Autin Butler stated in a recent interview with The Times of London that Hanks’ concern for his mental health on “Elvis” led to him landing a leading role in “Masters of the Air.” Butler claims that Hanks advised him: “You have immersed yourself so deeply in ‘Elvis’ that, for your mental health, it would be wise to go straight into something else. If you just jump off the train, you might have emotional whiplash… and, you know, I’ve got this thing I’m producing.’”
Butler claimed that “Elvis” required him “to go to the very edge of what is possible, and not every experience will be like that. I don’t think I’ll ever have an experience like that again, but if I have to really dig, it makes me feel alive.”
The actor received a nomination for the Oscar for best actor in recognition of his work in “Elvis.” He spent three years getting ready for the part, even picking up Elvis Presley’s southern drawl. Additionally, he consumed melted Häagen-Dazs ice cream to put on weight for the film. The actor revealed to GQ magazine last year that his dedication to the part was so intense that he gained a sickness and had to be hospitalized. “The next day [after filming wrapped] I woke up at four in the morning with excruciating pain, and I was rushed to the hospital,” Butler said. “My body just started shutting down the day after I finished ‘Elvis.’”
However, Austin Butler is preparing for the upcoming theatrical releases of “Dune: Part 2” by Denis Villeneuve and the Apple TV+ miniseries “Masters of the Air.” This latter film is the third installment in Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’ extensive World War II narrative, which also includes the highly regarded “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific.”