Gerard Butler’s On-Set Fears: The Day He Nearly Drowned Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman’s career in the world of film is so extensive and varied that it’s difficult to find a major name he hasn’t shared the screen with. While Freeman has openly discussed the actors who have influenced him, he’s also become something of an icon for generations raised on his performances. Though his early acclaim came from dramatic roles, he’s no stranger to high-octane thrillers—despite having reservations about some projects. One of his more unexpected turns came in the 2013 action flick Olympus Has Fallen, where he played Speaker of the House Allan Trumball.

That year, Olympus Has Fallen was one of two blockbusters to use the “Die Hard in the White House” premise, with White House Down arriving not long after. Despite a smaller budget and less star-studded cast, Olympus Has Fallen defied expectations and launched its own franchise. By the third instalment, Angel Has Fallen, Trumball had become president, bringing Banning back as his chief of security.

Close Calls and On-Set Nerves

The third film opens with a dramatic drone strike during a fishing trip in Williamsburg, forcing Banning to drag Trumball underwater to safety. The sequence is tense on screen, but Gerard Butler later admitted to the Mirror that he was genuinely anxious about Freeman’s wellbeing during filming.

“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 reference to a mishap with Hilary Swank on the set of PS I Love You highlights his history of accidental chaos. Fortunately, neither incident had lasting consequences for his co-stars, and both films reached completion without major setbacks. Angel Has Fallen, while not matching the box office of its predecessors, still managed a respectable return, especially given its more modest budget and marketing push.

Freeman’s Steady Hand in the Franchise

Freeman’s presence has been a key factor in the Has Fallen series’ reputation for exceeding expectations. While the plots may tread familiar ground for fans of action thrillers, the sincerity and gravitas of the performances lend the films a seriousness that sets them apart. Freeman, with his long history of portraying authoritative figures in classics such as Lean on Me and Invictus, was a natural fit for the role of a compassionate American president.

Although a spin-off, Paris Has Fallen, has already reached international audiences, updates on a fourth main entry have been slow to emerge. Should Butler return as Banning, it’s hard to imagine the series continuing without Freeman by his side.