Austin Butler facts: Elvis actor's age, girlfriend, films, and family revealed

15 February 2023, 15:05

Austin Butler has been cast in the lead role in Baz Luhrmann's upcoming Elvis Presley biopic.
Austin Butler has been cast in the lead role in Baz Luhrmann's upcoming Elvis Presley biopic. Picture: Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock

By Thomas Curtis-Horsfall

Soon to star in the highly-anticipated Elvis Presley biopic, Austin Butler is one of the most exciting young talents in Hollywood.

Here's all you need to know about the up-and-coming actor:

Who is Austin Butler?

Austin Butler said being picked to play Elvis Presley was "one of the greatest wake-up calls of my life".
Austin Butler said being picked to play Elvis Presley was "one of the greatest wake-up calls of my life". Picture: Lexie Moreland/WWD

Austin Butler is an American film, television, and Broadway actor and singer.

His most prominent acting role to date is as the lead role in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley biopic Elvis alongside Tom Hanks, which was released to great acclaim in 2022.

Butler has also appeared in a number of film roles such as Manson Family member Tex Watson in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and Jim Jarmusch's The Dead Don't Die.

He has been a regular character in various television series, such as Switched at Birth and MTV's The Shannara Chronicles, before making his Broadway debut as Don Parritt, the "lost boy", in the Denzel Washington revival of The Iceman Cometh in 2018.

Throughout his career, he has been nominated for the Young Artist Award a total of three times.

How old is Austin Butler and where was he born?

Austin was home-schooled for several years whilst his acting career was beginning.
Austin was home-schooled for several years whilst his acting career was beginning. Picture: Instagram/Austin Butler

Austin Butler was born on 17th August 1991 in California, USA. He celebrated his 31st birthday in 2022.

His mother Lori Anne, an aesthetician, died in 2014 from cancer, and his father is David Butler. He has an older sister Ashley, who is also an actress.

How did Austin Butler get his start in acting?

Butler (left) appeared regularly in a number of kid's television series.
Butler (left) appeared regularly in a number of kid's television series. Picture: Everett Collection

At the age of 13, Butler was approached by an acting representative who said he'd help offer a way into the entertainment industry.

He soon began taking acting classes, and shortly after scored roles on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel series such as Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (which also featured his sister Ashley) and Hannah Montana alongside Miley Cyrus.

Deciding that he would take acting seriously as a career avenue, Butler then moved into more established roles such as James "Wilke" Wilkerson in ABC Family series Switched at Birth and The Bling Ring with Dirty Dancing's Jennifer Grey playing the role of his mother.

What films has Austin Butler appeared in?

Baz Luhrmann’s ELVIS | Official Trailer

- Elvis

- Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

- The Intruders

- The Dead Don't Die

- Yoga Hosers

Is Austin Butler in a relationship?

Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber in 2022
Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber in 2022. Picture: Getty

Austin Butler is dating American model Kaia Gerber, the daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford.

He was in a long-term relationship with fellow Disney Channel actress Vanessa Hudgens from 2011 until they broke up in 2020.

Butler had also been romantically linked to Johnny Depp's daughter Lily-Rose Depp.

Austin Butler in 2015. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Austin Butler in 2015. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images). Picture: Getty

Is there anything else we should know about Austin Butler?

Baz Luhrmann's Elvis biopic is set for release on 22nd June 2022.
Baz Luhrmann's Elvis biopic is set for release on 22nd June 2022. Picture: Warner Bros Studios

Despite being a relatively unknown actor, Austin Butler beat out stiff competition from the likes of Harry Styles, Baby Driver actor Ansel Elgort, and Whiplash actor Miles Teller to score the lead role in the Elvis biopic.

The film's director Baz Luhrmann gushed about Butler after he was announced in the lead role, saying he has the unique ability to “embody the spirit of one of the world’s most iconic musical figures.”

To portray The King, Butler dyed his hair black as he is naturally blonde.

He is an avid musician himself, having played guitar and piano since the age of 13 and even collects rare guitars.