Thanks to his breakout role as The King in “Elvis,” Austin Butler is one of Hollywood’s current leading “it” men. And it comes with little doubt that Butler’s dedicated performance as Elvis Presley cemented him in that position. But Variety reports (via People) that Butler’s road to stardom could have been very different if he had made another choice a couple of years before “Elvis.”
While on the podcast to promote his new Apple TV+ series “Masters Of The Air,” Butler confirmed the story that he nearly starred opposite Tom Cruise in 2022’s “Top Gun: Maverick.” But one thing kept him from landing the part: agreeing to work with Quentin Tarantino on “Once Upon A Time …In Hollywood.” “I ended up having to choose between going to the screen test for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ or saying yes to Quentin Tarantino,” Butler said on an upcoming episodes of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast. For those who don’t remember, Butler plays Manson family member Charles “Tex” Watson in QT’s last film; a small but integral role.
The choice between the two projects was simple for Butler. He had wanted to work with Tarantino “for so long,” and “Top Gun: Maverick” wasn’t a guaranteed smash hit. “I’d already met with [QT], so I did that,” Butler continued. It was a smart choice for the actor. At the time, he was regularly appearing on TV and smaller movies but had yet to work with an established director like Tarantino on a film. QT’s cultural cache brought a lot of attention to Butler’s performance, and likely helped him land “Elvis” a couple of years later.
And even though he wasn’t a favorite for Rooster in “Maverick,” Butler’s audition put him on people’s radar too. “The thing that he got the closest to was “Top Gun,”” “Elvis” casting director Denise Chamian told Variety about Butler’s breakout. “When I cast that, we were looking for the role that Miles Teller played. I felt so passionate about Austin. Ultimately, his audition was shown to Tom and all the filmmakers. They agreed he had something and they were happy to know him, but they thought he was too young.” But Chamian knew it was only a matter of time for Butler. “At that point, I saw that this actor has something very special that other people don’t always have,” she continued. “It’s almost the way he looks into the camera. He knows the camera and lets the camera see him, and that is really what is so captivating.”
And both Butler and Chamian made the right choices on “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Once Upon A Time In …Hollywood.” Butler worked with Tarantino and got more eyes on him as he waited for a breakthrough role, and Chamian nailed her choice to cast Teller as Rooster opposite Cruise’s Maverick. “Top Gun: Maverick” wouldn’t have the same magic with Butler in that role, and Butler’s path to superstardom feels more right earned through “Hollywood” and “Elvis.” Up next for the actor? “Dune: Part Two” on March 1, as well as Mike Nichols‘ delayed picture “The Bikeriders,” out this summer. And “Masters Of The Air” premieres on Apple TV+ today.