Gerard Butler: Bounty Hunter 'not a typical rom com'

Interview by Natalie Jamieson
Newsbeat entertainment reporter

Gerard Butler says his new movie The Bounty Hunter is more hard edged than the normal rom com and that he had a great time on set with co-star Jennifer Aniston. The film sees the Scot trying to catch his bail-jumping ex-wife with the pair ending up on the run themselves. The two stars have recently been the subject of media speculation over whether they are dating in real life but neither has confirmed the rumours.

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The Bounty Hunter has a bit of an 80s action flick type feel to it. Did you get that sense when you were making it?

Yeah, one of my favourite films of all time is Midnight Run (1988 film starring Robert De Niro). This reminded me of that, except with a man and a woman.

It's more fun I think than a typical rom-com. This is action and this is comedy and this is more hard edged.

And we're really bitchy - there's no end to what we will do to mess each other up. I think that's what's cool about the movie.

You're sitting there going, 'He didn't do that. She didn't do that!' There's a lot of great chase sequences, just the crap they do to each other is fantastic.

Jennifer Aniston says she never gets stroppy on set, but do you ever get in a bad mood when you're working on a film?

I'm pretty good on set and I think I have a reputation for that. But I do play some pretty heavy roles sometimes. It's not that I go as far as the Christian Bale outburst but I can get a bit into it sometimes.

It's hard because you spend the whole day dipping into this crazy emotion and your screaming or crying or whatever it is.

It doesn't make me this nicest person, but I always try to be. There's no one better than Jen for that though, she's very appreciative of her cast and especially the crew.

Once again you show off your abs in this film. Do you always stay in shape or do you let things slide in between?

I don't always have to be in shape in movies and in this film it was OK because the guy's kind of let himself fall apart a bit.

He's a big, strong guy but he likes his burgers and his beers and his pizza. He's a little frayed around the edges.

I've actually slimmed right down recently and I'm the smallest and slimmest I've been in years. I've been travelling with a trainer and training every day.

Your accent is flipping a bit between Scottish and American. Is that because you're travelling around a lot?

No, it's because I'm constantly playing an American in movies and I have to speak it the whole time.

I've done four movies in a row now... whenever I've come off that I find it hard.

I've just started doing dialect sessions again for a movie that's coming out. I think it's all rubbed off a bit.

The Bounty Hunter is out in UK cinemas now.