Gerard Butler has thanked fans for their support following the release of his new film, in his first post since mourning the loss of close friend Darius Campbell Danesh.
The 52-year-old actor said he has been overwhelmed by the response to his new film Last Seen Alive, after it reached number one on Netflix in the US on Thursday.
She was still living in Minnesota in September following the shock death of lead singer Darius in August, but now appears to be back on the road.
Grateful: Gerard Butler, 52, thanked fans for their support following the release of his new film in his first post since mourning the loss of close friend Darius Campbell Danesh
Along with a picture of the film at number one, Gerard told fans: “Amazing and happily surprised that Last Seen Alive went straight to Number 1 on Netflix. This is so awesome. Thanks to all the fans for your support.
“I’ll tell you a little secret. I approached this film as a fun challenge/experiment. I improvised the whole movie.
“They only showed me the first ten pages and even those were thrown away when we were shooting. We shot the film in 8 days.
Surprise: The actor said he has been overwhelmed by the response to his new film Last Seen Alive after it went to number one on Netflix on Thursday
Endorsement: Along with a picture of the film at number one, Gerard told fans: ‘Amazing and happily surprised that Last Seen Alive went straight to Number 1 on Netflix. it’s so awesome’
He continued: “I was drawn to the idea of how it would feel to walk into scene after scene with no idea what was going to be thrown at me.
“I have never undertaken anything like this and it was challenging and exciting. You can’t help but be in the moment.
Gerard added that he’s not keen to undertake a similar project in the future, writing: “Obviously there were some points where I would have to steer in a general direction, but mostly it was flying by the seat of my pants.”
New job: In the lengthy caption, Gerard revealed: ‘I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I approached this film as a fun challenge/experiment. I improvised the whole movie”
He concluded: “Amazing job by the rest of the cast who had to play me, considering I had no idea what was going to come out of my mouth.
“And to our director Brian Goodman – I love you bro. I would say that shooting a feature film in 8 1/2 days is not for the faint of heart. I won’t rush it again.’
In Last Seen Alive, Gerard plays Will Spann, a man whose soon-to-be ex-husband mysteriously disappears at a gas station.
It follows his story as he ends up on the run, taking the law into his own hands as he stops at nothing to get her back.
Intense: In Last Seen Alive, Gerard plays Will Spann, a man whose soon-to-be ex-husband mysteriously disappears at a gas station
The actor has been quiet on social media as he mourns the loss of his close friend Darius, who died of “chloroethane inhalation” on August 11.
Following Darius’ death, Gerrard took to Instagram to pay a touching tribute to Darius’ “dear friend” along with a never-before-seen photo of them.
The actor revealed how he was “devastated” by the sudden death of his “real life brother” but vowed to celebrate his life in the future.
He offered his thoughts and love to Darius’ “wonderful mom and dad,” Avril and Booth, along with his “two brilliant brothers” Aria and Cyrus.
Buddies: The actor has been quiet on social media as he mourns the loss of his close friend Darius, who died of ‘chloroethane inhalation’ on August 11 (pictured Darius and Gerard)
Tribute: Following Darius’ death, Gerard took to Instagram to pay a touching tribute to his ‘dear friend’ Darius alongside a never-before-seen photo of them
Gerard, who was reportedly at Darius’ funeral in Bearsden but was not pictured, also wrote a lengthy tribute to him which read: “I am devastated by the sudden death of my dear friend Darius, a true brother in arms.
“My thoughts and love go out to his wonderful mum and dad Avril and Booth and his two brilliant siblings Aria and Cyrus.”
He continued: “Those lucky enough to have known Darius for more than a few minutes were deeply moved by his infectious laugh and barely contained zest for life.
Tragic: Darius died of “chloroethane inhalation,” the Southern Minnesota District Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed, ruling his death an accident
“He was always armed with a smile, a booming voice and a genuinely warm hug that few could resist – nor would!!! He was an incredible talent, a singer whose voice touched your soul and an actor with great presence.
“But most importantly, he had the heart of a lion. It was bigger and brighter than the sun and an energy so contagious it could light up a room in seconds.’
She also spoke of Darius’s “deep wisdom and constant gratitude for people, for life”, as well as an incredible sense of humor and admitted he was the “perfect friend”.
Heartbreaking: Gerard spoke of Darius’s “deep wisdom and constant gratitude for people, for life” as well as an incredible sense of humor and admitted he was the “perfect friend”
“Falls down a lot. Unapologetic alcohol guru. Travel specialist. Amateur beer trailblazer. Award-winning tv advocate. Hipster-friendly twitter aficionado”