How Tom Hardy, Laura Dern are helping Austin Butler ‘heal’ from dark roles

Austin Butler is opening up about the lessons he’s learned as he continues to dive into darker and more demanding roles, while also finding ways to protect his well-being.

In a new Men’s Health cover story tied to his upcoming thriller Caught Stealing, directed by Darren Aronofsky, the actor reflected on how advice from fellow stars has shifted the way he approaches his craft. 

Butler admitted that after filming Elvis in 2022, the toll of his method acting became so severe that his body “shut down” and he had to be rushed to the hospital.

“For a long time, I felt that it had to be a tortured process and I would come out the other side broken,” he shared. 

“Rather than just putting parts of yourself away and trying to pretend that they don’t exist, it’s like going into the gross bits of yourself, going into the bits that you don’t want to look at, and finding a way of integrating that into the whole.”

Butler said his perspective has shifted while working on more recent projects, including crime drama Enemies, in which he stars opposite Jeremy Allen White. 

This time, he made sure to prioritize balance by adopting a healthier routine. 

He credits Tom Hardy, his co-star in The Bikeriders, for inspiring him to take care of himself even in the middle of grueling schedules. 

“After shooting all night, Hardy would go home, put on a weighted vest and do 1,000 box jumps,” Butler recalled, adding that for him, it’s also about the basics, exercising, cold showers, and stepping outside for some sunlight. 

“I’m just trying to find little things like that. Sometimes it’s the mundane little things.”

White, who worked closely with him, observed that Butler is not only committed to giving his best performance but also “searching for some stability in life as well.”

That search has also been shaped by the wisdom of Laura Dern. 

Although the two haven’t collaborated on a project, Butler said that meeting her had a lasting impact on how he sees his process. 

“She’s helping me more and more to see that you can come out the other side, and maybe bits of you have healed, and synthesized, and metabolized. It can be therapeutic, in a way,” he explained.

As Butler continues to take on intense roles, he’s leaning on these lessons, proving that it’s possible to go deep into complex characters without losing balance in real life.