It was an advantage to play real life character: Gerard Butler

London: Hollywood hunk Gerard Butler says it was a big advantage for him to portray a real life story in his latest film `Machine Gun Preacher`.

The `300` actor, who is playing the character of the ex-biker who became a crusader for hundreds of Sudanese children forced to become soldiers, says he got plenty of advice from the person he was playing, Contactmusic reported. "The challenge is there`s someone you have to answer to who is at the end of the movie going, `Hey, that was me or that wasn`t me and you did too much of this or you did too much of that.` "But more than anything it`s a big advantage because you get to see that person and you get to see what goes on in a person`s eyes when they talk about their life and get a lot of tips from them," he said. The 41-year-old actor, who starred alongside Michelle Monaghan in the film, thought the movie`s director Marc Forster was "surprisingly fun". "Marc`s surprisingly fun, when you meet him he`s very intense and sincere. He`s Swiss and they`re like that. They say everything they mean. He really laid it all out and then when he opens up he is just one of the most humble, beautiful souls and yet he`s so smart," he added. PTI