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Biopics about famous musicians has become the latest trend in Hollywood, and of course, we need one about the King: Elvis Presley. Baz Luhrmann is set to direct this film for Warner Bros. studio. After many auditions and choices, Lurhmann settled on Austin Butler to bring this rock legend to life. You might be asking, who is Austin Butler? Well look no further, because this list has 10 things you need to know about this young and upcoming actor.
He is a Born and Raised Californian
Just for a little background information on this young and upcoming heartthrob. Austin was born in Anaheim, California. He was born on August 17th, 1991 (what a Leo, right?), to two parents and an older sister (who actually did some background acting with him in Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide). This tall drink of water is six feet of dark handsomeness, and even comes from English and Finnish ancestry. Austin was even home-schooled for most of his education to focus on his acting career!
His Acting Career is Finally Taking Off
Austin Butler started his acting career at age 13 when he was approached at the Orange County Fair by a representative of a background-acting management company. He is currently said to have a net worth of $4 million dollars, and is finally bursting into big Hollywood movies after doing small roles for kids television and film.
He Started as a Background Disney and Nickelodeon Channel Actor
Austin first appeared in Nickelodeon’s Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide from 2005-2007. He then moved on to Hannah Montana, where he appeared as a couple different background characters. His first big role was actually in iCarly in 2007, where he played the role of “Jake Krandle”. He was also in 10 episodes of Zoey 101 and 2 episodes of Jonas. Yeah, we know you’re going back to all these shows to find this Elvis-like hunk.
His Serious Career Started in Television Dramas
Butler’s first television drama was CSI: Miami, where he appeared in one episode. Then, he had a 10 episode role on Life Unexpected, and had a starring role on the CW show The Carrie Diaries from 2013 to 2014. He also appeared in multiple episodes of Switched at Birth in 2012. After finally breaking free of Disney and Nickelodeon, these shows led to many other minor roles on television, eventually leading to his break out on the Hollywood big screen.
He's in a Long-Term Relationship with Vanessa Hudgens
After discovering that he also got his start on Family and Nickelodeon, it’s no real surprise that he met the brilliant Vanessa Hudgens, AKA Gabriella Montez from High School Musical (where they reportedly met). This power couple has been dating since 2011, and they definitely seem in it for the long run. We strongly recommend checking out this couple on Instagram, because they’re honestly the sweetest and best looking couple we’ve ever seen.
He Actually Plays Guitar, Piano, and Sings
Austin Butler records and creates music! We would expect nothing less from the guy set to play the infamous Elvis Presley, right? Austin started guitar at age 13, and even started piano at age 16. He loves collecting guitars, even, and enjoys recording music as a secondary hobby to his growing acting career. This versatile actor will definitely be making waves. Kudos to the director for casting an actual musician. Also, we’re impressed, Austin.
He's Also a Broadway Actor (& Star!)
Butler first began Broadway in 2014, where he appeared in “Death of the Author”. However, he made a bang in the industry in 2018, where he was a part of “The Iceman Cometh” (alongside Denzel Washington), which received incredible reviews. In fact, apparently Luhrmann (the director of the Elvis Presley biopic), actually spotted Butler in this Broadway production, which led him to become interested in casting him for the role. Clearly, it worked.
Two of His First Film Roles Were Alongside Ashley Tisdale
You might remember the spin-off film of our favorite High School Musical villain, Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure (2011). Well, then you also might remember that Sharpay’s main co-star was Austin Butler himself, who played Peyton Leverett. In fact, even before this, Austin and Ashely co-starred in the 2009 film Aliens in the Attic. It’s not super shocking that Austin is dating Vanessa, considering these two female co-stars are also besties. And yes, they all still hang out together. It’s a small world in Hollywood, isn’t it?
He Finally Broke Out Onto the Hollywood Screen in 2019
While Austin has mainly dabbled in television, he does have a few acting credits under his belt. However, Austin really demonstrated his debut with two huge hits with incredibly famous actors in 2019. He appeared in The Dead Don’t Die alongside Bill Murray, Adam Driver, and Selena Gomez (fun fact: he previously appeared in an episode of Wizards of Waverly Place). He played another, larger role, in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood with the brilliant Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Margot Robbie. If you didn’t know who he was before these films, you definitely do now. Yeah, we expect to see him at the Oscars in 2020.
He Beat Out Many Actors For This Role
Of course, Austin wasn’t the only one in the running to play Elvis Presley. Other actors that were close to getting the part include Ansel Elgort, Harry Styles, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Miles Teller. All of these actors have already made waves in the industry, and we’re rooting hard for Austin Butler to make it big, too. Luhrmann was quoted saying that he knew “unequivocally that [he] had found someone who could embody the spirit of one of the world’s most iconic musical figures”. He had some tough competition, but we're confident this young man will blow us away.