Will we all be talking about Austin Butler this summer? Yeah, a little, maybe. The 30-year-old actor plays the King Of Rock in Baz Luhrmann’s biopic Elvis, which will be released on June 24 in theaters. The film will explore Presley’s life before fame and his journey to stardom, and it’ll also showcase the United States in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s through the rock star’s life, approaching more political and social topics.
With this leading role, Butler’s getting ready to take his career to the next level — even though he’s no stranger to appearing in successful movies and TV shows. He’s starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Ashley Tisdale, and so many more of our favorite actors, some of whom he’s very good friends with.
And although we love celebrity friendships, it’s his relationships that take the limelight. He dated Vanessa Hudgens for nine years, and they were arguably one of the most iconic couples of the 2010s until their breakup in 2020. He’s now in a relationship with another “it girl,” Kaia Gerber. I’d even bet that many of us have photos of Austin and his current and previous girlfriends saved on our Pinterest boards. (We have to manifest our dreams of being part of a fashion couple someday, right?)
If you’re excited for the future of his acting career or just love how iconic his relationships are, you’re in the right place. Here’s everything you need to know about Austin Butler, from who he’s dating to whether that was him on iCarly all those years ago.
Butler can actually sing, and he replicated Elvis’s vocals in Baz Luhrmann’s movie.
The anticipated musical drama Elvis will probably be a highlight in Austin Butler’s career. Three years ago, when he was cast to play Elvis Presley, the actor beat some of Hollywood’s favorite leading men, like Ansel Elgort, Harry Styles, and Miles Teller. To prepare for his role, and to resemble the King Of Rock as much as possible, Butler had voice coaching and singing lessons for a year before shooting the film, he confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. Yes, he can actually sing, and is the one singing in the movie, with a voice that really resembles Presley’s — we even get a glimpse of his impressive performance in the trailer.
In the same interview, Butler also mentioned that he watched many of Presley’s films and concerts to be able to recreate the singer’s moves and style. According to the actor, he felt a big responsibility to Presley’s ex-wife, Priscilla, his daughter, Lisa Marie, and everyone else who loved the iconic rock star.
This isn’t his first turn in a huge Hollywood film.
It’s a pretty big honor to be a part of Elvis, but that’s not the only major movie Austin Butler has been a part of. He played Tex in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in… Hollywood, starring alongside household names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Dakota Fanning, and so many others.
Butler Is In Talks To Star In Dune: Part 2.
On March 10, a source told Variety that Butler is in the very early stages of joining Dune: Part 2. If it’s confirmed, he’ll play a villain, Feyd-Rautha, the nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen and the heir to the Harkonnen empire. He’ll also star alongside our favorites, Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya. Florence Pugh’s also in talks to star in Dune’s sequel, which will be released in October 2023.
He was probably in your favorite childhood movies and TV shows.
Butler started his acting career in 2005 when he landed a role as a background actor in Nickelodeon’s Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide. And that’s just the beginning — it’s safe to say that Gen Z grew up watching him. In 2007, he had a guest-starring role on Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana, and in that same year he was also in Nickelodeon’s iCarly, portraying Jake Krandle in the episode “iLike Jake.” In 2010, he appeared in an episode of Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place, and in 2011, he was in the High School Musical spin-off movie Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, playing Peyton Leverette, aka the romantic interest our girl Sharpay Evans deserves.
He’s also been in a few more mature shows since his Disney and Nick days, however: In 2012, he starred in the Sex And The City prequel The Carrie Diaries playing Sebastian Kyd, young Carrie Bradshaw’s romantic interest in the show. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was your childhood crush.
He’s basically Ashley Tisdale’s BFF.
Butler was actually invited by Ashley Tisdale herself to audition for the Sharpay spin-off. The actors first worked together on the set of Century Fox’s movie Aliens in the Attic in 2009, and became really good friends. Earlier this year, he met Tisdale’s daughter, Jupiter, and had the chance to catch up with his old friend after not seeing her for almost two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “He FaceTimed Jupiter in the hospital the morning after I had her. He’s one of my best friends and to see him with Juju is so special,” Tisdale wrote on Instagram.
Their almost 15-year-old friendship is still going strong. In February they were seen meeting up for lunch, and Butler even received a few gifts from his friend. I, too, would love to be besties with Sharpay Evans.
He dated Vanessa Hudgens for nine years and is now dating another “it girl,” Kaia Gerber.
Tisdale was probably the one who introduced Butler to his ex-girlfriend, Vanessa Hudgens, whom he dated for nine years, from 2011 to 2020. I don’t know about you, but those two were all over my Tumblr in the 2010s. Everyone seemed to be obsessed with their height difference, their complementing styles, and how fondly they talked about each other.
When they broke up, many fans questioned if love was even real, but we didn’t have to wait that long for another “it couple” to be born. In 2021, Austin Butler had a fling with Lily Rose-Depp, and now, in 2022, he’s dating model Kaia Gerber. Butler and Gerber’s relationship is very private, but they’re often seen on hikes and serving fashionable casual looks. Butler’s iconic couple era will probably last for a while, no matter who he’s dating.
Whether it’s on the big screen or through very iconic relationships, Austin Butler shines, and we’ll all probably hear a lot more from him. When he’s the talk of the summer, be ready to be the friend who knows all the fun facts about him — I got you!