Austin Butler will soon appear in the upcoming Apple TV+ miniseries titled Masters of the Air. According to recent statements made by the Elvis alum, legendary Hollywood actor Tom Hanks was the one to offer him a role in the endeavor. Hanks and renowned director Steven Spielberg are executive producers of the war drama.
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Masters of the Air is the long-awaited addition to Spielberg and Hanks’ World War II saga, including Band of Brothers (2001) and The Pacific (2010). Worried for Butler’s mental health, post-Elvis, the Forrest Gump star deemed it wise for the 32-year-old actor to nab the offer. The younger star was happy to oblige.
The following explains how such a proposal transpired.
Tom Hanks Saved Austin Butler From An “Emotional Whiplash”
Austin Butler disclosed to The Times that co-actor Tom Hanks felt concerned about the former’s mental health following his complete immersion in the role of Elvis Presley for Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 biographical drama film, Elvis. It must have been taxing for the lead actor to devote two to three years of his life to the production to ensure a portrayal worthy of presenting the King of Rock and Roll’s legacy.
It was a daunting responsibility, after all. Co-star Tom Hanks appears to have noticed the same as well. The 67-year-old, who believed that the younger actor had immersed himself wholly in the role, realized he needed a distraction after dedicating much of his efforts to the endeavor.
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In a nutshell, Austin Butler needed to be coaxed into another project after Elvis finished wrapping. A constructive approach was required for the performer to express his residual passion and not worry about growing empty from within. This is how he could prevent a drop after a career-defining high.
Following is what Tom Hanks said, according to the Dune: Part Two alum:
“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.”
Butler accepted the offer and was cast as Major Gale Cleven in the upcoming miniseries Masters of the Air. Other talents slated to appear are Callum Turner, Barry Keoghan, Ncuti Gatwa, Ben Radcliffe, etc.
Austin Butler’s Intense Prep-work To Play Elvis Presley
Butler made it a point to discuss what an extraordinary experience filming Elvis was in The Times interview. The project forced him, in his own words, “to go to the very edge of what is possible, and not every experience will be like that.” The actor had to nail the legendary pop culture icon’s style, personality, voice, inflections, accent, etc.
He had to look the part, as well. This is why the actor deemed it necessary to leave no stone unturned for this challenging depiction.
Talking to A.frame, the actor said the following about his preparation for Elvis:
“It really felt like the role of a lifetime. But what comes along with that is just immense terror and a nearly crippling amount of responsibility. […] The only way I could do it was to not leave any stone unturned. I didn’t ever want to look back and say, ‘I could have done more.'”
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Butler worked with movement, dialect, acting, and singing coaches to prepare for the part. Additionally, it is believed that the talent consumed microwaved Häagen-Dazs to gain weight for the role. From the numerous interviews he participated in, we know that the Oscar-nominated star also felt he had lost touch with himself once Elvis finished production.
The actor gained further notoriety when he revealed that he hadn’t seen his family for three years during the project’s making.
The intense approach taken by Butler underscores the importance of Tom Hanks’ offer. We certainly hope the young actor has been able to find much-needed solace from Masters of the Air after subjecting himself to strenuous preparation methods for Elvis.
You can check out the recently-released trailer for Masters of the Air (2024) below:
