Austin Butler recently opened up about a frightening health episode that left him temporarily blind while he was traveling. The Oscar-nominated actor, aged 34, experienced the sudden loss of vision after waking abruptly with a severe migraine on a flight as he was heading to start work on the film The Bikeriders. This incident highlighted the intense physical toll of his demanding schedule and raised concerns about his well-being.
Details of the Migraine and Vision Loss Experience
Butler described the episode to Men’s Health in a profile released Tuesday, saying,
“It felt like the life was being sucked from my body.”
He added,
“I suddenly felt a euphoric sensation, and I actually genuinely thought I was dying.”
Despite these terrifying symptoms, he attributed the cause to severe sleep deprivation. Over time, his eyesight gradually returned, and he was able to continue working at the filming location, completing his day on set.
Previous Health Challenges Following Intense Work
This recent scare fits into a broader pattern of Butler pushing his limits physically. In 2022, speaking with British GQ, he revealed how his body had begun to shut down shortly after finishing the role in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. Butler disclosed to PEOPLE that immediately after filming concluded, he fell seriously ill with a virus that mimicked appendicitis symptoms. He recalled,
“I had a week of downtime, where I actually ended up in the hospital.”
He further explained,
“I didn’t get sick the entire time I filmed [Elvis]. But the day I finished, I ended up in the emergency room.”
Butler’s Approach to Emotional and Physical Struggles
In the same Men’s Health interview, Butler reflected on the emotional toll of his acting process. He said,
“For a long time, I felt that it had to be a tortured process. I would come out the other side broken.”
However, he has since started embracing a different method that focuses on facing difficult emotions rather than suppressing them.
“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,”
he explained.
The Influence of Mentorship and a Shift Toward Healing
Butler credited fellow actor Laura Dern with helping him develop a healthier perspective on acting and self-care. He shared,
“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.”
Now, the actor emphasizes the importance of protecting his health and well-being, even when work becomes demanding. He advised,
“You don’t have to destroy the light.”
The Significance of Prioritizing Health in High-Pressure Careers
Austin Butler’s experience serves as a powerful reminder of the physical and mental strain that can come with a high-profile acting career. His openness about temporary blindness, hospital stays, and emotional struggles shines a light on the necessity of prioritizing rest and self-care. As he continues working on major projects like The Bikeriders, this new focus on health may influence how others in the industry manage their own well-being amid intense workloads.
