Austin Butler disclosed the valuable guidance he received from his co-star, Tom Hanks, during the making of the successful biographical film Elvis last year.
Butler, who earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the titular character, shared with The Times newspaper in the UK that he had a dinner conversation with Hanks.
During their discussion, Hanks advised the young actor to swiftly immerse himself in another role to avoid experiencing “emotional whiplash.”
Butler told The Times that Hanks, who played Colonel Tom Parker in the movie, told him: “[Hanks] said, ‘You have immersed yourself so deeply in Elvis that, for your mental health, it would be wise to go straight into something else. If you just jump off the train, you might have emotional whiplash…
“’And, you know,’ Hanks continued, ‘I’ve got this thing I’m producing.’”
As a result of that conversation, Austin Butler is now set to take on the role of Major Gale Cleven in Masters of the Air, the third installment in the Second World series produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. This series, following the success of Band of Brothers (2007) and The Pacific (2010), will be streamed on AppleTV+.
Masters of the Air focuses on the actions of the 100th Bombardment Group of the USAF and is based on the book by Donald L Miller.
In addition to this role, Butler will also be seen with a shaven head in the upcoming Dune sequel later this year. His commitment and dedication to his craft were recognized when he received an Oscar nomination for his performance in Elvis, as well as a BAFTA and a Golden Globe. Butler spent two years fully immersing himself in the role as part of his extensive preparation.
Initially known as a child TV star, Butler’s breakthrough came in 2018 when he appeared on Broadway alongside Denzel Washington in “The Iceman Cometh.” Butler told The Times: “That really shifted my career. It was such a challenge, working with an absolute titan.”
