The much-anticipated movie Dune: Part Two, starring Austin Butler, has had the internet going bonkers over the last few months. Following his Oscar-nominated performance in Elvis, Austin Butler is set to awe us again in the role of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in the upcoming Dune sequel, which opens in theaters on March 1. The world has been observing Butler since his incredible performance in the 2022 biographical drama Elvis. There is no denying that his acting career has advanced significantly.
As we all know, losing a loved one is never easy, and for Butler, the timing could not have been more heartbreaking. In retrospect, the California-born actor once said that he used to “go home and cry” after working on a TV show. As Butler was coming to terms with his mother’s unexpected death in 2014, he had to fly to New Zealand to start filming The Shannara Chronicles.
Coping with Loss and Pursuing Passion: Austin Butler’s Journey with The Shannara Chronicles
Austin Butler had a conversation for The Hollywood Reporter in 2022 with a few of the industry’s most favored and prominent A-list stars. He openly addressed how the loss of his mother caused him to re-evaluate his acting career. He recalled:
“I thought ‘Is [acting] a noble profession at all? 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?’”
Following the death of his mother, Butler had to leave immediately for New Zealand to begin filming his then-upcoming project, The Shannara Chronicles. Notwithstanding the thrilling nature of the science fiction program, he revealed that he was finding himself crying every night when he got home.
Butler acknowledged that the loss of his mother and his grief had an effect. But he made the decision to take a break. The actor became even more agitated as a result of this. Thankfully, his acting coach and agent helped him secure a role in the play The Iceman Cometh.
Looking back, Butler revealed
“That’s the moment that changed my career”.
Butler’s dedication to his work was truly tested in an industry that requires both presence and perseverance. It is not easy to juggle personal grief with work commitments, but Butler rose to the occasion with a strong sense of resiliency and determination.
Austin Butler Discussed His Dune 2 Role Preparation
In the Baz Luhrmann film, Austin Butler took on the role of Elvis Presley, for which he had studied the music icon for three years. Throughout the process, he maintained his distinctive southern drawl while acting like a Method actor. Butler significantly dialed back his Method Acting for his role as the psychotic antagonist Feyd-Rautha in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two.
The actor informed the Los Angeles Times:
“I’ve definitely in the past, with ‘Elvis,’ explored living within that world for three years and that being the only thing that I think about day and night. With Feyd, I knew that that would be unhealthy for my family and friends.”
According to Villeneuve, Butler was “tremendously playful” to work with, so it is safe to assume the latter was not acting like a Method actor on set. The director continued:
“When the camera was on, it was like you were possessed. When the camera was off, you were still maybe 25 or 30% Feyd. Just enough to still be present and focus but removed enough that you didn’t kill anybody on set.”
Along with actors like Florence Pugh, Léa Seydoux, and Christopher Walken, Butler is one of the newcomers to the Dune franchise in the sequel. Many people on set suffered from heat stroke during the first week of filming, the Oscar nominee recently revealed to Entertainment Weekly:
“It was 110 degrees and so hot,” Butler said. “I had the bald cap on, and it was between two soundstages that were just these gray boxes of 200-foot walls and sand. It became like a microwave. There were people passing out from heat stroke. And that was just my first week.”
While we excitedly await Butler’s next movie, let us not overlook the bravery and fortitude he showed in the face of difficulty, especially during the time of The Shannara Chronicles.
Dune: Part Two will hit theaters on March 1. You can watch The Shannara Chronicles on Tubi TV.
