Austin Butler Recalls Pivotal Career Advice He Got From Tom Hanks

Rising star Austin Butler had the best mentor he could ask for when he worked with Tom Hanks on Elvis, and now, he's revealing the advice Hanks gave him about preventing "emotional whiplash" while acting.

Butler spoke with The Times about the conversation, saying, “[Hanks] said, ‘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…"

In fact, Hanks, 67, had more than just advice–he had the perfect opportunity for Butler to put his words into action.

“’And, you know,’ Hanks continued, ‘I’ve got this thing I’m producing,’” recounted Butler, 31. The project in question is Masters of the Air, the third TV miniseries focused on World War II produced by Hanks and Steven Spielberg, following 2007's Band of Brothers and 2010's The Pacific.

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In the upcoming Apple TV+ series, Butler will play Major Gale Cleven. The new show follows the actions of the 100^th Bombardment Group of the USAF and is based on a book of the same name by biographer Donald L. Miller.

Also starring in Masters of the Air are Barry Keoghan, Callum Turner, Ben Radcliffe, and David Shields, among others. Both Band of Brothers and The Pacific are known for their ensemble casts, and Masters of the Air looks to be following suit.

Along with the new Hanks-produced series, Butler quickly moved into a role in Dune: Part Two. With a shaved head and piercing look, he will play the remorseless warlord named Feyd-Rautha.

Next: Who Is Austin Butler Dating? Elvis Star's Girlfriend and Dating History