Tom Hanks saved Austin Butler from “emotional whiplash” after ‘Elvis’
Following his Oscar-nominated performance as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 hit Elvis, Austin Butler has revealed that his co-star Tom Hanks gave him some crucial career advice.
Butler fully immersed himself in the role of the singer, going as far as to maintain his Southern accent off-set. Even after filming wrapped, Butler used the voice in interviews, leading many people to poke fun at the actor on social media.
However, his dedication paid off when he received an Academy Award nomination for ‘Best Actor’, although he ultimately lost to Brendan Fraser for his performance in The Whale. Still, Butler was awarded a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for his portrayal of The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Despite his well-intentioned efforts to embody the singer, Hanks, who played Colonel Tom Parker, was concerned for the actor, believing that Butler would struggle after immersing himself so deeply in the role.
Thus, Hanks offered Butler a leading part in his new show, Masters of the Air, which he is also co-producing alongside Steven Spielberg. The actor told The Sunday Times that Hanks said to him, “‘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’,” Hanks suggested.
The show, which will air on Apple TV+ later this year, will also star Barry Keoghan and Callum Turner. Based on the book of the same name by Donald L. Miller, the miniseries will be directed by several different filmmakers, including Cary Joji Fukunaga and Tim Van Patten.
Masters of the Air will serve as the sequel to Band of Brothers and The Pacific.
