Gerard Butler accidentally rubbed phosphoric acid all over his face while filming Plane : 'It was intense'
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This is not the kind of chemistry Gerard Butler was hoping to create on set.
The actor recalled a terrifying experience in which he felt like he was "burning alive" after unknowingly rubbing phosphoric acid all over his face while filming Lionsgate's new high-flying action film Plane.
"No matter what I'm doing, I manage to hurt myself," Butler joked on Wednesday's episode of Late Night With Seth Meyers
The accident occurred when Butler was shooting a key sequence in which his character, pilot Brodie Torrance, is attempting to repair a faulty brake in one of the aircraft's wheels before takeoff.
"Now I'm sticking my hand in between these two wheels, kind of pretending that I know what I'm doing," he recalled. "Every time I bring my hands out, they're covered in blood and green fluid, right? And I'm like, 'I don't know what this green fluid is.'"
To make matters worse, Butler noted, the scene took place on a particularly hot day in Puerto Rico, so he became "covered in sweat" as the shoot progressed. So, naturally, what did he do?
"I'm rubbing my face and, suddenly, it's in my throat. It's in my mouth. It's up my nose. It's in my eyes," Butler told host Seth Meyers. "It's burning my face, and I mean burning."
"It turns out this is essentially phosphoric acid," he continued. "And the airline pilots that were there watching go, 'No!'"
Kenneth Rexach/Lionsgate Gerard Butler in 'Plane'
Butler went on to explain that a kerfuffle soon broke out over the proper way to take care of his injuries, with some recommending that he wash his face while others asserted that would make the reaction worse. (For reference, the CDC recommends that you flush your eyes and skin with water and seek medical attention immediately.)
Meanwhile, Butler said, "I'm just, like, burning alive… So it was intense. It actually burned for hours, but it was great for the sequence."
Watch Butler discuss feeling the burn — and casually saving the lives of multiple people — in the clip above.
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