Once filming began, Butler still did not feel like the preparation was enough and the imposter syndrome kicked in. Instead of flying back home, Butler stayed in Australia to focus solely on Elvis - with a poster mapping out Elvis' life pinned to his apartment wall and recordings of Elvis' laugh that Butler would listen to while walking on the beach. Tarantino wanted Butler to say "real as a bullet" and someone on set misheard it as "real as a doughnut."Įven though Butler secured the part of Elvis Presley in 2019 and headed to Australia to commence production, filming was delayed over six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. After a 12-hour long audition, Butler accepted the role of Tex Watson in the 2019 film " Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood." Butler’s most iconic line in the film - "I'm as real as a doughnut, motherfucker," - was actually improvised. While performing sometimes up to eight hours a day for 14 weeks, director Quentin Tarantino witnessed Butler's talent and asked to meet with him for an upcoming film. That audition led to him receiving the part of Don Parritt in " Iceman Cometh," allowing him to work directly alongside Denzel Washington. Using that very camera, Butler self-taped an audition for a role in theater, which had become his newest love. So I doubled-down on being an actor."ĭuring this time, Butler would read 14 plays in two weeks and even bought a camera to pursue directing. As I was watching films, it made me realize why I love this and am privileged to be a part of this community. "I realized there was a different direction to go - there was a certain type of work I wanted to be doing. "It's hard to process grief while working a lot," Butler said. This grief forced him to step back from acting and reevaluate his career path. While in the midst of "The Carrie Diaries," Butler's mom passed away from cancer. Once Butler had made a name for himself in the Nickelodeon and Disney community, with performances in " Hannah Montana," " Zoey 101" and " iCarly," he packed his bags and headed to New York City to work on " The Carrie Diaries" - a spin-off to " Sex and the City." "When she saw this passion in me, she embraced it whole-heartedly," Butler said. His mother saw the excitement in his eyes and aided him in pursuing his dreams - whether that was driving him to acting class or serving as a constant cheerleader. He was always inspired by the filmmaking process, with " Pulp Fiction" and " A Streetcar Named Desire" sticking out as his favorite films.Īs Butler began to immerse himself in the production process, he stepped onto his first set - a Welch's grape juice commercial. Despite being so shy he had to whisper to his mom what he wanted to order at a restaurant, acting was a passion from the very beginning. The beginning of the conversation started with Butler's childhood down the road in Anaheim, as Feinberg surprised him with a clip from the Orange County Archives of a 4-year-old Butler at the beach with his mom. The Master Class, which was held in the Folino Theater, was moderated by Executive Editor of Awards at The Hollywood Reporter and trustee professor Scott Feinberg and was preceded by a screening of "Elvis," which earned a total of eight Academy Award nominations - including Best Picture and Butler in the Best Actor category. Along with discussing the trajectory of his career, Butler joined an audience of Chapman students on March 1 for a Master Class to disclose his dedication to the craft, his career shifts from Nickelodeon to theater and the recognition he has received from his portrayal of the music icon.
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