Gerard Butler says emotional heart of How to Train Your Dragon is linked to his rescue dog
Gerard Butler says the emotional heart of How to Train Your Dragon is linked to his rescue dog Shushka.
The 55-year-old actor, who plays the Viking warrior Stoick in the upcoming live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon, said he relates more to his character's son, Hiccup – portrayed in the new film by 16-year-old Mason Thames – than to the dragon-hunting chief he plays on screen.
Talking about making the film during an appearance on the Today show, during which he held up a picture of his rescue dog, the actor said: 'This is actually the day I met Shushka. We were in the middle of nowhere in Bulgaria and I found this stray dog who was pretty ill and just immediately fell in love with her.'
How to Train Your Dragon, based on the DreamWorks animated franchise, follows Hiccup as he defies his community's tradition of hunting dragons.
Instead, he befriends a wounded Night Fury, Toothless, helping the creature heal and eventually shifting the beliefs of his entire village.
Gerard went on about rescuing his new pet: 'It was an untrained dog, maybe from a pack of hunting dogs that got left out there.
'So that story of Hiccup and Toothless feels very similar to me when we started bonding with this dog and learning a whole new language – hers, not mine – but a whole new language between us.'
Gerard, who voiced Stoick in the original animated dragon trilogy, said: 'I think that's what's great about this movie – everybody feels a connection from many different angles.
'That's great when you tell a story like that that's affecting you in many ways and definitely reminds me of my relationship with my beloved Shushka.'
In a 2019 interview with Cineplex, Butler recalled finding Shushka while filming on location.
He said: 'We were at the bottom of this mountain and we found this stray dog.
'We were in the middle of nowhere and she was starving, just a beautiful dog. Just so present, right in your face, will just sit and look at you.
'And I thought, 'What am I going to do, just leave her?''
The dog's name also has cinematic roots.
Gerard said: 'There was an assistant director on the movie, going, 'Hey, Shuska, Shuska,' and I thought, 'That's a great name for a dog'.
'And she seems like a Shuska, but I've since found out that Shuska actually means nothing. It's kind of like, 'Hey there, hey there.' So my dog is called 'hey there.''
In May, Butler posted a photograph with Shushka on Instagram, writing: 'Eight years ago in Bulgaria, I came home with more than just a movie – I got Shushka. She's still the real star.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
19 minutes ago
- 7NEWS
From Metallica to McCartney: Which tribute to Brian Wilson truly captured his impact?
Metallica's James Hetfield, Elton John, Carole King, Sting and Paul McCartney are among the music luminaries to pay tribute to the late Brian Wilson. As tributes continue to flow in, who truly captured the impact of the Beach Boys linchpin? In an interview with The Associated Press, Metallica frontman James Hetfield said: 'I think God Only Knows — that song is like one of the best written songs ever — and thank you, Brian, for that. May you rest in peace, we're going to miss you.' On Wednesday, Wilson's family confirmed his death in a statement to Instagram. 'We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now,' they wrote. 'Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realise that we are sharing our grief with the world.' Loading Instagram Post Among the outpourings of grief from the music and entertainment industries has been multiple onstage tributes from acts like Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong and The Police frontman Sting. 'Today, one of my heroes died,' Sting said during a concert in Germany just hours after the announcement of Wilson's passing. 'I want to sing a song that I love,' The Police frontman said before playing an acoustic rendition of the Beach Boys' God Only Knows. Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong paid tribute to Brian Wilson by releasing a previously unreleased punk-leaning cover of I Get Around, calling it 'one of my all-time favourite songs ever'. He revealed the track had been shelved for years, sharing it on Instagram with a message of thanks. The cover reimagines the 1964 Beach Boys hit with a gritty guitar riff and a faster tempo, honouring Wilson's legacy through a modern punk lens. Paul McCartney took to Instagram, calling Wilson a 'musical genius'. 'Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special. The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time. I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while. How we will continue without Brian Wilson, God Only Knows. Thank you, Brian. – Paul.' Beach Boy and Wilson's cousin Mike Love, who co-founded the band in 1961 with Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson and their friend Al Jardine, has also paid tribute. In a lengthy post on Instagram, he said: 'I'll miss you forever.' 'Brian, you once asked, 'Wouldn't it be nice if we were older?' Now you are timeless,' Love wrote in the post. 'May you rest in the peace you so deeply deserve, surrounded by the heavenly music you helped create. May your spirit soar as high as your falsetto, may your wings spread in effortless flight. 'Thank you for the harmonies, the memories, and the love. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal. Love leaves a memory no one can steal. 'I'll miss you forever, my beloved cousin.' Bruce Springsteen's post across his social media dubbed Wilson 'the most musically inventive voice in all of pop, with an otherworldly ear for harmony'. 'He was also the visionary leader of America's greatest band, the Beach Boys. If there'd been no Beach Boys, there would have been no Racing In The Street. Listen to Summer's Gone from the Beach Boys' last album That's Why God Made The Radio and weep. Farewell, Maestro. Nothing but love and a lovely lasting debt from all of us over here on E Street.' Elton John's tribute named Wilson the 'biggest influence' on his songwriting. 'Brian Wilson was always so kind to me from the day I met him. He sang Someone Saved My Life Tonight at a tribute concert in 2003, and it was an extraordinary moment for me. I played on his solo records, he sang on my album The Union, and even performed for my AIDS Foundation,' John wrote. 'I grew to love him as a person, and for me, he was the biggest influence on my songwriting ever; he was a musical genius and revolutionary. He changed the goalposts when it came to writing songs and shaped music forever. A true giant.' Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood wrote on X/Twitter: 'Anyone with a musical bone in their body must be grateful for Brian Wilson's genius magical touch!! And greatly saddened of this major worldly loss!! My thoughts go out to his family and friends.' Meanwhile, Carole King took to Facebook to share that Wilson was her 'brother in songwriting'. 'Brian Wilson was my friend and my brother in songwriting. We shared a similar sensibility, as evidenced by his 4 over 5 chord under 'Aaaah!' in Good Vibrations and mine under I'm Into Something Good. We once discussed who used it first, and in the end we decided it didn't matter. The world will miss Brian, but we are so lucky to have his music.' John Lennon's son, the genre-blurring musician, producer and avant-garde artist Sean Ono Lennon, wrote his tribute on X/Twitter. 'Anyone who really knows me knows how heartbroken I am about Brian Wilson passing. Not many people influenced me as much as he did. I feel very lucky that I was able to meet him and spend some time with him. He was always very kind and generous. He was our American Mozart. A one-of-a-kind genius from another world.' Meanwhile, Bob Dylan called him a 'genius' on X/Twitter: 'Heard the sad news about Brian today and thought about all the years I've been listening to him and admiring his genius. Rest in peace dear Brian.' Kiss co-founder Paul Stanley said Wilson's work will influence generations to come. 'Brian Wilson has died. 'Genius' is a term used too often and too loosely. 'Tortured genius' even more so. Brian's astonishing output of musical brilliance will bring joy while it influences generations to come. Thank you Brian and rest in peace.' Grammy-winning musician, producer, author, filmmaker and cultural commentator Questlove used his tribute to honour Wilson's secret power in songwriting. 'I know Orbison is the king of emo, but man if there was a human being who made art out of inexpressible sadness… damn it was Brian Wilson. 'I hate he went through what he went through to create Pet Sounds (also: Smile outtakes in my North Star) but man — without him I dunno how so many that came after felt safe to express a feeling of sadness that most humans would be otherwise ridiculed or punished for.' From music's hallowed icons to Wilson's longtime familial collaborators, each tribute adds a stitch in the enduring tapestry of one of the greatest songwriters of all time. However, in this journalist's opinion, the most accurate portrayal of Wilson's impact is made clear in a post by his daughter, Carnie Wilson. The 57-year-old wrote on Instagram that he was 'every fibre' of her body. 'I have no words to express the sadness I feel right now. My father @brianwilsonlive was every fibre of my body. He will be remembered by millions and millions until the world ends. 'I am lucky to have been his daughter and had a soul connection with him that will live on always. I've never felt this kind of pain before, but I know he's resting up there in heaven … or maybe playing the piano for Grandma Audree, his mum. I will post something else soon but this is all my hands will let me type. I love you Daddy … I miss you so much already.'
Perth Now
6 hours ago
- Perth Now
Snoop Dogg's dog dies
Snoop Dogg's dog has died. The Drop It Like It's Hot hitmaker was given French bulldog Juelz as a 43rd birthday gift from Wiz Khalifa in 2014 but now his beloved pet has passed away. Snoop shared a video of Juelz in the front seat of his car, soundtracked by Weldon Irvine's 'Morning Sunrise' and wrote on Instagram: "'Rip @juelzbroadus [crying emoji]Thank wiz for giving him to me.(sic)" The 53-year-old rapper then shared a second video, which featured a montage of Juelz with Snoop and his family and friends over the years, with Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth's 'See You Again' playing over the top. He wrote: "Miss my dogg @juelzbroadus (sic)" Juelz had his own Instagram account, which had thousands of followers and documented his adventures with his famous owner over the years. Meanwhile, Snoop - who has another French bulldog, Frank - recently admitted he is keen to open a food stall at Celtic Park, the Scottish home of his favourite soccer side Celtic. He told Scotland's Sunday Mail newspaper: 'There has always been the opinion that food at sports stadiums is never good but that ain't got to be the case. 'People know that Snoop is a cook and I would love to bring a pop up burger to a sports stadium to show fans that food at stadiums can be good. 'It's got to be Celtic Park man, I mean where else am I going to bring it. "The secret to a good burger is the love in the preparation. The ground beef has got to be mixed with some secret spices, then add a good quality cheese and some maple cured bacon. 'The Celtic fans are gonna love it, and to make sure they are just right, Snoop is going to be serving them himself.' But Snoop has no interest in offering his food to Celtic's great rivals rangers. He said: "Am I going to bring my burgers to Rangers as well? Nah, I think we will give that a miss!' Snoop revealed back in 2012 that he wanted to buy shares in Celtic after watching the Parkhead side beat Barcelona in the Champions League in November that year. At the time he said: "I got a lot of interest in soccer. It's not a new thing for hip hop stars to invest in sports teams but it is a new thing for hip hop stars to invest in soccer teams...I see how passionate Celtic fans are about their team and I could see myself making an investment if any of the board wanted to sell...I want to bring a bit of Snoop to things."
Perth Now
11 hours ago
- Perth Now
Brian Wilson 'went silent' and 'became detached' after battling COVID-19
Brian Wilson "went silent" and "became detached" as he battled the long-term effects of COVID-19, according to his bandmate Al Jardine. The Beach Boys legend passed away on Wednesday (11.06.25) at the age of 82 after a long battle with health issues and his close friend Al has now opened up about the "turning point" back in 2022 when he saw the singer/songwriter begin to deteriorate. Al told Variety: "There was no trauma to speak of until that very last tour in '22. He kind of went silent and began to suffer the effects of long-term COVID, I was told, so I think that was a turning point for him. He became detached." Brian also suffered mobility issues after undergoing several operations on his back and Al thinks being unable to move around properly affected his pal's mental health. He explained: "His infirmity must have been really depressing, not being able to walk again." However, Al is convinced Brian enjoyed his final tour despite his struggles before finally stepping out of the spotlight. He added: "He was with his adoptive family, and we all loved him, and he knew it, and he savored every moment. "Until he got on stage. And then he might decide: 'Well, I'm just gonna let them do it.' Who knows what was going through his mind, but he would check out on that last tour. "And that was hard work for him; he was fragile and tired and exhausted from probably that long-term COVID thing ... So, he became, on stage, not the entertainer that everyone thought they were coming to see." Brian's family confirmed the late star's passing earlier this week by posting a message on his official Instagram page. It read: "Our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. "We are at a loss for words right now. "Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love and Mercy." The Beach Boys added in a statement: "The world mourns a genius today, and we grieve for the loss of our cousin, our friend, and our partner in a great musical adventure. "Brian Wilson wasn't just the heart of The Beach Boys—he was the soul of our sound. "The melodies he dreamed up and the emotions he poured into every note changed the course of music forever. His unparalleled talent and unique spirit created the soundtrack of so many lives around the globe, including our own. "Together, we gave the world the American dream of optimism, joy, and a sense of freedom—music that made people feel good, made them believe in summer and endless possibilities. "We are heartbroken by his passing. We will continue to cherish the timeless music we made together and the joy he brought to millions over the decades. "And while we will miss him deeply, his legacy will live on through his songs and in our memories. Our hearts go out to Brian's family and his loved ones during this difficult time."
