Shattered Scots actor Gerard Butler left ‘broken hearted’ by devastating death of Hunter Killer co-star Michael Nyqvist
Tragedy struck after filming when the Swedish star lost his battle with lung cancer at the age of 56
MOVIE hunk Gerard Butler has revealed he was left devastated by the death of his co-star from new submarine thriller Hunter Killer.
Tragedy struck after filming last year when Swedish star Michael Nyqvist lost his battle with lung cancer at the age of 56.
The actor played Captain Sergi Andropov, who battles Butler’s character Joe Glass throughout the film.
But the Scot, 48, admitted he is “broken hearted” that they never got to watch their titanic screen tussle together.
He said of Michael: “Of all the movies I’ve made he’s right up there as one of my favourites, if not my favourite, in terms of somebody who just had such incredible talent, childlike qualities and playfulness.
“But more than anything had such an incredible humility, and warmth, and this cheeky kind of glint in his eyes.
Gerard Butler delights fans with tartan suit as he smoulders for Nobleman Magazine cover shoot
“It breaks my heart. And it breaks my heart that we’ll never get to sit together to watch this movie.”
Though the best mates play enemies in the film, Butler hopes their respect for each other shines through.
He adds: “I see this movie in some ways as a love story of friendship and respect between these two captains from opposite sides of the world and opposite cultures.
“They’re enemies. But as individuals, they each have the ability to do things differently than anybody else would — they both can see above and beyond the normal rules of conflict and engagement.
“Andropov is an old salty dog of a warrior while Glass is a hard-nosed, blue-collar Navy man.
“Yet they both have respect for the other and their almost silent relationship drives the outcome of the story. It’s a very powerful experience.
“We wanted to capture that and when we’d finish those scenes, everybody would have goose bumps.”
Incredibly, Butler got to experience first-hand the real-life dangers of being on a nuclear submarine when he plunged below the waves with the crew of a US Virginia-class attack vessel.
He visited the iconic United States naval base Pearl Harbour to research his role, as he takes a young crew from the USS Arkansas under orders to head towards the Russian enemy during the Cold War.
To prepare, the 300 star wanted to get to grips with the experiences of the men who put their lives on the line each time they sink below the ocean surface.
He says: “I was very interested in the way that naval captains think and the pressures that play on them.
“I talked a lot about the idea that submarine crews face not just death but the lonely prospect of sinking to the bottom of the dark sea.
“That’s something they have to live with all the time — and that knowledge builds their character and also the incredible camaraderie you see on submarines.
“There’s something about knowing that on a sub, no matter what happens, no matter if you’re the Captain or a junior officer, you’re all in this together.
“These are people who drill and drill and drill so that when things hit the fan, they can make the right moves, like it’s in their sleep.
“Everything has to be automatic because when you’ve got freezing cold water coming in, the carbon dioxide is building, there’s a fire going on, the place is full of smoke and you know your sub is about to go down, you need to be able to act in half a second.
“Learning about that was enlightening. You see that it takes a certain kind of individual to be able to lead in this very hazardous narrow tube.”
Navy Seal and film consultant Russell Coons reckons the Scots actor dug deep into his acting skills.
He adds: “He was like a kid in a candy store excited to take in as much information as he could learn.
“We really appreciated him going out to sea on our submarine and seeing how we act as a team, and I think he was really excited to discover how talented and smart the people who work on submarines are. He was very impressed.”
The film documents the ‘invisible’ war between US and Russian submarines who play ultra high-stakes rounds of hide and seek.
Hunter Killer is the aptly named sleek attack sub created to approach the enemy without detection.
It all begins as a Russian sub sinks in the Arctic Ocean followed by a US vessel ghosting it which also mysteriously vanishes.
A rogue Russian admiral is attempting to carry out a bloodthirsty coup at a naval base in Russia and a clandestine Black Ops team of ex-SEALs as well as Captain Glass and his crew must try to sneak into Russian territory to intercept the kidnapping of the Russian President.
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BUTLER reveals one of the biggest challenges on set was learning Navy slang.
Though he had no idea what the crew were saying at first, he quickly picked up the unique seafaring lingo.
He said: “We found fun ways to incorporate some of the language in the film because it makes things that much more believable.
“In a real emergency situation, when you have everybody calling out commands in the proper form, it’s incredible to witness how intense it gets, even if you don’t completely understand their slang. The whole ship is chanting and moving together in this beautiful flow of energy.”
Here are some of the terms the actor had to use:
ANGLES AND DANGLES: The period of time when a submarine is making major depth changes.
CHASING THE BUBBLE: Trying to get the ship to a level angle
GOAT LOCKER: A term of endearment for the Captain’s Quarters
PING JOCKEYS: Sonar technicians
RUN, JUMP AND PUKE: The Navy’s physical readiness test
SCUTTLEBUTT: A drinking fountain or rumour.
ZULU 5 OSCAR: An intruder or unauthorized person attempting to board
Butler reckons the film will have viewers biting their fingernails.
He says: “It’s a classic story with a heck of a lot of great action, a heck of an intricate plot and a whole cast of fantastic characters who are heroes from different walks of life.
“It felt like an exciting way to revive the submarine thriller for these times. And right now, this story couldn’t feel more relevant.
“What’s fascinating about Glass to me is that he has to make decisions that will affect the world for hundreds of years because we’re talking about the immediate possibility of sparking an all-out World War III.
"So he’s up against the highest stakes imaginable and the way things unfold for him is both really suspenseful and surprisingly believable in today’s geopolitical circumstances.
“At first nobody quite trusts Glass because he seems a little nuts.
“But you see him carefully build his bond with the crew as they begin to realize how serious their mission is.
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“They start out as young men and women who are mostly playing at their roles and then you get to watch as they become incredibly honed warriors daring to attempt the impossible.”
Hunter Killer is in cinemas on October 19.
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