Entertainment · Stars
American actor (born 1991)
Austin Butler is an American actor known for his compelling performances in film and television, earning critical acclaim and major awards for roles in Elvis (2022) and Dune: Part Two (2024). His work spans from teen dramas to acclaimed period and sci-fi films, establishing him as a rising force in Hollywood.
Austin Robert Butler was born on August 17, 1991, in Anaheim, California. Lori Anne Howell, a professional aesthetician, and David Butler, with Irish roots, are his parents. The two divorced when he was seven. Ashley, born in 1986, served as a background actress on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, sharing the set with him. His maternal great-great-grandparents were Finnish immigrants from Ostrobothnia, Finland. At the Orange County Fair, a manager from an acting firm spotted Butler at age thirteen and began representing him, setting his career in motion. He attended public school until seventh grade, then transitioned to homeschooling, continuing through tenth grade before passing the CHSPE, the state's high school equivalency diploma exam.
Butler began his career on television, appearing in Disney Channel and Nickelodeon series. He guest-starred on Hannah Montana (2007) and iCarly (2008), and had a recurring role as Jones on Life Unexpected (2010–2011). He starred in Switched at Birth (2011–2012) and played lead roles in The Carrie Diaries (2013–2014) and The Shannara Chronicles (2016–2017). He also appeared in Ruby & the Rockits (2009) and Aliens in the Attic (2009). In 2011, he starred in the Lifetime film The Bling Ring. Butler first performed on Broadway in the 2018 revival of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh. In 2023, he starred in The Bikeriders. He appeared in Dune: Part Two (2024) and Caught Stealing (2025), and starred in the Apple TV+ miniseries Masters of the Air (2024). He also appeared in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), The Dead Don't Die (2019), and Yoga Hosers (2016).
Butler gained widespread recognition for his performance as Elvis Presley in Elvis (2022), earning a BAFTA and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama, and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. His role as Tex Watson in (2019) marked a significant breakthrough. He starred in Denis Villeneuve's (2024) and Darren Aronofsky's (2025). He also appeared in (2023), (2024), and earlier works like (2009) and (2015).
Profile updated October 10, 2026.
In 2023, Butler won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for his role in Elvis. He was also named to Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2023. He received a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Elvis (2022).
