Austin Butleris the new king of rock and roll.
The young actor is set to play the late Elvis Presley, who earned the title through his skyrocketing fame in the ’50s. Butler, 27, was cast as the icon in Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming film, also starring Tom Hanks as the rocker’s longtime manager.
Butler, who is naturally blonde and recently dyed his hair black for the role, is an actor on the rise who will soon be seen oppositeBrad PittandLeonardo DiCaprioinOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood. He’s currently starring inThe Dead Don’t Die, opposite Bill Murray and Selena Gomez, which is now in theaters.
Getty; Theo Wargo/Getty
Read on for more about the young star.
He’s been dating Vanessa Hudgens since 2011
Butler has been at the arm of Hudgens, 30, for the better part of the last decade. The two were first linked romantically in 2011 and often post about each other on social media.
Hudgens even reacted to the news of his casting first, posting a sweet congratulations to her “honey” on Instagram.
“I AMMMM OVERRRR THE F—— MOOOOOOOOONNNNN. I CANT WAIT 😍😍😍😍😍😍 SO PROUD OF MY HONEYYYYY!!!” Hudgens wrote.
After getting his start as a background actor in Nickelodeon’sNed’s Declassified School Survival Guide, Butler went on to appear in several Disney Channel and Nickelodeon shows.
Two of his most memorable roles as a young actor include playing the love interest in bothHannah MontanaandZoey 101. Butler played Jake opposite Miley Cyrus in the Disney show. He later romances Jamie-Lynn Spears on her Nickelodeon show as James.
Butler was later tapped for the CW’sSex and the CityprequelTheCarrie Diaries, where he once again played love interest to AnnaSophia Robb’s Carrie Bradshaw. The show followed Carrie in high school and lasted two seasons.
He turned heads on Broadway
Part of what helped Butler get cast as Elvis is his recent turn on Broadway, where he shined on stage. Butler played a main role in the Eugene O’Neill playThe Iceman Cometh.
“I had heard about Austin Butler from his standout role opposite Denzel Washington inThe Iceman Comethon Broadway, and through a journey of extensive screen testing and music and performance workshops, I knew unequivocally that I had found someone who could embody the spirit of one of the world’s most iconic musical figures,” Luhrmann said in a statement.
The biopic begins shooting next year in Australia.
source: people.com
