Austin Butler Talks What’s on His Playlist, Marlon Brando’s Influence, and His Favorite Smells

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

In the wee hours of Thursday morning, YSL Beauty rang in Paris Fashion Week with a party at the heart of the French capital celebrating their newest fragrance MYSLF and its campaign starring acclaimed actor Austin Butler. Stars from the movie, music, and fashion worlds descended on an old fire station turned outdoor venue and basement nightclub to snap pictures, regale with peers, and usher in the L’Oréal brand’s first woody floral scent.

More from Rolling Stone

• 'Loki' Season Two Has Arrived! Stream the Marvel Show On Disney+

• MLB Livestream 2023: How to Watch Baseball Online for Free

• Amazon Announces October Prime Day Dates, Launches Early Discounts Ahead of Event

Butler, whose photos for the new campaign can be found on billboards from downtown New York to Charles-de-Gaulle airport, says he was eager to team up with French director Julia Ducourneau and cinematographer Benoit Debie for the YSL Beauty campaign. Butler has been on an incredible run before the SAG-AFTRA strike commenced, picking up a Golden Globe for his portrayal of The King in Elvis as well as gearing up to play bad dude Feyd-Rautha in Dune: Part Two.

Price: $From Nordstrom From $28.90

Buy Now

For Butler, who says he has a sensitive nose, the fragrance’s citrus notes call back to his childhood. “I had this orange tree in the backyard and so vividly I remember the smell of those orange blossoms and picking oranges with my mother,” Butler tells Rolling Stone, adding that wet asphalt and book pages are top-tier smells to him.

The evening doubled as a celebration for the five new stars that have joined the MYSLF campaign: Lil Yachty (who performed at the brand’s New York Fashion Week activation), Steve Lacy, Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard, Wednesday’s Hunter Doohan, and TikTok star Noah Beck. At the event, as electronic remixes of Cardi B spun by Honey Dijon filled the air, Lacy mingled with friends, fellow musicians, and music executives alike.

A couple hours before the party, Rolling Stone caught up with the Oscar-nominee in his hotel room at Ritz Paris to talk about what’s on his rotation, his style influences, and sitting next to Rosé of Blackpink at the Saint Laurent show.

How’s it been working on the new campaign and being the face of this fragrance?
It’s been a wild ride. It’s been incredible to get to work with the team, I was really drawn to work with Julia Ducourneau and Benoit Debie who’s one of my favorite cinematographers. It’s been surreal. Seeing my face in the airport and whatnot…

So that hasn’t gotten old yet? Seeing your face in whatever terminal?
I don’t know if you ever get used to it. I got a call from my team that they were very excited and they knew I had been a fan of YSL for many years and so they brought the idea forward and then I talked to the team and we just all clicked. It was very organic and very exciting.

What kind of smells would you say you gravitate towards?
So many. I feel like I have a very sensitive nose but I like the smell of wet asphalt, wet concrete. Like after the rain. I love the smell of pages of books. Fireplace.

I read that you used to have an orange tree?
Well that’s one of the first aspects they included in the scent. The smell of orange blossoms. So when you smell it at first, that’s one of the first notes that comes to you. For me, that drew me back…I had this orange tree in the backyard and so vividly I remember the smell of those orange blossoms and picking oranges with my mother. It’s very nostalgic.

What does Austin Butler listen to, what’s on rotation?
So much. I listen to a lot of Chet Baker. I listen to a lot of Radiohead. Miles Davis. I’m constantly listening to new music as well but those are the go-tos that I listen to in my home a lot. It depends on which mood you’re trying to get into. D’Angelo is one of my favorite musicians as well and you know, at a certain point in the evening, D’Angelo just feels right when you’re having a dinner party or something like that. Or in the morning, having Chet Baker on as the sun is just coming up, I think is perfect.

We’re here at Paris Fashion Week, how would you put your own personal style into words?
I’m drawn to people like Paul Newman, and Steve McQueen, and Marlon Brando, and that quality where you can see an image of somebody and it’s timeless. I don’t tend to follow trends as much, I go for simplicity a lot of the time. Just really good pieces. For me, it’s so much about fabric and a particular cut and the silhouette that a trouser gives. I’m just drawn to that.

There’s great images when Brando was doing [A Streetcar Named Desire], even when he was doing the play, and you just see him in rehearsals, and he’s just wearing a white T-shirt and trousers and the fit is just perfect on him.

Are there fabrics you’re drawn to more than others?
I love soft fabrics. That’s why often with T-shirts it’s hard for me because some T-shirts don’t have that softness so I’ll go for a vintage T-shirt a lot of the time because they’re worn in. I just want to be comfortable.

What Paris Fashion Week moments stand out to you?
I mean, the first thing that comes to mind was last night. I had never been to a YSL show before, and that location was incredible. You had the moon coming up on one side and the Eiffel Tower on the other, it was magic.

I saw you were sitting next to Rosé of Blackpink.
Yeah, she’s awesome. I had heard about her a lot through Baz [Luhrmann] because they’re quite close and we have some mutual friends so we had a good time together.

Give me some cologne do’s and dont’s. Would you wear cologne to the gym? To sleep?
I’ve worn cologne to sleep.

Is it like a mindset thing?
So much of it is selfish. It’s for you. It’s what makes you feel good. In the same way you would buy a certain type of sheet that makes you feel very comfortable that you’re sleeping in, you might want to be surrounded by a certain scent. That’s one of the things about Baz that I love so much. He creates romance in every aspect of his life. There’s not a delineation between art and life. You’re kind of bringing that essence into every aspect of your life. It might not be for some people but for me, I love to surround myself with delicious scents. I love room sprays even. Or having candles, I have candles going all the time.

I saw Baz back in February at the Grammys, he looks like he smells good.
Yeah, yeah. He’s on point.

Let’s say there’s someone who’s looking for a new go-to cologne. What kind of journey should they go on?
I think you just have to go explore as many as possible and see what sticks out to you. That’s one of the beautiful things about fragrances, it’s like clothing. It’s what makes you feel comfortable with what you want to be surrounded by as you go through your day and your evening. It’s that sort of ethereal thing that nobody can see but it’s part of your essence at that point. I think everybody has different tastes and you have to go exploring.

Wardrobe essentials for you — do you have any staple pieces you go back to time and time again?
Boots. I’ve got a few boots that are my go-tos. There’s certain hats that I just feel very comfortable in that I wear a lot. I mean, this [leather] jacket that I’m wearing right now is one that I wear a lot. I have more than I wear. I have certain jackets that are my favorites that, I’ll reach for another jacket and then I go, no, I’m going to go with the old true.

Best of Rolling Stone

• The Best Audiophile Turntables for Your Home Audio System

Click here to read the full article.