Austin Butler has been candid about his mental health and the strategies he uses to cope with intense workloads. While promoting his new film, Caught Stealing, Butler told Extra on August 27 that after the press tour, he plans to disconnect entirely.
After this press tour, I’m going to turn my phone off and I’m going to disappear. I find that that’s very, very good for the brain.
—Austin Butler, Actor
He emphasized the importance of stepping away from constant noise and spending time in nature as part of his recovery.
Just get away from the noise, you know? Spend some time in nature … Be of service. That’s something that I think about a lot.
—Austin Butler, Actor
Butler also highlighted how helping others, such as friends or family, plays a meaningful role in his well-being. He mentioned his deep friendship with Laura Dern as an example.
She’s the greatest. I love her so much. My own mother used to be told that she looks like Laura Dern. Laura and I have a very special relationship,
—Austin Butler, Actor
Laura Dern Provides Support and Guidance
Though Austin Butler and Laura Dern have yet to work on a project together, the pair met at a professional gathering where Dern immediately offered him support. Butler described their connection as profound and calming.
It was like the whole room just quieted, and we connected on a soul level. We felt like kindred spirits,
—Austin Butler, Actor
Dern has guided Butler in navigating emotionally challenging roles, reminding him it’s possible to emerge healed and whole. She encourages seeing difficult experiences as therapeutic rather than destructive.
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,
—Austin Butler, Actor
Reflecting on Personal Loss and Healing
Butler openly discussed the impact of his mother Lori’s death from cancer in 2014. In a 2023 interview with The Times, he recalled how her struggles with mental health led her to keep journals documenting things she was grateful for.
After her passing, Butler discovered these journals filled with “thousands of gratitudes,” ranging from profound to simple joys like appreciating olive oil. This discovery provided him with comfort and insight into her mindset.
It was so moving. I can’t express what it meant to me. I didn’t know she had kept it up for years. Suddenly, her mind was open to all the beautiful things that were happening.
—Austin Butler, Actor
Advice from Tom Hanks on Managing Emotional Intensity
Following his demanding role in Elvis, Butler experienced emotional highs and lows. During this period, his co-star Tom Hanks advised him on caring for his mental health by staying active with new projects.
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,
—Tom Hanks, Actor
Hanks offered Butler a role in the series Masters of the Air, helping him to transition smoothly. Butler acknowledged that Elvis pushed him to his limits and understands not every experience will be as intense.
It’s what I realized doing ‘Elvis’ — that forced me to go to the very edge of what is possible, and not every experience will be like that.
—Austin Butler, Actor
