In 2004, Butler won the coveted title role in the film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera." He also earned critical acclaim for his work opposite Emily Mortimer in the independent feature "Dear Frankie," which screened at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

Butler's other recent film credits include "Beowulf & Grendel," "The Game of Their Lives," "Timeline," "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" and "Reign of Fire."

Born in Scotland, Butler made his stage debut at the age of 12 in the musical "Oliver," at Glasgow's famous Kings Theatre. As a young man, his dreams of acting were deterred and he went on to study law for seven years before returning to the stage in London. In 1996, he landed the lead role in the acclaimed stage production of "Trainspotting." He later starred on the London stage in such plays as "Snatch" and the Donmar Warehouse production of Tennessee Williams' "Suddenly Last Summer," opposite Rachel Weisz.

In 1997, Butler made his feature film debut in John Madden's award-winning drama "Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown," starring Judi Dench. His early film work also includes "Fast Food," "One More Kiss," the 1999 screen adaptation of Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard," and "Harrison's Flowers."