Celebrity News August 20, 2019
Gerard Butler Opens Up About Rebuilding His Malibu Home
Actor Gerard Butler is back as Secret Service Agent Mike Banning in “Angel Has Fallen,” the third film in the “Olympus Has Fallen” franchise. “Extra's” Terri Seymour caught up with Butler, who opened up about the new action flick, and how tough the past two years have been.
Butler was in a motorcycle in L.A. in 2017, and he lost his Malibu home in the Woolsey Fire in 2018.
He told Terri, “These last two years, they were interesting and hard… a lot of stuff happened like the fire, motorcycle accident, other stuff went on, and a lot of it happened very close together and it just made me reevaluate.”
Opening up about rebuilding his home, he said, “It's taking its time… It's a very sad and emotional experience when you walk down to your house and you see it still burning, you know, or part of it is. I lost part of it and… all the land that's gone as well.
He continued, “You go, 'Okay, I'll rebuild,' but then it takes so long just to get the clearances because of the toxicity and before they can even clear out the rubble you need permits for that and then the foundations are gone so you've got to dig out the foundations and then they've got to take the topsoil off.”
Gerard went on, “So it's a long time before you even get close to planning and starting to rebuild, so we still haven't started to rebuild. It's tough, and it's tough for a lot of people out in that community, but it's a beautiful community in Malibu, you know, with a lot of strength and I think that's shown through… during this time you know that community spirit.”
Meanwhile, Butler's career is going strong. The star loved working on “Angel Has Fallen,” saying, “I've loved the experience. I've loved all three movies... they've all felt different but they've all been hard work but super fun.”
This time he is racing to save now President Trumbull, again played by Morgan Freeman, who does his own stunts at 82, “At one time I had to say, 'You need to slow down,' because I was running behind him and he's got big long legs and I'm trying not to clip his heels and I'm also trying to look like a badass you know... I go, 'Morgan, let's just take your time a little bit more,' but he's off!”
Nick Nolte has joined the cast, playing Butler's estranged father. “He makes this movie,” Butler said. “I think him and I should have our own spin-off, you know, our own 'Hobbs & Shaw'… maybe not 'Hobbs & Shaw'... but you know what I mean.”
“Angel Has Fallen” opens August 23, 2019.
