Gerard Butler: ‘Fans think I’m Russell Crowe’

Gladiator fans often confuse Gerard Butler with Russell Crowe.

The Scottish heartthrob may have starred in nearly 60 movies and TV shows, but Russell admirers often mix Gerard up with their Australian idol.

Suave British actor Clive Owen also gets thrown into the mix too sometimes.

“I always get confused with Clive Owen. Him or Russell Crowe. God if I have another person tell me how much they loved me in Gladiator...” Gerard laughed to British Esquire.

That’s not to say he’s not correctly identified as himself from time to time, with Gerard sharing the kind of attention he gets differs depending on where in the world he is. He claims fans in the U.K. are the most restrained, whereas the people from his native Scotland have the bluntest reaction.

“People here (in England) are more likely to spot you and do something subtle, like point, but keep it to themselves,” he said of Brits. “In America they run after you and scream. Scotland is the best, a girl walked up to me in a bar and said, "I'm not gonna say I know who yer (you) are cause it'll give yer a big head". I thought well, you just have.”

And when it comes to the demographic that admires him most, Gerard is a big hit with mums.

“Women always tell me their mum loves me, or ask for a hug,” he shared. “Whereas men just yell, ‘This is Sparta!’ or ask me to kick them in the chest like I did in (2006 movie) 300.”

The actor has a busy 2017 ahead of him with six new projects in the pipeline, including action thriller Hunter Killer alongside Billy Bob Thornton and Gary Oldman and Geostorm with Ed Harris and Jim Sturgess.