Tom Hanks Saves Elvis Actor Austin Butler From “Major Depression”, Gives Him a Role in World War II Film After His Villainous Dune Role
Austin Butler’s drive and dedication to Elvis was awe-inspiring. He went to extreme lengths to get every nuance of music legend Elvis Presley’s personality right to a tee. He prepared for the role for three years. Such an all-consuming role drove Butler to a bad place, mentally.
His troubled state was noticed by Tom Hanks’ experienced eyes. The Forrest Gump star has acted long enough to know that pushing yourself to an extreme for a role leaves you on edge. He extended a helping hand to Butler by offering him a role in Masters of the Air.
Tom Hanks to Austin Butler’s Rescue
Starring in Elvis together, Tom Hanks witnessed Butler’s devotion to the film firsthand. And he knew right away that after pushing himself to these lengths, the aftermath will be harmful. Concerned for Butler’s mental health, Hanks gave him some invaluable advice and a role in his Apple TV+ miniseries.
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Butler will now feature in the third installment of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks-produced World War II saga which includes Band of Brothers and The Pacific.
In a recent interview, Butler revealed what Hanks said to him out of concern:
“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, I’ve got this thing I’m producing.’”
This gesture from Hanks displays how much respect he harbors for Butler.
Austin Butler went Above and Beyond for Elvis
When Austin Butler’s gruesome toil for Elvis is put into perspective, Tom Hanks’ concern seems the most natural thing in the world. He gave three years of his life to only prepare for this role, embodying Elvis Presley’s spirit. From Presley’s stance to his infamous southern drawl, Butler pushed himself to inhumane limits. He was so heavily immersed to get the intricacies of the role right that he found it really difficult to switch back to his original voice afterward.
He drank melted Häagen-Dazs ice cream to gain weight and lived a life of isolation for months among other things. The drive to perfect Elvis hit him so hard that he was diagnosed with a viral infection which turned into appendicitis. As Butler recounted in an interview,
“The next day [after filming wrapped] I woke up at four in the morning with excruciating pain, and I was rushed to the hospital,” Butler said. “My body just started shutting down the day after I finished ‘Elvis.’”
Butler is now well and good and has moved on to other projects, taking Hanks’ advice. He will be seen in a villainous role in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part 2 soon. And as aforementioned is a part of Tom Hanks’ Masters of the Air.
Elvis is available to stream on Max.
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Source: Variety
