Gerard Butler filmography
Scottish actor Gerard Butler has been in numerous films and television series since his on-screen debut in 1997's Mrs. Brown. After taking minor roles in releases such as the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies and the horror film Tale of the Mummy, he took the lead in 2000, portraying Dracula in Dracula 2000. Butler co-starred in the films Reign of Fire, alongside Christian Bale, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life, with Angelina Jolie, before playing André Marek in the adaptation of Michael Crichton's science fiction adventure Timeline. Then he was cast as Erik, The Phantom in Joel Schumacher's 2004 film adaptation of the musical The Phantom of the Opera alongside Emmy Rossum, and Butterfly on a Wheel with Pierce Brosnan and Maria Bello.
Although these films were important breaks, it was only in 2007 that Butler gained worldwide recognition for his portrayal of King Leonidas in Zack Snyder's 2007 fantasy war film 300. It earned him an MTV Movie Award for Best Fight and an Empire Award for Best Actor nomination. That same year, Butler starred in the romantic drama film P.S. I Love You with Hilary Swank. After appearing in the 2008 films Nim's Island with Jodie Foster and RocknRolla with Idris Elba, Butler took the lead in several 2009 films including the romantic comedy The Ugly Truth with Katherine Heigl and the thriller Law Abiding Citizen with Jamie Foxx.
In 2010, Butler voiced the role of Stoick the Vast in the animated action-fantasy film How to Train Your Dragon, a role he later reprised in Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon, Gift of the Night Fury ''How to Train Your Dragon 2, and the 2025 live-action remake. He played military leader Tullus Aufidius in the 2011 film Coriolanus, the modernized adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name. He also portrayed Sam Childers in the 2011 action biopic Machine Gun Preacher. In 2012, Butler co-starred in the biographical drama film Chasing Mavericks with Jonny Weston, and the romantic comedy film Playing for Keeps with Jessica Biel. He starred as Mike Banning in the action thriller film Olympus Has Fallen in 2013 and the sequel London Has Fallen in 2016, both opposite Morgan Freeman and had a minor part in the 2014 film 300: Rise of an Empire where he reprised his role as King Leonidas in a flashback.
Butler made his television debut in 1998's The Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star, portraying Marty Claymore. In the 2001 miniseries Attila, Butler took the title role, and the following year he was cast as Johnnie Donne in The Jury''.
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
| 1997 | Mrs Brown | Archie Brown | ||
| 1997 | Tomorrow Never Dies | Leading Seaman – HMS Devonshire | ||
| 1998 | Tale of the Mummy | Burke | ||
| 1999 | Fast Food | Jacko | ||
| 1999 | One More Kiss | Sam | Credited as Gerry Butler | |
| 1999 | The Cherry Orchard | Yasha | ||
| 2000 | Dracula 2000 | Count Dracula / Judas Iscariot | ||
| 2001 | Harrison's Flowers | Chris Kumac | ||
| 2001 | Jewel of the Sahara | Charles Belamy | Short film | |
| 2001 | Please! | Peter | Short film; credited as Gerry Butler | |
| 2002 | Shooters | Jackie Junior | ||
| 2002 | Reign of Fire | Creedy | ||
| 2003 | Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life | Terry Sheridan | ||
| 2003 | Timeline | André Marek | ||
| 2004 | The Phantom of the Opera | The Phantom | ||
| 2004 | Dear Frankie | The Stranger | ||
| 2005 | The Game of Their Lives | Frank Borghi | ||
| 2005 | Beowulf & Grendel | Beowulf | ||
| 2006 | Shadow Company | James Ashcroft | Voice | |
| 2006 | Wrath of Gods | Himself | Also co-producer | |
| 2006 | 300 | King Leonidas | ||
| 2007 | Butterfly on a Wheel | Neil Randall | ||
| 2007 | P.S. I Love You | Gerry Kennedy | ||
| 2008 | Nim's Island | Jack Rusoe / Alex Rover | ||
| 2008 | RocknRolla | One Two | ||
| 2009 | Watchmen | The Captain | Voice; segment: "Tales of the Black Freighter" | |
| 2009 | The Ugly Truth | Mike Chadway | ||
| 2009 | Gamer | Kable / John Tillman | ||
| 2009 | Law Abiding Citizen | Clyde Shelton | Also producer | |
| 2010 | The Bounty Hunter | Milo Boyd | ||
| 2010 | How to Train Your Dragon | Stoick the Vast | Voice | |
| 2010 | Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon | Stoick the Vast | Voice; short film | |
| 2011 | Gift of the Night Fury | Stoick the Vast | Voice; short film | |
| 2011 | Coriolanus | Tullus Aufidius | ||
| 2011 | Na Nai'a Legend of the Dolphins | Narrator | Voice | |
| 2011 | Machine Gun Preacher | Sam Childers | Also executive producer | |
| 2012 | Chasing Mavericks | Frosty Hesson | Also executive producer | |
| 2012 | Playing for Keeps | George Dryer | Also producer | |
| 2013 | Movie 43 | Leprechaun 1 & 2 | Segment: "Happy Birthday" | |
| 2013 | Olympus Has Fallen | Mike Banning | Also producer | |
| 2014 | How to Train Your Dragon 2 | Stoick the Vast | Voice | |
| 2014 | 300: Rise of an Empire | King Leonidas | Cameo | |
| 2015 | Septembers of Shiraz | Producer only | ||
| 2016 | Gods of Egypt | Set | ||
| 2016 | London Has Fallen | Mike Banning | Also producer | |
| 2016 | A Family Man | Dane Jensen | Also producer | |
| 2017 | Geostorm | Jacob "Jake" Lawson | ||
| 2018 | Den of Thieves | Nick "Big Nick" O'Brien | Also producer | |
| 2018 | The Vanishing | James | Also producer | |
| 2018 | Hunter Killer | Joe Glass | Also producer | |
| 2019 | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Stoick the Vast | Voice | |
| 2019 | Them That Follow | Producer only | ||
| 2019 | Angel Has Fallen | Mike Banning | Also producer | |
| 2020 | Greenland | John Garrity | Also producer | |
| 2021 | Copshop | Bob Viddick | Also producer | |
| 2022 | Last Seen Alive | Will Spann | Also producer | |
| 2023 | Plane | Brodie Torrance | Also producer | |
| 2023 | Kandahar | Tom Harris | Also producer | |
| 2025 | Den of Thieves 2: Pantera | Nick "Big Nick" O'Brien | Also producer | |
| 2025 | Naya: Legend of the Golden Dolphin | King Kula | Voice | |
| 2025 | How to Train Your Dragon | Stoick the Vast | ||
| 2025 | In the Hand of Dante | Louie / Pope Bonifacio | ||
| 2026 | Greenland 2: Migration | John Garrity | ||
| TBA | Completed |