Growing up in Paisley helped me with killer role, says Gerard Butler

Nov 13 2011 Exclusive by Norman Silvester, Sunday Mail

HOLLYWOOD star Gerard Butler says being raised in Paisley was perfect for his new role as a crazed killer.

In Machine Gun Preacher, Butler plays drug addict biker Sam Childers, who found God, turned his back on crime and opened an orphanage in Sudan for boy soldiers.

Butler said: "People ask if I was intimidated by Sam, this man who regularly kills people.

"I tell them I grew up with a lot of rough stuff around me. It makes you ready and able to look after yourself, and also gives you that ability to play the warrior.

Butler, who is 43 today, was brought up in Paisley during the area's infamous drug war in the 1990s.
He also revealed his support for Scottish independence, saying: "I can't see why not."

Daily Record