Gerard Butler Shares His Experience Playing Stoick the Vast in the Live-Action Reboot of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’

Gerard Butler, playing Stoick the Vast in the live-action reboot of 'How to Train Your Dragon', discusses the challenges of wearing heavy costumes and shooting in the cold. His experience is a true transformation story.

Gerard Butler Shares His Experience Playing Stoick the Vast in the Live-Action Reboot of 'How to Train Your Dragon'
Universal Pictures

The cold winter winds were enough to make anyone shiver. But, for Gerard Butler, it was something else altogether. While playing Stoick the Vast in the film, he kept shooting despite his heavy costume and fighting the cold. “It was very cold and somewhat miserable,” he says, yet he felt warm from his layers and heavy armor. The heaviness of the costume kept him warm on the outside, but the discomfort on the inside bothered him. Small issues like a sweat-soaked beard and falling eyebrows became an everyday affair for him.

“I had seven layers on, thick layers,” he says, but it was all his thick layers that protected him on a cold day. What Gerard Butler revealed about his shoot makes the audience realize that the hard work behind each character is just as big as the character appears on screen. If you ever think everything is easy in the film industry, Gerard’s experience puts it in a new light.

Read Also: “Now You See Me 3” Filming Ends, Another Exciting Chapter Begins With New Photos

The world of dragons and the magic of acting

jeraard batalar ne hau too tren yor draigan ke laiv-ekshan reeboot mein stoik da vaist ka kiradaar nibhaane ke anubhav ko saajha kiya jeraard batalar, hau too tren yor draigan ke laiv-ekshan reeboot mein stoik da vaist ka kiradaar nibhaate hue bhaaree poshaak aur thand mein shooting ke dauraan kee chunautiyon par charcha karate hain. unaka anubhav ek asalee traansaphormeshan kee kahaanee hai. sardiyon mein thandee havaen sabako kaapane ke lie kaaphee theen. lekin, jeraard batalar ke lie, yah kuchh aur hee tha. philm mein stoik da vaist ka kiradaar nibhaane ke dauraan, vah apanee bhaaree poshaak aur sardee se ladane ke baavajood shooting karate rahe. vah kahate hain, "yah bahut thanda tha, aur kuchh had tak dayaneey tha," phir bhee unhen apanee paraton aur bhaaree aarmar se garmee mahasoos ho rahee thee. poshaak ke bhaareepan ne unhen baahar se garm kiya, lekin andar kee pareshaanee ne unhen pareshaan kiya. paseene mein bheegee daadhee aur giratee huee bhauhen jaise chhote-chhote mudde unake lie har din kee baat ban gae the. "mere paas saat paraten theen, motee paraten," vah kahate hain, lekin thand ke din unakee ye motee paraten hee unake lie bachaav ka kaam kar rahee theen. jeraard batalar ne apanee shooting ke baare mein jo khulaasa kiya, vah darshakon ko ehasaas dilaata hai ki har ek kiradaar ke peechhe kee mehanat utanee hee badee hotee hai jitana vah kiradaar skreen par dikhata hai. agar kabhee aapako lagata hai ki philm indastree mein sab kuchh aasaan hai, to jeraard ka anubhav ise ek naee roshanee mein rakhata hai. draigan kee duniya aur abhinay ka jaadoo "hau too tren yor draigan" jaisee philmon ne hamen sirph ek naee duniya hee nahin, balki naee soch bhee dee hai. yah philm na keval bachchon ke lie hai, balki bade bhee isaka aanand le sakate hain. laiv-ekshan sanskaran mein jeraard batalar ke stoik da vaist ko dekhane ke lie log utsuk hain. vah ek bahut hee alag tarah ke vaiking ka rol nibha rahe hain, jo enimeted varshan se bilkul mel nahin khaata. stoik ka shareer aur usakee upasthiti eneemeshan mein sahee lagata hai, lekin jab ham batalar ko asalee jindagee mein dekhate hain, to hamen pata chalata hai ki ek abhineta ko is kiradaar mein dhalane ke lie kitanee mehanat karanee hotee hai. chaahe vah barpheele mausam mein shooting ho ya stoik ka vishaalakaay luk, jeraard batalar ne har pahaloo par dhyaan diya. unakee bhaaree veshabhoosha aur prosthetiks ka ek bada uddeshy tha: thand se bachaav. philm ke ek seen mein, batalar kahate hain ki "yah bahut bhaaree tha. jab mere paas meree talavaar aur dhaal theen, to yah 90 paund kee poshaak thee." yah sirph ek bhaaree poshaak nahin thee, balki ek total traansaphormeshan tha, jisane unhen stoik ke roop mein prastut kiya. nae varshan kee ummeeden aur enimeshan se laiv-ekshan tak ka saphar "hau too tren yor draigan" kee duniya hamesha hee aakarshak rahee hai. ab jab isaka laiv-ekshan varshan aa raha hai, to darshak yah jaanane ke lie utsuk hain ki is naee philm mein kya khaas hoga. jeraard batalar jaise abhineta ke lie, yah keval abhinay nahin, balki ek pooree duniya mein jeene ka anubhav hai. stoik jaisa charitr na keval baaharee roop se balki maanasik roop se bhee chunauteepoorn hai. aur jab aap us kiradaar ko nibhaane ke lie kisee nae roop mein saamane aate hain, to aapako har pahaloo par dhyaan dena hota hai. batalar ke lie, yah sardee aur garmee ka mishran tha. jabaki thandee havaon ne unhen baahar se kaampane par majaboor kiya, unakee bhaaree veshabhoosha unhen andar se garm rakhe thee. yah dekhakar aap yah sochane par majaboor hote hain ki kya kabhee kisee abhineta ke lie, kiradaar ko jeevant banaane ke lie itane bade badalaav karana aasaan hota hai? unaka anubhav na keval unake samarpan ko darshaata hai, balki yah bhee ki kaise laiv-ekshan reeboot mein enimeshan ke tatvon ko hoo-ba-hoo laana ek chunautee ho sakatee hai. is philm ke set par, jeraard batalar ke lie har din ek naee chunautee thee. "meree daadhee utar rahee thee," vah majaak karate hue kahate hain, "lekin mujhe ise vaapas neeche karana tha kyonki paseena aa raha tha." yah keval ek abhineta ka anubhav nahin hai, balki un sabhee kaaryakartaon ka anubhav hai jo parde ke peechhe kaam karate hain aur darshakon ko ek naee duniya mein le jaate hain.
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Gerard Butler Shares His Experience Playing Stoick the Vast in the Live-Action Reboot of 'How to Train Your Dragon'
Universal Pictures

Films like “How to Train Your Dragon” have given us not just a new world but also new ideas. This film is not only for children, but adults can also enjoy it. People are eager to see Gerard Butler’s Stoic the Vast in the live-action version. He is playing a very different kind of Viking, which does not match the animated version at all. Stoick’s body and appearance look perfect in animation, but when we see Butler in real life, we realize how much effort an actor has to put in to get into character.

Whether it was shooting in snowy weather or Stoick’s giant look, Gerard Butler paid attention to every aspect. His heavy costume and prosthetics had a big purpose: protection from the cold. In a scene from the film, Butler says that “It was very heavy. When I had my sword and shield on, it was a 90-pound costume.” It was not just a heavy costume, but a total transformation that presented him as Stoick.

Read Also: Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King Unveils A Behind-The-Scenes Glimpse

Expectations for the new version and the journey from animation to live-action

jeraard batalar ne hau too tren yor draigan ke laiv-ekshan reeboot mein stoik da vaist ka kiradaar nibhaane ke anubhav ko saajha kiya jeraard batalar, hau too tren yor draigan ke laiv-ekshan reeboot mein stoik da vaist ka kiradaar nibhaate hue bhaaree poshaak aur thand mein shooting ke dauraan kee chunautiyon par charcha karate hain. unaka anubhav ek asalee traansaphormeshan kee kahaanee hai. sardiyon mein thandee havaen sabako kaapane ke lie kaaphee theen. lekin, jeraard batalar ke lie, yah kuchh aur hee tha. philm mein stoik da vaist ka kiradaar nibhaane ke dauraan, vah apanee bhaaree poshaak aur sardee se ladane ke baavajood shooting karate rahe. vah kahate hain, "yah bahut thanda tha, aur kuchh had tak dayaneey tha," phir bhee unhen apanee paraton aur bhaaree aarmar se garmee mahasoos ho rahee thee. poshaak ke bhaareepan ne unhen baahar se garm kiya, lekin andar kee pareshaanee ne unhen pareshaan kiya. paseene mein bheegee daadhee aur giratee huee bhauhen jaise chhote-chhote mudde unake lie har din kee baat ban gae the. "mere paas saat paraten theen, motee paraten," vah kahate hain, lekin thand ke din unakee ye motee paraten hee unake lie bachaav ka kaam kar rahee theen. jeraard batalar ne apanee shooting ke baare mein jo khulaasa kiya, vah darshakon ko ehasaas dilaata hai ki har ek kiradaar ke peechhe kee mehanat utanee hee badee hotee hai jitana vah kiradaar skreen par dikhata hai. agar kabhee aapako lagata hai ki philm indastree mein sab kuchh aasaan hai, to jeraard ka anubhav ise ek naee roshanee mein rakhata hai. draigan kee duniya aur abhinay ka jaadoo "hau too tren yor draigan" jaisee philmon ne hamen sirph ek naee duniya hee nahin, balki naee soch bhee dee hai. yah philm na keval bachchon ke lie hai, balki bade bhee isaka aanand le sakate hain. laiv-ekshan sanskaran mein jeraard batalar ke stoik da vaist ko dekhane ke lie log utsuk hain. vah ek bahut hee alag tarah ke vaiking ka rol nibha rahe hain, jo enimeted varshan se bilkul mel nahin khaata. stoik ka shareer aur usakee upasthiti eneemeshan mein sahee lagata hai, lekin jab ham batalar ko asalee jindagee mein dekhate hain, to hamen pata chalata hai ki ek abhineta ko is kiradaar mein dhalane ke lie kitanee mehanat karanee hotee hai. chaahe vah barpheele mausam mein shooting ho ya stoik ka vishaalakaay luk, jeraard batalar ne har pahaloo par dhyaan diya. unakee bhaaree veshabhoosha aur prosthetiks ka ek bada uddeshy tha: thand se bachaav. philm ke ek seen mein, batalar kahate hain ki "yah bahut bhaaree tha. jab mere paas meree talavaar aur dhaal theen, to yah 90 paund kee poshaak thee." yah sirph ek bhaaree poshaak nahin thee, balki ek total traansaphormeshan tha, jisane unhen stoik ke roop mein prastut kiya. nae varshan kee ummeeden aur enimeshan se laiv-ekshan tak ka saphar "hau too tren yor draigan" kee duniya hamesha hee aakarshak rahee hai. ab jab isaka laiv-ekshan varshan aa raha hai, to darshak yah jaanane ke lie utsuk hain ki is naee philm mein kya khaas hoga. jeraard batalar jaise abhineta ke lie, yah keval abhinay nahin, balki ek pooree duniya mein jeene ka anubhav hai. stoik jaisa charitr na keval baaharee roop se balki maanasik roop se bhee chunauteepoorn hai. aur jab aap us kiradaar ko nibhaane ke lie kisee nae roop mein saamane aate hain, to aapako har pahaloo par dhyaan dena hota hai. batalar ke lie, yah sardee aur garmee ka mishran tha. jabaki thandee havaon ne unhen baahar se kaampane par majaboor kiya, unakee bhaaree veshabhoosha unhen andar se garm rakhe thee. yah dekhakar aap yah sochane par majaboor hote hain ki kya kabhee kisee abhineta ke lie, kiradaar ko jeevant banaane ke lie itane bade badalaav karana aasaan hota hai? unaka anubhav na keval unake samarpan ko darshaata hai, balki yah bhee ki kaise laiv-ekshan reeboot mein enimeshan ke tatvon ko hoo-ba-hoo laana ek chunautee ho sakatee hai. is philm ke set par, jeraard batalar ke lie har din ek naee chunautee thee. "meree daadhee utar rahee thee," vah majaak karate hue kahate hain, "lekin mujhe ise vaapas neeche karana tha kyonki paseena aa raha tha." yah keval ek abhineta ka anubhav nahin hai, balki un sabhee kaaryakartaon ka anubhav hai jo parde ke peechhe kaam karate hain aur darshakon ko ek naee duniya mein le jaate hain. Show more 3,513 / 5,000 Gerard Butler Shares His Experience Playing Stoick the Vast in the Live-Action Reboot of 'How to Train Your Dragon'
Universal Pictures

The world of “How to Train Your Dragon” has always been fascinating. Now that its live-action version is coming, audiences are eager to know what will be special in this new film. For an actor like Gerard Butler, it’s not just acting, it’s the experience of living in a whole new world. A character like Stoick is challenging not just externally but mentally as well. And when you transform into someone new to play that character, you have to pay attention to every aspect.

For Butler, it was a mix of cold and heat. While the cold winds made him shiver on the outside, his heavy costumes kept him warm on the inside. It makes you wonder, is it ever easy for an actor to make such a big transformation to bring a character to life? His experience shows not only his dedication but also how bringing the animation elements to life in a live-action reboot can be a challenge.

On the set of this film, every day was a new challenge for Gerard Butler. “My beard was coming off,” he jokes, “but I had to put it back down because I was sweating.” It is not just an actor’s experience but the experience of all the workers who work behind the scenes and take the audience to a new world.

Source: Collider