Gerard Butler almost lost his life after a horrible accident sent him into the air, sustaining fractured bones once he landed on the ground. The Gods of Egypt star is known for his action movies, but because of the near-fatal disaster, his career was almost cut short.
Many celebrities who work in action films and have experienced the same mishap, questioned their chosen profession at one point in their lives. In fact, one bystander who witnessed Butler’s accident even complimented him about being an action star.
Gerard Butler Recalls Near-Death Experience After Motorcycle Accident
In an interview with CBS’ The Talk, Olympus Has Fallen actor Gerard Butler described the harrowing accident that nearly ended his life in 2017. He said:
“I’m lucky to be here. I went 33 feet through the air. I did a somersault.”
The actor suffered five fractured bones on his right foot, a small fracture in each foot, a pinched nerve, a damaged bone, and injuries in his ankle and knees. At the spot where the incident happened, he recalled an onlooker saying:
“Wow, you really are an action movie star.”
Butler said he endured multiple injuries that left him bedridden for days. He further added:
“I was in bed for four days. I couldn’t get out of bed… five fractures in my right foot alone, because I landed right on my knees, so I’ve done my knees in and my left foot. And this had been the busiest period of my career.”
Over the past few years after the accident, he started focusing on his health and reconsidering his career. In 2020, he told News:
“During this last three years, I’ve had a bunch of stuff going on health-wise, that at one point made me reconsider my whole career. I had a surgery that went wrong, which then became seven surgeries. I had a motorcycle accident that almost killed me and I suddenly thought, ‘There has to be something more.’”
Considering his age and the terrible past experiences, it is understandable that the 53-year-old actor starts reflecting on his own mortality. He already has a successful Hollywood career with dozens of films under his belt, along with several accolades such as Saturn and Empire Awards nominations for Best Actor.
Gerard Butler Is Now Unsure About His Movie Career
In the same interview with News, the Scottish actor said he has started questioning what he really wants to do in life. He loves making films, but he also believes there has to be something more. He shared:
“I thought, ‘Am I only going to leave my movies behind?’ My movies are not for everybody, but the people who like them get moved and inspired by them, will hopefully come out of watching them thinking, ‘I want to be like that guy,’ the way I did as a child growing up watching movies. But at the same time, there comes a point where you go, ‘Is that it? Is there something more that’s part of my journey?’”
Butler contemplates his experiences not only as a celebrity but as a human being whose time on earth is limited. The Phantom of the Opera actor concluded:
“The things I’ve been through, not as an actor but as a person, make me think about a different kind of impact I could leave behind. So, it’s started me on a full-blown quest, which I’m in the middle of right now.”
The actor’s other film credits include Geostorm, The Vanishing, and Hunter Killer. Butler’s upcoming project Den of Thieves 2: Pantera will be released in 2024.
