Gerard Butler Reflects on Leaving a Law Career for Acting: 'It Just All Felt So Right'
Before finding his calling as an actor, Gerard Butler pursued a legal career. In a recent interview with PEOPLE alongside his 'Den of Thieves 2: Pantera' co-star O'Shea Jackson Jr., Butler, 55, shared how his first professional acting role shifted the course of his life.
Butler recalled landing a role in a Shakespeare production after helping the casting director with auditions. "I was the last person to go in after two days of auditioning, and at the end, she walked up, the casting director said, '[The director] said you were the best he's seen.' And then he walked up and said, 'So you want a job?' And I've got to tell you, it was the happiest day of my life," Butler said. He explained how that moment came after sobering up from a turbulent period while training as a lawyer. "I walked home that night, didn't go to the pub, and just walked home going, 'My God, this is my dream.' "
Though it wasn't a leading part, Butler noted that the experience of being part of the ensemble was transformative. "It was the most high, and then you realize in a moment like that is that you're living your purpose," he said. "It just all felt so right. I'd never experienced an excitement like that and more guilt-free than creating an excitement for all the wrong reasons."
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Reflecting on his early years, Butler revealed that his passion for acting began at age 10 but took a backseat to the "responsible" choice of pursuing law. However, his legal career came to an abrupt end.
"I believe [I was] the first trainee lawyer in the history of the Scottish legal system to be fired before qualifying," Butler shared.
The setback turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
"An interesting life lesson is so often when you think the worst thing that's happened turns out to be the best thing," he said.
Now a seasoned actor with roles in films like '300' and 'The Phantom of the Opera,' Butler's path to success underscores the importance of following one's passion, even if it means taking a risk.
"It opened the way," Butler said of his firing. "And then I ended up getting into acting."
