A law student turned actor, Gerard Butler is widely recognized for his work in a wide range of projects. From action-packed roles to stealing our hearts with his heartfelt charm, he has earned critical acclaim for his versatility.

His compelling performances are the reason why he has earned a dedicated fandom and a strong career that continues to bloom beautifully.

However, his flawless performances are a result of sheer dedication to his work which sometimes gets him into some unexpected trouble.

Gerard Butler in 2023’s Plane

Something similar happened when he was filming his 2023 movie, Plane. The work behind the camera for the action thriller movie was not easy, especially for the actor who accidentally doused his face with acid.

Gerard Butler Recalled a Major Mishap While Filming ‘Plane’

Gerard Butler in Plane (2023)

In a January appearance on the Late Night with Seth Meyers, Gerard Butler gave an insight on filming his then-new movie, Plane alongside Mike Colter, Yoson An, and Tony Goldwyn. During a segment, he revealed how he accidentally ended up hurting himself. 

He mentioned, “No matter what I’m doing, I manage to hurt myself.”

He explained that the incident occurred when he was filming a crucial scene where his character, pilot Brodie Torrance was trying to repair a brake in the aircraft’s wheels before takeoff.
“Now I’m sticking my hand in between these two wheels, kind of pretending that I know what I’m doing. Every time I bring my hands out, they’re covered in blood and green fluid, right? And I’m like, ‘I don’t know what this green fluid is.’”

As the sequence was filmed on a scorching hot Puerto Rican day leaving him to perspire heavily. 
“I’m rubbing my face and, suddenly, it’s in my throat. It’s in my mouth. It’s up my nose. It’s in my eyes,” Butler recalled. “It’s burning my face, and I mean burning.”

The substance surely reacted to his skin leaving a burning sensation. He eventually found out that the substance he came in contact with was nothing but phosphoric acid. 

Gerard Butler Ended Up Rubbing Phosphoric Acid on His Face

Butler continued to share that the airline pilots immediately reacted to what happened at the time. He mentioned, 
“It turns out this is essentially phosphoric acid.” He added, “And the airline pilots that were there watching go, ‘No!.’” 

He recalled the ‘intense’ sensation he felt at the time which definitely was excruciatingly painful for him but turned out to be a great thing for the filming. 

“I’m just, like, burning alive…so it was intense. It actually burned for hours, but it was great for the sequence.”
It’s not the first time he faced such a situation as he has quite a history of accidents. Despite his behind-the-camera stories, his insane acting skills would not let anyone doubt him in any way.

Meanwhile, the movie follows his pilot character who allies with a prisoner played by Mike Colter (who plays Luke Cage in MCU) in an attempt to save his passengers from a hostile territory who were crash-landed by lightning. With critics giving favorable reviews, the movie ended up grossing $74 million worldwide.