‘300’ star Gerard Butler shows Marines his Spartan kick

A few lucky Marines got a taste of the “Spartan kick” when King Leonidas himself invaded Camp Pendleton, California, on Friday.

Gerard Butler was on base to promote his new movie, London Has Fallen, with a special screening for troops, but there was no side-stepping the lore of Leonidas, the Spartan king Butler brought to life in 300, released in the U.S. in 2007 and set (loosely) to the battle at Thermopylae in 480 B.C.

Butler was treated to a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program demonstration, which included the front kick made famous when Leonidas taught a belligerent emissary a lesson in respect. The Marines then beckoned Butler to demonstrate the kick himself, and he did not disappoint.

Marines also gave the move a shot.

The 46-year-old Scottish actor greeted Marines, sailors and family members throughout the day. He signed autographs and posed for photos before treating the troops to the sneak peek of his latest action flick.

In London Has Fallen, a sequel to the 2013 Olympus Has Fallen, Butler reprises the role of Secret Service agent Mike Banning. When terrorists target world leaders at the funeral of the British prime minister, the fate of the free world depends on Banning, and the support of Vice President Trumbull, played by Morgan Freeman — arguably the coolest man on the planet.

This does not look to be Butler’s last visit to Pendleton this year. A Marine identified as Cpl. Maclellan asked him to escort her to the Marine Corps Ball in November, and Butler quickly agreed.

It’s not immediately clear whether Butler will show up dressed in Leonidas’ full battle regalia.