The gorgeous Gerard Butler has taken over from Ryan Reynolds, and is the new ambassador for BOSS BOTTLED – a heavenly scent for men. The campaign also marks Butler’s first appearance as an ambassador for a man’s fragrance, so to celebrate this milestone, we sat down with Gerard in a HOTEL ROOM to talk about his favourite smells, his Zoolander skills and his pug dog.
Hi Gerard, so, you must get asked to be an ambassador for lots of campaigns, what was it about Hugo Boss that made you sign on the dotted line?
I’ve always liked the Hugo Boss brand – I’ve worn a lot of the clothes, and I’ve worn their fragrance before, so I was really excited when they first approached me and asked me to do it. But also, I really found the campaign very stimulating and different, y’know? The fact that it was trying to do something bigger than just a fragrance itself, to define masculinity, to inspire men to think about where they are today in the world and I thought it was very subtle, elegant and cool.
There’s a certain smoulder that’s required for fragrance ads, did you practice in the mirror beforehand? Zoolander style?
[Laughs] I’ve always been big on my Zoolander looks, I’ve been practicing it for years! Just hoping that the day would come when I could get to smoulder properly. [Laughs some more]
So what do you think makes you the ‘Man of Today’?
Well I guess I’ve been pretty successful in my career, I’m very focused, I work hard, I’m dedicated but at the same time, I like to live life in the moment which is very important for the Man of Today. It’s important to be passionate, to be in touch with his emotional side.
You’re so modest! Apart from the new fragrance, what’s your favourite smell?
I love a musky smell, one of my favourite smells is an Egyptian musk I own. It feels very masculine.
I love the smell of petrol which is weird…
That is a little weird.
You’ve got lots of movies coming up – forgetting any of your new co-stars, who would be your dream actor or actress to work with?
I’d love to make a movie with Daniel Day Lewis, he doesn’t make many but it seems that every time he does he wins an Oscar. He’s also a super cool guy, but he’s also in my book, he’s one of the best actors ever lived y’know – to just have your game brought up by playing opposite him would just be a very exciting challenge.
You’ve sometimes had to bulk up for your film roles, would you ever do a film where you had to gain loads of weight and be really fat?
Yeah! I’d relish that prospect. I also don’t always relish bulking up for a movie. I think sometimes it’s easier to get fat than bulk up. To bulk up you know you have hours in the gym, doing weights, and that’s not always easy. Perhaps next time I’m going to suggest that my character should be quite fat.
You studied law and started out down the path of being a lawyer – what made you make the change to acting?
I was really not happy doing what I was doing. Everybody in the company knew that, and I was fired a week before qualifying. But the funny thing is, they came back and supported me in my first job as an actor, they just said that ‘your heart is in a different place’. They knew what I wanted to do, so in a way they were releasing me to go and pursue my dream, because my dream was always to act.
You could take those skills and do a cameo on Scandal or Suits. Would you ever do a TV series?
I generally stay away from TV and I love making films, but if there was a comedy show – or a skit that I really liked – I’d be happy to do something like that. But to do a regular part on television? Maybe in a few years when I decide I want to stay in the same city, and I get sick of travelling.
You mainly live in LA now, apart from friends and family, what do you miss the most from home?
I now live in Malibu, and I rented this big land with a forest and rivers running through it, it’s a magical little kingdom. That’s definitely inspired from my time in Scotland and I think I’m happiest in the hills or the mountains, when there’s vegetation, trees and bushes, and this place is beautiful. That’s what I miss from Scotland is the countryside – it’s truly an incredible experience to be amongst it.
What’s your biggest indulgence?
Chocolate and candy. I couldn’t sleep last night because I was jetlagged and I said to myself, ‘whatever you do, do not put sugar into your system because you’re just not going to be able to get back to sleep’, and then I ate a whole big thick bar of chocolate. I then ended up getting to sleep at 5.30 this morning.
And you still look this hot! How?
Well, that’s all grooming!
How to do you like to unwind after a long day?
I love to get out in the water, the ocean. That’s why I moved out to Malibu, so I can surf and paddleboard. It is amazing just getting in that water, even if I don’t get on a wave, just getting in the water and doing exercise and something different, it just washes away everything. I come out of there and I always sleep better at night, I always get rid of any stresses of the day, and I always feel at least 2-3 times better than I did before I went in.
If you weren’t a famous actor, what do you think you would be?
A famous musician, just as long as it’s famous [laughs]. I don’t know, I’m really not good at anything else, I’m not even good at acting! [Laughs some more]. Sometimes when I’m back in Scotland I imagine being a Forest Ranger … something the opposite of what you do can be appealing.
With a wardrobe filled with clothes, you must want for nothing! What will you be putting on your Christmas list this year?
I think it’s time to rest a little and get some video games.
Boys and their toys!
Yep, I think I need to put down an X Box or a Playstation. Everyone who knows me is like, ”sit down, grab a seat, take a rest!’ so I think that would be a good idea.
Tell us about your adorable pug – there is nothing sexier than a hot man with a cute dog.
[Laughs]Her name is Lolita. I’ve now had her for eight years. I’ve never had a dog of my own before, and when the public found out about her I became doubly nervous of my precious angel, and I was always thinking, ‘what if something happened to her?!’. But yeah, she’s little, adorable and fat, but she literally steals people’s hearts, everywhere she goes she’s their favourite, she’s a soulful, beautiful, and a real people person.
This year is the 10 year anniversary since PS I Love You came out (the book, not the movie) – do you look back at that film fondly? Do you think that’s where a lot of your female fans fell in love with you?
No doubt, yeah. I had such a great time making that movie. Everybody that made it, made it for the right reasons. There was so much heart … everybody had a story that they could attach to that and it was a lot of love, fun and sadness in the movie, but it was also such a great adventure to go on. And how it performed, and how it impacted people, even today, it’s amazing how many people come up and mention that movie.
Can we have a picture with you?
Of course!
Watch Gerard here in his first commercial for BOSS (and gals, try not to drool too much!)