Arts & Entertainment

Shirtless Gerard Butler Wows Crowd at Santa Cruz Paddle-out

The star was at Pleasure Point with about 500 extras for the movie about surfer Jay Moriarity.

Hundreds of people lined the beach and hundreds of surfers took orders from directors as the movie, tentatively titled "Of Men and Mavericks," filmed Friday morning at Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz.

The call was for extras to arrive at 6:30 a.m. By 10:30 the big scene hadn't yet been filmed, but hundreds of surfers were in the water and others lined up to get in.

"We love you Gerard," one woman yelled as the actor walked past.

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The movie is directed by Curtis Hanson and produced by Walden Media. Butler is best known for his role in "300."

He plays Moriarity's mentor, the elder surfer, Frosty Hesson. Moriarity will be played by 22-year-old actor Jonny Weston, an accomplished surfer.

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The real Moriarity, who pioneered the giant waves at Mavericks, died June 15, 2001 a day before his 23rd birthday in a diving accident in the Indian Ocean.

The scene is recreating a Paddle-out that paid tribute to the maverick surfer after his death.


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