Gerard Butler wasn’t interested in fielding personal questions during a Toronto interview promoting his latest movie, Playing For Keeps, which opens Dec. 7.
“Personal” meant queries regarding his latest relationship with Romanian model and actress Madalina Ghenea. The couple has been the focus of paparazzi for a while now. Butler must be used to the tabloid attention after dating Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Aniston, but who knows?
On the other hand, personal meaning his memories growing up playing soccer in Paisley, Scotland was another matter, and probably more appropriate for the occasion.
He plays a former soccer star in the romantic comedy, Playing For Keeps, co-starring Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman, Judy Greer, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Dennis Quaid.
According to the 43-year-old, he was a better-than-average player and continues to show some skill in the movie’s soccer sequences. The actor’s even inserted digitally into some real Glasgow Celtic soccer games and didn’t look out of place.
Those moments were especially thrilling for Butler because he was emulating his hero Kenny Dalglish, the Scottish soccer star who played for Celtic and Liverpool and managed Liverpool over his 22-year career.
And Butler’s proud to proclaim that his “King Kenny” connection went beyond the association in Playing For Keeps. Thanks to a family friend who knew Dalglish, Butler received a congratulatory 12th birthday phone call from the legend.
“I couldn’t believe it was him,” recalled Butler still enthusiastic at the recollection.
More than 30 years later, Butler said that he found himself next to Dalglish on the hallowed grounds of Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium for a charity match last May.
“I was star-struck,” admitted Butler who said Dalglish was his squad’s manager.
MacMemories are made of this.
bthompson@postmedia.com
blog: Canada.com/sceneandheard
