Rhett Butler

Rhett Butler
Rhett Butler
Gone with the Wind character
	Clark Gable played Rhett Butler in the 1939 film Gone with the Wind
First appearance	Gone with the Wind
Last appearance	Rhett Butler's People
Created by	Margaret Mitchell
Portrayed by	Clark Gable; Timothy Dalton;
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Blockade runner (discharged); Socialite;
Family	Steven Butler (father, named in Scarlett; deceased); Eleanor Butler (mother, named in Scarlett); Rosemary Butler (sister); Ross Butler (brother, named in Scarlett); Margaret Butler (sister-in-law, named in Scarlett)
Spouse	Scarlett O'Hara (1st; divorced and remarried); Anne Hampton (2nd, in Scarlett; deceased)
Children	Wade Hampton Hamilton (stepson); Ella Lorena Kennedy (stepdaughter); Eugenie Victoria "Bonnie Blue" Butler (daughter with Scarlett; deceased); Unborn child (second child with Scarlett; miscarried); Katie Colum "Cat" Butler (daughter with Scarlett in Scarlett); Unborn child (child with Anne; deceased)
Relatives	Gerald O'Hara (father-in-law, deceased); Ellen O'Hara (née Robillard) (mother-in-law, deceased); Susan Elinor "Suellen" Benteen (née O'Hara) (sister-in-law); Caroline Irene "Carreen" O'Hara (sister-in-law); Gerald O'Hara Jr. (name of 3 brothers-in-law, all deceased); Will Benteen (brother-in-law); Susie Benteen (niece-in-law); Pauline Robillard (aunt-in-law); Carey Smith (uncle-in-law; Pauline's husband); Eulalie Smith (née Robillard) (aunt-in-law); James O'Hara (uncle-in-law); Andrew O'Hara (uncle-in-law); Pierre Robillard (maternal grandfather-in-law); Solange Robillard (née Prudhomme) (maternal grandmother-in-law; deceased)

Rhett Butler (born 1828) is a fictional character in the 1936 novel Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and in the 1939 film adaptation of the same name. Rhett is a complex character with many complex relationships throughout the novel and movie. He is known as both a scoundrel and a gambler, and he is considerably wealthy. Rhett Butler acts as a supporting character to the main character, Scarlett O'Hara, with whom he has numerous encounters. Scarlett holds a negative impression of Rhett upon their first meeting. Over the course of the story, he slowly earns her favor, and the two eventually wed. However, their conflicting personalities, a scandal, and the death of their daughter results in a doomed marriage.

The producer of the movie, David O. Selznick, went through different negotiations to borrow an actor from another studio for the role of Rhett Butler. Many other actors were considered for the part, but quite a few of them turned it down. A deal between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and Selznick landed Clark Gable the role. The role of Rhett Butler is one of Clark Gable's most recognizable and significant roles.

Several sequels to Gone with the Wind bring the character back, including the miniseries Scarlett, based on the novel of the same name by Alexandra Ripley, as well as Rhett Butler's People, a novel written by Donald McCaig. In addition to those two, a novel by Alice Randall, The Wind Done Gone, is an alternative account of the story from the perspective of a slave. Several musical adaptations also bring other portrayals of Rhett Butler, adding to the depth of the character.