Movies - TV
Gerard Butler Had To Kick A Deadly Habit To Star In 300
By WITNEY SEIBOLD
Based on Frank Miller's comic book, "300" is a hyper-stylized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae and stars Gerard Butler leading the charge as King Leonidas.
The film turned Butler into an overnight sensation, but it wasn't without a personal cost for the actor, as Warner Bros. exec Alan Horn shared with The Hollywood Reporter.
Horn, who was hesitant about the actor since he was in "Phantom of the Opera," told Butler: "Okay, you can have the part on one condition: You have got to stop smoking."
He continued, "He said, 'Are you serious?' I said: 'Yes. Give me your word, and it's yours.'" Horn wanted Butler to have a "cleaner" image for young fans who might look up to him.
Butler agreed to the condition, though he has shared with the Daily Record how difficult quitting was for him, revealing, "It took me 40 attempts to stop."