Gerard Butler

Man with a capital M. Charismatic, confident and fresh, this is Gerard Butler all over. No wonder, then, that he joined the ranks of L'Oréal's male brand ambassadors.

After his breakthrough debuts on the London stage with the theatre adaptation of Trainspotting in 1996, and Tennessee Williams's Last Summer, he gave in to the bright lights of the cinematic industry. In 1997, he landed his first role in the film Mrs Brown, before appearing in the cast of Tomorrow Never Dies. Then in 2003, Gerard Butler starred opposite Billy Connolly in Timeline, and acted alongside Angelina Jolie in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. In 2004, he played the lead role in Joel Schumacher's film version of Phantom of the Opera.

After this relatively short period in which he added a number of excellent performances to his acting CV, Gerard Butler established himself as a major player in the film industry with his interpretation of the role of King Leonidas in Zack Snyder's film 300, which topped the box-office charts on its release in 2006.

Known for his roles in action films, Butler has nevertheless appeared in other genres, such as the 2007 romantic comedy hit P.S. I Love You with Hilary Swank, and was also in the children's adventure film Nim's Island. In 2010, Butler went on to play opposite Jennifer Aniston in The Bounty Hunter. In January 2012, his magnetic charm worked its magic once again on the big screen in Coriolanus, directed by Ralph Fiennes.