Scottish-born actor Gerard Butler said in a recent interview that he had a very different career path in mind if he hadn’t been able to make a living in Hollywood.
The actor spoke with entertainment site Page Six at the premiere of his new film “Plane” — and he said that he could easily see himself working an outdoor job, something that would require him to spend most of his time in nature.
“Going to work in a national park as a land commissioner or something. I like the idea of being forced into — not forced into nature — but to have that as my everyday experience, to be in nature,” he explained.
With more than five dozen acting credits to his name, the “300” star doesn’t appear likely to transition to a second career as a park ranger any time soon, but he told Page Six that his love of the outdoors was part of the reason he loved Scotland and tended to vacation in out-of-the-way places.
“I think it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world,” he said of his home country. “And often my holidays are to places like Iceland, into the middle of nowhere.”
Butler’s one complaint about Scotland appeared to be the food — which he described as “interesting,” “historically fascinating,” and “definitely an experience for the palate.”
“But no, I think we’re known for other things,” he added. “You know, we have our whiskeys, we have our music, our bagpipes, you know, we have our kilts, but the French have their cuisine. The Italians have a cuisine. I would not say that it would be our first choice to say, ‘Let’s go to a Scottish restaurant’ if we’re talking about amazing, delectable cuisine, right?”
Butler’s assessment appears to align with the joke about traditional Scottish foods — delivered by comedian and actor Mike Myers — in the 1993 film “So I Married an Axe Murderer.” Upon being asked whether he liked haggis, Myers replied, “No, I think it’s repellent in every way. In fact, I think most Scottish cuisine is based on a dare.”
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