation is incredibly taxing, and Butler’s body would suffer the consequences of such feverish intensity. “In some ways I was ruining my body, but I was looking amazing doing it.” It isn’t a unique experience for actors to feel tremendous pressure to transform their body for a role, andZac Efronhas even spoken about how his preparation forBaywatchled to himexperiencing insomnia and depressionthat took months of recovery time.
Gerard Butler Established Himself as an Action Star
The sacrifices were made for an end goal, however, and Butler successfully created the image he wanted for the film.Leonidas remains one of the most physically imposing characters in film, and tremendous credit goes to Butler, his trainers, and the stunt team that all came together to bring the warrior king to life. Butler established himself as anaction superstar, embodying all the defiant confidence and bravery of Leonidas which, paired with Zack Snyder’s creative direction, made300one of the most distinct and memorable movies of the mid-2000s.
Butler has spoken about how challenging it was to give up the habit, even in the years following,taking roughly 40 attemptsbefore making significant progress. From hypnotism to electrolyzing his hands, Butler tried a number of different strategies to help him kick smoking. Unfortunately, he also shared that a night out with fellow actor,Russell Crowe, ended with a few more lighters and cigarettes than originally intended. Though his habit wasn’t permanently kicked, Butler has nonetheless remained a Hollywood staple and versatile superstar. He’s had numerous leading action roles, likeOlympus Has Fallenand 2023’sPlane, but has still gone back to more dramatic roles, like inCoriolanus, an adaptation of aShakespeareplay. Butler has even lent his voice acting talents to the tremendousHow to Train Your Dragonseries, and is set to feature inthe upcoming live-action adaptationas well.
300is available to watch on Hulu in the U.S.
Watch on Hulu
