(Updated 11/12/2024)
From intense action thrillers to romantic comedies, Scottish actor Gerard Butler has built an impressive filmography over his decades-long career. Butler has the physicality of an action star, and he has remarkable range that cuts across genres and meshes well with ensembles.
Whether playing historical figures, everyday heroes, or complex villains, Butler's signature intensity and charm stand out, while his commitment to each role has earned him a dedicated following among moviegoers worldwide.
As we look forward to the release of DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA, here are Gerard Butler's best movies.
7. Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
This revenge thriller features a surprisingly layered performance from Butler — not what you expect to see in a movie like this. As Clyde Shelton, a man seeking vengeance against the justice system, Butler creates a compelling anti-hero who forces viewers to question their own moral standings. The film's popularity has endured thanks to his magnetic portrayal of a grieving father-turned-calculating vigilante.
6. Phantom of the Opera (2004)
One of Butler's earliest movie parts was the title role in the movie adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbuster stage musical. Butler's ambitious turn as the Phantom showcases his range as a performer. Few fans realize he performed his own singing for the role, demonstrating impressive vocal capabilities alongside his dramatic skills — and those are vocal skills he learned for this movie, as he was the one primary cast member without real singing experience. PHANTOM highlights Butler's ability to bring humanity to complex, tormented characters, and it has grown into a true audience favorite.
5. Den of Thieves (2018)
DEN OF THIEVES is a simple pleasure, a gritty heist thriller that sticks to everything that basic description suggests. Yet Butler's portrayal of damaged cop Nick O'Brien shows his talent for bringing complexity to roles that could lean into simplistic action. The film's intricate plot and Butler's intense performance created a cult following, which explains why DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA is on the way.
4. Greenland (2020)
This disaster thriller surprised critics and audiences with its grounded approach to the genre. Butler plays John Garrity, a pretty typical father who is trying to get his family to safety as a comet threatens Earth. Butler's authentic, unaffected performance elevates what could have been a standard disaster movie into a compelling study of family bonds under extreme pressure.
3. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
While Butler only provides his voice as Stoick the Vast, father of the main character Hiccup, this animated masterpiece represents some of his best work. His rich Scottish brogue brings warmth and authority to the role of a Viking chief struggling to understand his son. The performance demonstrates Butler's ability to convey deep emotion through voice alone. A live-action version of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON will be released in 2025, and for that movie Butler will finally get to physically play the role as well as provide the voice; he's the one voice actor from the animated movies reprising his part in live-action form.
2. RocknRolla (2008)
In Guy Ritchie's underrated crime comedy — the director's fifth movie — Butler shows his versatility as One Two, a Scottish mobster caught in London's criminal underworld. His natural charm shines through in this ensemble piece, proving he can hold his own alongside veteran actors in a sharp, witty script. The role showcases Butler's often-overlooked comedic timing and ability to handle complex character dynamics.
1. 300 (2006)
Butler's breakthrough role as King Leonidas in Zack Snyder's stylized epic remains his most well-known performance. The film's eye-catching visual effects and Butler's intense physical commitment to the role combined to turn 300 into a benchmark movie that propelled both Snyder and Butler to stardom. The actor's delivery of "This is Sparta!" became an iconic bit of dialogue that reverberates even outside the movie theater. 300 masterfully balances spectacular battle sequences with emotional weight, anchored by Butler's commanding presence.
DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA opens on January 10.
All images courtesy of Lionsgate and Warner Bros. Pictures.