Austin Butler

Early life and education

Butler was born on August 17, 1991, in Anaheim, California, the son of Lori Anne (née Howell), an aesthetician, and David Butler who is of Irish descent. The two divorced when he was seven. He has an older sister, Ashley (b. 1986), who worked as a background actress alongside him on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. His maternal great-great-grandparents, Matti Matinpoika Sillanpää and Liisa Jaakontytär Järvelä, were Finnish immigrants from Ostrobothnia, Finland, who settled in Wisconsin.

When Butler was thirteen, he was approached by a representative from a background acting management company at the Orange County Fair who helped him get started in the entertainment industry. He found that he enjoyed it and soon began taking acting classes. Butler attended public school until the seventh grade, when he left to be homeschooled to better accommodate his work schedule. He continued his homeschooling until the tenth grade and later passed the CHSPE, the state's high school equivalency diploma exam.

Career

2005–2018: Career beginnings

In 2005, after working as an extra on several television series including Unfabulous and Drake & Josh, Butler landed his first regular job as a background actor playing the role of Zippy Brewster for two seasons on Nickelodeon's Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. His friend on the show, Lindsey Shaw, introduced him to her manager, Pat Cutler, who signed him and launched his career. From that point on, Butler began taking acting seriously as a career. In May 2007, Butler landed a guest starring role on the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana playing the role of Derek Hanson opposite actress Miley Cyrus, and in September of that same year, he portrayed Jake Krandle in the episode "iLike Jake" on the Nickelodeon series iCarly.

In February 2008, Butler landed a main role on another Nickelodeon series, Zoey 101, playing James Garrett, the love interest of Jamie Lynn Spears's title character Zoey in the fourth season; previously, he guest starred on the same show playing the role of Danifer on the third-season episode "Quarantine". In March of that year, he appeared in an episode on the short-lived Cartoon Network sitcom, Out of Jimmy's Head, playing the role of Lance in the episode titled "Princess".

In July 2009, Butler starred in 20th Century Fox's family adventure film Aliens in the Attic portraying Jake Pearson, alongside Ashley Tisdale, Carter Jenkins, Robert Hoffman, Kevin Nealon and Doris Roberts. In the film, his character, along with his family, battles to save their vacation home and the world from an alien invasion. That same summer, Butler appeared in the starring role of Jordan Gallagher on the popular, but short-lived ABC Family series Ruby & the Rockits, alongside David Cassidy, Patrick Cassidy and his good friend, Alexa Vega.

In February 2010, Butler landed a recurring role as Jones on the CW series Life Unexpected, Later that year, he guest-starred in episodes of the Disney Channel sitcoms Wizards of Waverly Place and Jonas as well as on CSI: Miami and The Defenders. Also in 2010, Butler's Aliens in the Attic co-star Ashley Tisdale invited him to audition for a lead role in the film Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, a spin-off of Disney's High School Musical franchise that followed the adventures of Sharpay Evans after high school as she tries to get her big break on Broadway. In the film, Butler plays Peyton Leverette, the love interest of Sharpay. Regarding his casting, Butler told Week In Rewind, "I had worked with Ashley once, and then I heard about the movie, because she called me and said, 'Austin, I want you to come and read for the director for this—I think you'd be perfect.' So, I went and met with the director, and it went really well, and I ended up doing the movie." The film was released direct to DVD on April 19, 2011.

In 2011, he booked the recurring role of Wilke on the ABC Family series Switched at Birth, debuting on June 27, 2011. In the same year, he signed on to play the lead role of Zack Garvey in the Lifetime television film The Bling Ring, made by Dick Clark Productions and directed by Michael Lembeck, based on the burglary group of the same name who targeted the homes of Hollywood's celebrities. The film was released on September 26, 2011. In January 2012, Butler guest-starred on the NBC comedy Are You There, Chelsea?

In his early twenties, Butler continued to act in teen-oriented television series, but gained greater recognition for his starring roles in The Carrie Diaries and later The Shannara Chronicles; he also branched out into new stage and film projects. In March 2012, Butler was cast in The CW's Sex and the City prequel series The Carrie Diaries to play Sebastian Kydd, a brooding heartthrob attending the same high school as Carrie Bradshaw, played by AnnaSophia Robb. The Carrie Diaries is based on Candace Bushnell's novel by the same name and follows Bradshaw's life in the 1980s as a teenager in New York City. The show was cancelled after two seasons.

In April 2014, it was announced that Butler had joined the cast of the play Death of the Author at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. He played the role of Bradley, a pre-law student with a double major in political science and math, and is set to graduate from a wealthy university. The play is directed by Bart DeLorenzo and written by Steven Drukman. Following previews on May 20, 2014, the play ran from May 28 to June 29.

Butler then joined the cast of Arrow in the recurring role of Chase. His character was a DJ and a love interest of Willa Holland's character Thea Queen. He co-starred with Miranda Cosgrove and Tom Sizemore in the 2015 thriller film The Intruders, and appeared in Kevin Smith's 2016 horror-comedy film Yoga Hosers about 15-year-old yoga nuts Colleen Collette and Colleen McKenzie. The film also stars Johnny Depp, Lily-Rose Depp, Harley Quinn Smith and Haley Joel Osment. In 2016, he began playing the role of Wil Ohmsford in The Shannara Chronicles, MTV's television adaptation of the Terry Brooks novel The Elfstones of Shannara. The series was cancelled after two seasons.

Butler made his Broadway debut playing Don Parritt, the "lost boy" in The Iceman Cometh, which starred Denzel Washington and David Morse. Previews for the limited run began in March 2018, and the play closed in July 2018. Per Hilton Als's review of the play in The New Yorker: "Although there are many performers in George C. Wolfe's staging of Eugene O'Neill's phenomenal [...] drama, The Iceman Cometh, [...] there is only one actor, and his name is Austin Butler."

2019–present: Breakthrough and stardom

In 2019, Butler appeared in the Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as a fictional version of Manson Family member Tex Watson. Though he had limited screen time, his performance has been described as "intense" and "brooding". He received numerous nominations as a member of the film's ensemble cast. In that same year, Butler was cast as Elvis Presley in the biopic Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann. The film premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Butler's performance received critical acclaim, as well as praise from the Presley family. He described the part as "the most intimidating thing I've ever done. I honestly didn't sleep for about two years." The role earned him several nominations for Best Actor awards, including the Academy Award, BAFTA, Critics' Choice, Golden Globe and SAG Awards, winning the BAFTA and Golden Globe. Butler hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live later that year.

In June 2023, Butler was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as an actor. The 50th Telluride Film Festival marked the premiere of Jeff Nichols's 1960s-set drama The Bikeriders, in which he played a member of a motorcycle club. The following year, he portrayed Gale Cleven in the war drama miniseries Masters of the Air. He next played the villainous Feyd-Rautha in Denis Villeneuve's science fiction epic Dune: Part Two (2024). Butler received praise for his commitment to the role, physical transformation, and complex character work.

Butler next starred as radical cult leader Vernon Jefferson Peak in Ari Aster's Western film Eddington, alongside Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone and Pedro Pascal, and in Darren Aronofsky's crime thriller Caught Stealing as Henry "Hank" Thompson, a bartender caught up in a web of crime, alongside Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, and Bad Bunny. In May 2025, It was announced that Butler would be joining Jeremy Allen White in A24’s Henry Dunham Crime Pic Enemies.

Personal life

Butler enjoys creating and recording music. He taught himself to play guitar at the age of thirteen and piano at sixteen. In 2014, his mother died of duodenal cancer, which briefly made him consider retiring. From 2011 to 2019, Butler dated actress Vanessa Hudgens. In December 2021, he began dating actress and model Kaia Gerber. They broke up at the end of 2024.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

Discography

• Elvis (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2022)

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. (April 13, 2023). "Time 100".
2. (September 17, 2014). "Lori Anne Howell-Butler Lori A". Santa Maria Times.
3. "Austin Robert Butler". Family Tree Legends.
4. "Austin Butler – Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure". Pop Tower.
5. "'Aliens in the Attic': Austin Butler".
6. "Robert-D-Bentley-South-Saint-Paul – User Trees".
7. Wang, Jen. (April 21, 2022). "The Actor Who Would Be King: Austin Butler's Journey to ''Elvis''".
8. "Austin Butler – Celebrity". TV Guide.
9. Saarinen, Sonja. (March 17, 2023). "Suursuosioon nousseen Oscar-ehdokkaan Austin Butlerin sukujuuret juontavat Suomeen".
10. Pekkala, Erja. (March 27, 2023). "Onko sukunäköä? – Kun selvisi, että Hollywood-tähden juuret ovat Alajärvellä, päätimme katsoa, löytyykö yhdennäköisyyttä". I-Mediat Oy.
11. (February 2008). "Austin Butler Interview". Portrait Magazine.
12. "Austin butler of the CW's 'Life Unexpected'". Week In Rewind.
13. Gold, Kenn. (July 21, 2009). "Austin Butler in ABC Family's 'Ruby and the Rockits'". Media BLVD. Magazine.
14. Hiser, Lisa. (October 5, 2010). "Austin Butler dishes on 'Life Unexpected'". Aol Teens - Cambio.com.
15. "Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure". Disney Channel Medianet.
16. (January 9, 2011). "Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure Coming This April". Aol Teens - Cambio.com.
17. Murray, Rebecca. "Callan McAuliffe, Austin Butler and Debby Ryan Interviews – Prom Premiere Video".
18. (June 27, 2011). "Katie Leclerc Talks Austin Butler's Debut On 'Switched At Birth'".
19. Cooper, Jackie K. (September 19, 2011). "The Bling Ring Marks Marks the Return of Jennifer Grey". Huffington Post.
20. (January 25, 2012). ""Are You There, Chelsea?" "Believe"". [[NBC]].
21. Andreeva, Nellie. (March 2, 2012). "Sarah Wright & Amy Huberman Get Leads In NBC Pilots, Austin Butler In 'Carrie Diaries'". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
22. Slezak, Michael. (May 8, 2014). "''Carrie Diaries'', ''Tomorrow People'' and One More Cancelled, Three Others Renewed by The CW". [[TVLine]].
23. Peterson, Tyler. (April 9, 2014). "Austin Butler, Orson Bean & More to Star in Death of the Author at Geffen Playhouse this Summer". BroadwayWorld.
24. McNulty, Charles. (May 30, 2014). "'Death of the Author' finds life in academic theory". [[Los Angeles Times]].
25. "Death of the Author". [[Geffen Playhouse]].
26. Mitovich, Matt Webb. (September 6, 2014). "''Arrow'' Scoop: Carrie Diaries Star Cast as Love Interest for [Spoiler]". [[TVLine]].
27. (February 24, 2015). "Exclusive Clip: Miranda Cosgrove and More Talk "THE INTRUDERS"". Fangoria.
28. Kit, Borys. (August 19, 2014). "Kevin Smith and Johnny Depp Team for Action-Adventure 'Yoga Hosers' (Exclusive)". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
29. Ossad, Jordana. (December 8, 2014). "Austin Butler To Star In MTV's 'Shannara'". MTV News.
30. (January 17, 2018). "'The Shannara Chronicles' Canceled After Two Seasons".
31. Als, Hilton. (May 7, 2018). "Eugene O'Neill's Unhappy Hour".
32. N'Duka, Amanda. (August 22, 2018). "Lena Dunham, Austin Butler, Maya Hawke, Lorenza Izzo Board Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood'". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
33. Rao, Sonia. (July 29, 2019). "How true to life is the 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' ending?". [[The Washington Post]].
34. Weston, Christopher. (February 18, 2022). "Elvis star Austin Butler's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood role remembered".
35. (July 15, 2019). "Austin Butler to Star as Elvis in Baz Luhrmann's Biopic". Variety.
36. Fleming, Mike Jr.. (July 15, 2019). "Baz Luhrmann Sets Austin Butler In Starmaking Elvis Presley Role Opposite Tom Hanks In Warner Bros Film". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
37. (May 25, 2022). "''Elvis'' Star Austin Butler Thrusts Hips at Cannes, Gaining 12-Minute Standing Ovation". Variety.
38. Martin, Annie. (June 13, 2022). "Austin Butler says he lost sleep over Elvis Presley role".
39. Hoglund, Andy. (December 17, 2022). "Saturday Night Live recap: Austin Butler hosts Cecily Strong's last episode with musical guest Lizzo".
40. Sciences, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and. "The Academy Invites 398 New Members for 2023: See the Full List".
41. Adam Chitwood. (December 8, 2023). "Focus Features Sets June Release for 'The Bikeriders' Starring Austin Butler and Tom Hardy".
42. Kroll, Justin. (February 26, 2021). "'Masters Of Air': Austin Butler And Callum Turner To Star in 'Band Of Brothers' Sequel For Apple, Amblin and Playtone". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
43. Kroll, Justin. (March 11, 2022). "'Dune: Part Two': Austin Butler Eyed To Play Feyd-Rautha In Upcoming Sequel". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
44. Kit, Borys. (May 12, 2022). "Christopher Walken Joins Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya in 'Dune: Part Two'".
45. Barnes, Brooks. (May 25, 2022). "He's Playing Elvis Presley. But Who Is Austin Butler?". [[The New York Times]].
46. Anthony, Benizican. (February 22, 2024). "Austin Butler: The Making of a Sexy Pyschopath".
47. Goodman, William. "The 'Dune: Part Two' Cast Proves That the Movie Star Era Isn't Dead".
48. Rao, Sonia. (March 1, 2024). "Elvis has left the building. Austin Butler's 'Dune 2' villain is terrifying.". Washington Post.
49. (March 12, 2024). "Ari Aster Casts Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Austin Butler, Pedro Pascal in Next A24 Movie ''Eddington''".
50. Kroll, Justin. (March 27, 2024). "Austin Butler To Star In Sony's 'Caught Stealing' Adaptation With Darren Aronofsky Directing".
51. Malhotra, Rahul. (2025-11-05). "Austin Butler's 84% RT Box Office Bomb Crime Thriller Redeems Itself on Streaming".
52. D'Alessandro, Anthony. (2025-05-14). "Jeremy Allen White & Austin Butler Are ‘Enemies’ In A24’s Henry Dunham Crime Pic".
53. Kroll, Justin. (2024-11-01). "Amazon MGM Studios Lands Package ‘American Speed’ Starring Tom Holland And Austin Butler".
54. Malkin, Marc. (2024-12-11). "Austin Butler Set to Star as Patrick Bateman in Luca Guadagnino’s ‘American Psycho’ (EXCLUSIVE)".
55. "Austin Butler says he almost quit acting after his mother died: 'I started to question if this was a profession that could help the world'".
56. Young, Courtney. (December 13, 2023). "Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler's Relationship Timeline".
57. Merrett, Robyn. (December 21, 2021). "Kaia Gerber Spotted Out with Austin Butler After Jacob Elordi Split".
58. "Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler Split After More Than 3 Years Together".
59. McNary, Dave. (2018-07-13). "Jim Jarmusch Is Making a Zombie Movie With Bill Murray and Selena Gomez".
60. N'Duka, Amanda. (2018-08-22). "Lena Dunham, Austin Butler, Maya Hawke, Lorenza Izzo Board Quentin Tarantino's ''Once Upon A Time In Hollywood''".
61. Fleming, Mike. (2019-07-15). "Baz Luhrmann Sets Austin Butler In Starmaking Elvis Presley Role Opposite Tom Hanks In Warner Bros Film".
62. (2022-08-04). "Jodie Comer, Austin Butler & Tom Hardy To Lead Ensemble For Jeff Nichols' ''The Bikeriders'' At New Regency".
63. Kroll, Justin. (2022-03-10). "''Dune: Part Two'': Austin Butler Eyed To Play Feyd-Rautha In Upcoming Sequel".
64. "Jeremy Allen White and Austin Butler Spark Bromance While Filming New Movie in Chicago".
65. "Austin Butler filming 'Enemies' in Wilmington, Illinois".
66. Solly, Meilan. (November 9, 2023). "Watch the Trailer for ''Masters of the Air'', Steven Spielberg's Long-Awaited Follow-Up to ''Band of Brothers''".
67. "‘Death of the Author’: Theater Review".
68. "'It's Like Meeting Royalty!': Why Denzel Washington Terrified Austin Butler During The Iceman Cometh".
69. "31st Annual Young Artist Awards". [[Young Artist Award]]s.
70. "32nd Annual Young Artist Awards". [[Young Artist Award]]s.
71. Anderson, Ariston. (2019-12-02). "Capri, Hollywood Fest to Honor ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ for Best Ensemble Cast".
72. (January 12, 2020). "Critics' Choice Awards: 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' Named Best Picture; Full Winners List".
73. (January 19, 2020). "SAG Awards: 'Parasite' Wins Top Film Prize; 'Crown' and 'Mrs. Maisel' Named Best Drama, Comedy Series".
74. Neglia, Matt. (December 5, 2022). "The 2022 Atlanta Film Critics Circle (AFCC) Winners".
75. "Winners & Nominees".
76. (December 12, 2022). "The Daniels' Everything Everywhere All at Once Leads Chicago Film Critics Association 2022 Award Nominations".
77. Anderson, Erik. (December 11, 2022). "2022 Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics Associations winners".
78. Neglia, Matt. (December 15, 2022). "The 2022 Dublin Film Critics Circle (DFCC) Winners".
79. Neglia, Matt. (December 14, 2022). "The 2022 Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Nominations".
80. (December 23, 2022). "2022 Greater Western New York Film Critics Association nominations".
81. Rogers, Nick. (December 13, 2022). "Nominations Announced for the 2022 Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards".
82. Blauvelt, Christian. (December 12, 2022). "2022 Critics Poll: The Best Films and Performances, According to 165 Critics from Around the World".
83. Neglia, Matt. (December 11, 2022). "The 2022 Las Vegas Film Critics Society (LVFCS) Winners".
84. Prusakowski, Steven. (December 11, 2022). "New York Film Critics Online Give Their Top Prize to 'The Banshees of Inisherin'".
85. Anderson, Erik. (December 17, 2022). "2022 North Texas Film Critics Association nominations".
86. (December 16, 2022). "2022 Online Association of Female Film Critics nominations: 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' leads with 11".
87. Grein, Paul. (October 26, 2022). "Bad Bunny & Harry Styles Are Top Music Nominees at 2022 People's Choice Awards: Full List".
88. Neglia, Matt. (December 17, 2022). "The 2022 Philadelphia Film Critics Circle (PFCC) Winners".
89. Neglia, Matt. (December 16, 2022). "The 2022 Phoenix Critics Circle (PCC) Winners".
90. Neglia, Matt. (December 19, 2022). "The 2022 Phoenix Film Critics Society (PFCS) Winners".
91. Neglia, Matt. (December 11, 2022). "The 2022 St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) Nominations".
92. "Sunset Circle Awards Year Three Winners & Nominees".
93. Neglia, Matt. (December 28, 2022). "The 2022 UK Film Critics Association (UKFCA) Nominations".
94. Neglia, Matt. (December 17, 2022). "The 2022 Utah Film Critics Association (UFCA) Winners".
95. Neglia, Matt. (December 12, 2022). "The 2022 Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) Winners".
96. Frater, Patrick. (December 15, 2022). "'The Banshees of Inisherin' and 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Lead Nominations for AACTA International Awards".
97. (January 24, 2023). "ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE".
98. "2022 EDA AWARDS NOMINEES". [[Alliance of Women Film Journalists]].
99. Neglia, Matt. (January 3, 2023). "The 2022 Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) Nominations".
100. "This year's nominees". [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]].
101. Neglia, Matt. (January 9, 2023). "The 2022 Chicago Indie Critics (CIC) Nominations".
102. Neglia, Matt. (January 1, 2023). "The 2022 Columbus Film Critics Association (COFCA) Nominations".
103. Neglia, Matt. (January 6, 2023). "The 2022 Critics Association Of Central Florida (CACF) Winners".
104. Hammond, Pete. (December 14, 2022). "'Everything Everywhere', 'Fabelmans', 'Babylon' Lead Critics Choice Award Nominees For Film".
105. Neglia, Matt. (January 10, 2023). "The 2022 Denver Film Critics Society (DFCS) Nominations".
106. Neglia, Matt. (December 7, 2022). "The 2022 DiscussingFilm Critic Award (DFCA) Nominations".
107. "2022 Awards".
108. (December 12, 2022). "Austin Butler Golden Globes".
109. Neglia, Matt. (January 6, 2023). "The 2022 Hawaii Film Critics Society (HFCS) Nominations".
110. Neglia, Matt. (December 15, 2022). "The 2022 Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) Nominations".
111. Neglia, Matt. (January 10, 2023). "The 2022 Houston Film Critics Society (HFCS) Nominations".
112. Cashin, Rory. (May 7, 2023). "Here are all of the 2023 IFTA winners".
113. Neglia, Matt. (January 11, 2022). "The 2022 Iowa Film Critics Association (IFCA) Winners".
114. Neglia, Matt. (December 21, 2022). "The 2022 London Film Critics Circle (LFCC) Nominations".
115. (February 12, 2023). "Minnesota Film Critics Alliance (MFCA) nominations: 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' leads with 11".
116. Neglia, Matt. (January 3, 2023). "The 2022 Music City Film Critics Association (MCFCA) Nominations".
117. Neglia, Matt. (December 22, 2022). "The 2022 North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) Nominations".
118. Neglia, Matt. (January 9, 2023). "The 2022 North Dakota Film Society (NDFS) Nominations". Next Best Picture.
119. (January 17, 2024). "OFCS Presents: 27th Annual Nominations for 2023". [[Online Film Critics Society]].
120. (January 6, 2023). "Cate Blanchett Begs to Work With Viola Davis at Palm Springs Film Awards: "I Want Some of Her Stardust"".
121. Neglia, Matt. (January 8, 2023). "The 2022 Portland Critics Association (PCA) Nominations".
122. Neglia, Matt. (January 3, 2022). "The 2022 San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) Nominations".
123. (January 6, 2022). "SFBAFCC 2022 Awards". [[San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle]].
124. Neglia, Matt. (December 8, 2022). "The 2022 Satellite Award (IPA) Nominations".
125. Bergeson, Samantha. (January 11, 2023). "SAG Awards 2023 Nominations: 'Everything Everywhere,' 'Banshees,' and More Score Major Nods".
126. (January 9, 2023). "Seattle Film Critics Society announces 2022 Award Nominees". [[The SunBreak]].
127. (January 22, 2023). "2022 Vancouver Film Critics Circle (VFCC) nominations".
128. Petski, Denise. (June 4, 2024). "Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Beyoncé, Timothée Chalamet, Ayo Edebiri Among 2024 Kids' Choice Awards Nominees – Full List".
129. Pedersen, Erik. (February 3, 2025). "'Dune: Part Two', 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' & 'Alien: Romulus' Lead Saturn Awards".