Having gained notoriety after portraying Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann's film, the 31-year-old actor insists that 'not much changes' internally despite his fame.
- Aug 15, 2023
AceShowbiz - Austin Butler thinks he needs to focus on how "privileged" he is. The Oscar-nominated "Elvis" actor, 31, who is dating 21-year-old model Kaia Gerber and is worth an estimated $4 million, said despite his riches and fame he doesn't think anything inside him has changed since he shot to global fame.
He told the Sunday Times when asked how he was coping with his success, "I'm trying to figure that out. One interesting thing is that internally not much changes - it's just a collective idea of who you are that changes (from others). And then, in every interview, you try to talk about who you actually are, but it's so complex to try to quantify that. I just need to realize how privileged I am. And we all are - to have the life that we have."
He also said he "resonates" with "timeless" movie icons. Austin added, "I resonate with Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Serge Gainsbourg. It's not about quick fashion - when you look at a photo of McQueen from years ago, you think he could wear that today and look just as cool. Those are the people I look at. I just love this idea of timelessness."
Despite stating he wants to keep his privilege in mind, Austin has also admitted he struggled to cope with his mum's cancer and death he considered quitting acting as her passing made him question whether it was a "worthy" enough profession. He was left devastated and fighting depression when he lost his mother Lori on September 12, 2014, aged 50 after her cancer battle.
Austin told The Hollywood Reporter about the impact of her illness and death, "I started to question. Suddenly I was around doctors and people that were hurting a lot in hospitals, and I thought, 'Is acting a noble profession? Should I be doing this or should I give myself in some way that can help people who are dealing with cancer or something like that?' "
Austin also said after his mum's death he went to New Zealand to film a young adult TV show, but would "go home and cry every night." He took time off from acting in his mid-20s but said he started "sinking into a deeper and deeper depression" for around six or eight months until he landed the role in "The Iceman Cometh", which he has hailed as "the moment that changed my career."
