Gerard Butler Talks Unzipping Thandie Newton, Nurse Madonna & Those Cameron Diaz Rumors

Scottish actor Gerard Butler sent millions of tongues wagging when he sported a six-pack and a short, Spartan military loincloth in “300.” Though he has a few less CGI muscles on his physique these days, he’s now lighting up the screen (and still baring bits of his body) alongside Thandie Newton in Guy Ritchie’s new cockney film, “RocknRolla.”

Starring as a street-smart mobster named One Two, at one point in the film Butler’s character finds himself in a hot on-screen romp with Newton — one that happened despite Butler having a cold.

“I’d had a bad throat infection, and it wouldn’t have been fair on Thandie for me to kiss her. So Guy went, ‘Right, we’ll do it like this – get in there and undo her zip!’” Butler told the October issue of Britain’s Marie Claire. “That was the day I realized how professional Thandie is.”

During the shoot, Newton made a couple of in-the-heat-of-passion on the spot faces, leaving Butler stunned.

“I was so impressed. But that was Thandie – bang on it every time and just a great girl,” he said.

The kiss also brought the 6’2” actor to the attention of Ritchie’s wife, Madonna, who had some special get well remedies lined up for him.

“One night during filming, Madonna turns up and goes: ‘Are you the sick one?’” he recalled. “‘You wanna get better?… Do everything I say.’ [Madonna said]. At this point I’m giggling like a little kid and she’s like, ‘Do you wanna do this or not?’ So I’m like, ‘Yeah, I do — but you’re Madonna!’”

Apparently though Madonna’s cold remedies weren’t as successful as either of them had hoped.

“It didn’t do a f****ing thing,” he laughed.

As for his off-screen life, Butler, who lives in New York with his pug, Lolita, said he is somewhat single, noting he is “dating” a girl from the Big Apple. But one romance he assured the magazine never happened, was a reported fling with Cameron Diaz.

“She’s amazing. But there’s nothing going on. It just happened one night, with a crowd of people, we had dinner,” he said. “Then another night we ran into each other completely by accident. And then, another night, we were at different birthday parties at tables next to each other. Suddenly the press is saying we’re together. I’m amazed how these things spread.”