Zack Snyder was certain he found his future King Leonidas when he sat with Gerard Butler, although Butler came off as a bit eccentric at the time.

Actor Gerard Butler received one of his career’s biggest roles when Zack Snyder cast him in 300. Snyder had a feeling Butler would be the right actor for his adaptation based on how crazy Butler came across as.

Zack Snyder on meeting Gerard Butler

Snyder brought Frank Miller’s graphic novel 300 to the big screen in 2007. The successful movie was about a group of 300 Spartan soldiers battling an invading Persian army with superior numbers. The movie was a huge success at the box office, and was praised for its performances and striking visuals.

Butler would end up portraying the Spartan king Leonidas in the film. Despite not being too big of a name at the time, Snyder was sold on Butler in their first meeting.

“You know, when I first met Gerry we met in this coffee shop and he was immediately insane, in a good way,” Snyder once told Film School Rejects.

“He stood up and he ranted around the coffee shop. He posed, he had the book with him. He had his own copy of it and he was like, ‘Look at this. This is awesome. I want to be like this.’ And when I left I said, ‘Wow, that guy is… he’s the King.’ You know, he’s the guy.”

He was so excited that he ended up telling his wife, longtime producer Deborah Snyder, about the meeting.

“And I went home to my wife who is one of the producers of the movie and I said, ‘Baby, I met Gerry and I think he’s the guy.’ And she said, ‘Oh really, that’s exciting.’

And he had to do a little song and dance for the studio, but not too much. He promised Alan Horn that he would get buff, get ripped up and that he’d quit smoking and he did. So that was kinda good,” Snyder said.

After finding Butler, Snyder shared there was no reason to look for anyone else to cast as King Leonidas.

The ‘300’ cast laughed when Gerard Butler said 1 of his most iconic lines

300’s dialogue was filled with many quotables that are remembered even to this day. Butler’s line, “This is Sparta,” particularly stood out to many who watched the film and trailers. But initially, it didn’t have the reaction Butler thought it would.

In an interview with GQ, Butler reflected on his days with his 300 cast, and what it was like reciting the line. He admitted that he had a little trouble with it in the beginning. The first time Butler uttered the words, he used a low, monotone growl.

“I had done quite a few takes and most of them were ‘This is Sparta,’” Butler said. “And it’s part process and part insecurity, maybe. And I go, ‘Can I just try another?’”

In the next take, Butler would end up screaming the dialogue, creating the now iconic line. Although Butler’s castmates didn’t react the way he thought they would’ve, Snyder reassured the actor of his performance.

“And I turn around and all my army are literally like this,” he said, covering his mouth to hide laughter. “And I go up to Zack and I go, ‘That was too much?’ And he goes, ‘Yeah! But it was awesome!’”

Gerard Butler said his ‘300’ look ruined his body

It might have looked good on screen, but the Tomb Raider star revealed that achieving his 300 physique came at a worthwhile cost.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, it was noted that Butler would work out six hours a day for the role. He invested two hours for bodybuilding, two for crossfit training, and two for fight choreography.

“That was the best shape I have ever been in in my life,” Butler said. “In some ways I was ruining my body, but I was looking amazing doing it.”