Zack Snyder’s 300 told a fictionalized version of the Battle of Thermopylae and saw Gerard Butler’s King Leonidas leading 300 Spartans into battle against an army of about 300,000 soldiers. The film is based on the namesake limited comic book series created by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. 300 had its own ups and downs while it received mixed reviews from critics and a few awards, it also was also criticized for its historical inaccuracies.
Gerard Butler played the hell out of his character but there was a time when he almost did not get the role. A Warner Bros. executive was unsure about the actor’s casting as King Leonidas but agreed to give him the job on one strange condition – Gerard Butler had to stop smoking.
Gerard Butler Gave His Word to Warner Bros. Executive
Warner Bros. executive Alan Horn opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about not wanting to make 300. This was simply because they had just done similar films – Troy and Alexander – and Horn had just about had enough of “arrows and swords.”
Of course, everything changed when he met with Zack Snyder who assured him that this film was going to be different. But then came the next obstacle in the way – Gerard Butler. When Snyder admitted to wanting Butler in the lead role, Horn was not interested in the idea at all.
Butler had previously done The Phantom of the Opera with Warner Bros. Pictures where he played the lead role of The Phantom. For Horn, Butler was The Phantom and it was quite difficult to envision him as King Leonidas.
However, when he got a call from the actor wanting to meet up, Horn obliged. The meeting went well for Butler and he got himself the role in 300 but the WB executive had his own condition for it; Butler had to stop smoking.
Horn told The Hollywood Reporter,
Butler had done The Phantom of the Opera for us. I said, I don’t see him for the role.’ To me, he was the Phantom. A few days later, I get a call from this Gerard Butler. He says, ‘Can I come and see ya?’Scottish. So he comes to see me, and he’s really physically imposing…
…I knew from Phantom that he smoked, and I thought I smelled it on him. So I said, ‘OK, you can have the part on one condition: You have got to stop smoking.’ He said, ‘Are you serious?’ I said: Yes. Give me your word, and it’s yours.” And he said, ‘I give you my word.’ I feel these guys and ladies are role models. And I believe the jury is in on smoking. No question — forget it. It’s bad.
And that’s the story of how Butler finally got Horn to agree to let him play the King of Sparta in 300.
Quitting Smoking Was Not Easy for Gerard Butler
Anyone who has been addicted to smoking in the past will tell you that quitting is not as easy as people may think it is. It takes a lot of perseverance to do so and sometimes, you end up needing professional help for your addiction. Butler, too, had to seek this help for his betterment.
In an interview with Daily Record, the P.S. I Love You actor revealed everything he had gone through to quit smoking for good. He stated that it took him 40 attempts, out of which he was hypnotized 23 times. He also had his veins injected with sodium pentothal along with having his hands lasered.
Butler stated,
It took me 40 attempts to stop. I was hypnotized 23 times, I had my veins injected with sodium pentathol had my ears electrolized and my hands lasered.
Unfortunately, Butler’s efforts were soon ruined thanks to an outing with Russell Crowe. The actor was clean for four years before going out with Crowe for a party and falling back into his addiction.
About three months ago, I was out with some friends – Russell Crowe was one of them. There was 12 of them and 11 of them were smoking. That was it, I was off.
Luckily, Butler was able to put a stop to it soon enough. He added, “It was only a month, it was a little blip. I’ve got to tell you. It was horrific.” Well, we are glad things didn’t take a turn for the worse!
Stream 300 on Hulu.
