The director, Zack Snyder has been a never-ending ball of energy and enthusiasm on a film set. From his stunning adaptation of George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead to his soaring Superman reboot Man of Steel, the talented director’s passion for his work has been evident throughout his career.

His 2007 action drama 300, which catapulted the acclaimed director to a whole new level, is not to be overlooked among Snyder’s massively successful blockbusters. Gerard Butler, who played the lead in 300, has once recalled the crazy events that took place when the filmmaker pitched the movie and the role to him.

The Scottish actor and film producer reflected fondly on his breakthrough performance as he recalled his first meeting with Snyder and how they became friends before working on the movie.

Let us take a look at Butler’s motivational journey, during which he underwent a remarkable transformation and made one specific promise to play Leonidas in Snyder’s film with unwavering commitment.

Gerard Butler’s Sincere Promise To Zack Snyder For 300

Gerard Butler, a Scottish actor renowned for his mesmerizing performances, has consistently been driven to raise his game for each role. For one role in particular, he had to put in a tremendous amount of dedication.

In 2007, Zack Snyder adapted the 1998 comic series 300 by Lynn Varley and Frank Miller for the big screen. Butler would ultimately play the Spartan king Leonidas in the movie, which received high marks for both its performances and its striking visuals. Also, it was a huge hit at the box office.

Gerard Butler in Zack Snyder’s 300

Snyder, who at the time was not particularly well-known, was won over by Butler after their initial meeting. The director, 57, once told Film School Rejects:

“You know, when I first met Gerry we met in this coffee shop and he was immediately insane, in a good way. He stood up and he ranted around the coffee shop. He posed, he had the book with him. He had his own copy of it and he was like, ‘Look at this. This is awesome. I want to be like this.’ And when I left I said, ‘Wow, that guy is… he’s the King.’ You know, he’s the guy.”
Butler committed to quitting “smoking” and undergoing a complete body makeover in order to play the mighty King Leonidas in the 2007 movie. Because of his dedication, Snyder eventually told his wife, Deborah Snyder, about the meeting:

“And I went home to my wife who is one of the producers of the movie and I said, ‘Baby, I met Gerry and I think he’s the guy.’ And she said, ‘Oh really, that’s exciting.’ And he had to do a little song and dance for the studio, but not too much. He promised Alan Horn that he would get buff, get ripped up and that he’d quit smoking and he did. So that was kinda good.”

Gerard Butler admitted that getting his ripped look for 300 came at a price that was worth it, despite how good it might have appeared on screen. The actor would exercise six hours a day for the role, according to The Hollywood Reporter interview. He spent two hours bodybuilding, two hours doing CrossFit, and two hours practicing fight choreography. The Kandahar star shared:

“That was the best shape I have ever been in in my life. In some ways I was ruining my body, but I was looking amazing doing it.”

However, their hard work was ultimately rewarded when Zack Snyder’s 300 became a surprise hit. Butler further recalled exclaiming:

Gerard Butler in Zack Snyder’s 300

With his debut comic book film, the director demonstrated his vision and astounded the audience as Butler recalled:

“When I first saw the final product…It was like, ‘Look at what Zack did!’ I can’t speak highly enough about him.”

In the end, the film exceeded expectations at the box office and earned $456M versus its $65M budget. The movie had the 24th-largest opening weekend in box office history at the time.