Butler Injures Swank, Shuts Down Movie
Scottish actor Gerard Butler's clumsiness brought filming on the set of new film P.S. I Love You to a halt after injuring co-star Hilary Swank. The 300 star was joking around with braces (suspenders) in one quirky love scene when he lost his grip and sent Swank to hospital.
He says, "She had four stitches. It was maybe my worst day as an actor. I can laugh now because she laughs at it and quite enjoys telling people the story but, at the time, it was an accident. I'd been doing this scene for a day and a half, stripping and dancing and then pretending that the suspender hits me in the eye. It got stuck behind me and flew over my head and hit her in the head. Within five minutes she'd been taken to the hospital and the whole set goes, 'That's a wrap!' and I'm sitting on the bed on my own. I have to say I bust my balls in that scene making a fool of myself and dancing around a bunch of guys. At the end of that all the thanks I got was that I now scarred Hilary Swank and the production got shut down for five days."
Butler Withdraws From 'Escape From New York' Remake
Scottish actor Gerard Butler has pulled out of upcoming remake Escape From New York due to "creative differences." Butler's casting in the update caused controversy earlier this year when Kurt Russell, the star of director John Carpenter's original 1981 movie, demanded an American, not a Scot, take on the role of Snake Plissken. Speaking earlier this year, Russell said, "When I was told, my initial reaction was, 'Oh man.' I do think that character was quintessentially one thing - and that's American."
Wiseman Set To Direct 'Escape From New York' Remake
Filmmaker Len Wiseman is in negotiations to direct the remake of cult classic Escape From New York. Actor Gerard Butler has already signed up to star in the update of director John Carpenter's futuristic action film as anti-hero Snake Plissken, a part made famous by Kurt Russell in the 1981 original and its 1996 sequel Escape From LA. Wiseman most recently directed this year's Live Free Or Die Hard.
Butler To Collect Stunt Award
Gerard Butler will receive the Action Movie Star Of The Year prize at next month's 2007 Taurus World Stunt Awards. The 300 star will be honored at the World Stunt Foundation's Hollywood ceremony, which is being hosted by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson on May 20. Butler says, "It is such a special honor to receive this award from the stunt community. In each action film I'm a part of, I am continually amazed by their remarkable talent. While I am proud to receive this accolade, I am keenly aware of who the real action heroes are."
Stuntwoman Jeannie Epper is the first woman to be selected for the awards' Lifetime Achievement Award, while Burt Reynolds will also be honored.