Gerard Butler’s On-Set Blunders: The Day He Feared for Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman’s career has spanned so many decades and genres that it’s hard to find a big name in the business he hasn’t shared a set with. He’s spoken openly about the actors who’ve influenced him, but for plenty of Aussies, Freeman himself is the legend they grew up watching. While he first made waves in serious dramas, he’s also no stranger to action-packed blockbusters—even if he’s admitted there were a few he’d rather have skipped. One of his more unexpected roles came in the 2013 action flick Olympus Has Fallen, where he played Allan Trumball, the Speaker of the House.

That year, Olympus Has Fallen was one of two films with the “Die Hard in the White House” setup, landing just before White House Down hit cinemas. Despite having less cash to splash and fewer A-listers, Olympus Has Fallen surprised everyone by kicking off its own franchise. By the third instalment, Angel Has Fallen, Trumball had become president and brought Banning back as his head of security.

Close Calls and On-Set Nerves

The action ramps up straight away in Angel Has Fallen, with a drone strike interrupting a quiet fishing trip in Williamsburg. Banning is forced to drag Trumball underwater to escape. While the scene looks thrilling on screen, Gerard Butler later admitted he was genuinely worried about Freeman’s safety.

“He dives off a boat, then I have to push him underwater, and we run in and out of cars,” Butler said. “I was going, ‘please, don’t kill Morgan’. I almost killed Hilary Swank on PS I Love You. I’m very capable of killing other actors; not deliberately, just because I’m an idiot.”

Butler’s not new to on-set mishaps. He recalled a dicey moment filming the rom-com PS I Love You, where a mistake nearly put Hilary Swank in harm’s way. Luckily, neither incident left any lasting damage, and both films made it to release without a hitch. Angel Has Fallen even managed to turn a tidy profit, despite a smaller budget and less promo than its predecessors.

Freeman’s Steady Hand in the Franchise

Freeman’s presence has been a big part of why the Has Fallen series keeps surprising punters. The plots might not break new ground, but the cast’s commitment gives the films a bit more weight than your average action romp. Freeman, who’s played plenty of authority figures in classics like Lean on Me and Invictus, was a natural fit for the role of a compassionate US president.

Even though a spin-off, Paris Has Fallen, has already landed overseas, there’s been little word on a fourth main entry. If Butler does suit up as Banning again, it’s hard to imagine the franchise without Freeman by his side.