Austin Butler explains the top advice Tom Hanks shared that helped him get out of depression

The rising actor stars alongside Oscar-winning legend Tom in a flashy new biopic about Elvis Presley – and he’s revealed the advice the icon shared to help pull him out of life boring

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ELVIS: The second official trailer for the film by Baz Luhrmann

Austin Butler thanked Elvis co-star Tom Hanks for saving him from depression.

The 30-year-old actor plays the King of Rick & Roll in Baz Luhrmann’s lavish new biopic about the singer who lived from 1935 to 1977.

Actor Tom, 65, plays Elvis’ manager Colonel Tom Parker in the new film – with the relationship between Elvis and Tom being explored as a major theme in the big-budget film.

Austin admits he loved every minute of his starring role in the film – which hits theaters later this month – but was crushed when he realized that his time on set was over.

Based on Sun on Sunday, Austin says he suffered a “huge decline” and “losses” after playing Elvis – with the biopic being shot between January 2020 and March 2021.

But Oscar-winning legend Tom advised Austin to go straight into another project to avoid succumbing to the blues.

Austin told the publication: “So I flew to London and started filming. That’s great advice from Tom. Without it, I would have fallen into a state of depression.”

Last month, Austin recounted falling ill after completing the biopic.

He told American GQ: “The next day [after filming wrapped] I woke up at four in the morning with severe pain, and I was rushed to the hospital.

“My body just started shutting down the day after I finished ‘Elvis’.”

The GQ report also explains how Austin immersed himself in Elvis’ life and history when filming on the project was closed in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the report: “The producers were ready to bring Butler home to Los Angeles, but he decided to stay and dig deep and use the break to dig even deeper into his character.

“He basically turned his apartment into a scene where the detective, à la Charlie in ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ uncovers a conspiracy in the vast mailroom.”

While Austin recalls: “Just the image of Elvis everywhere, all the time. I think the movie would have been very different if we had started shooting at that point, and I’m grateful for the time to let myself chill. ‘”

The film had its world premiere last month at the Cannes Film Festival – with Austin receiving rave reviews for his performance.

Deadline called the actor the “ideal choice” for the part and revealed: “he succeeds in a thrilling way, especially in the first half of the film, with a realistic rhythm that makes us wonder Elvis What heights can he climb if he doesn’t bow to the dark side of his own reputation. “

While the LA Times praised Austin’s performance as “a good physical match for Elvis and better vocally.”

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