Gerard Butler admits that his surfing accident was a "pretty close call."

The 42-year-old actor had a near-death experience at Maverick's, the infamous Northern California surf spot south of San Francisco, in December.

While filming a stunt scene for his new movie Of Men and Mavericks, Gerard was taken down by a wave and then held under water by the pounding sea.

Gerard was in awe of the event.

"It was a pretty close call," Gerard recalled in an interview on The Graham Norton Show. "[The waves] just took me and I couldn't get up. It was pretty hairy."

Gerard was rushed to Stanford Medical Centre and was released promptly following a medical evaluation.

Although he could well have lost his life in the waves that day, Gerard was eager to return to his surfboard.

"I was going to go back that day," he recalled. "I was actually in the ambulance and waned to go back, which was a little crazy, but it's pretty addictive."

Gerard has been impacted positively by this incident. The event has helped him better understand the character he plays in this film, surfing enthusiast Rick Hesson.

"In the movie, I put in a scene about a 'two wave hold down' when you are down for so long that the next wave comes over before you get back up and that's what happened to me," Gerard explained. "I actually thought they will get me later and resuscitate me. They finally grabbed me just as another huge wave was coming in - it was just like a movie! In fact, everything I talked about happening in the movie happened to me."

Of Men and Mavericks is slated for release this October.