Where We Know Austin Butler From

Like many actors, Butler didn’t just initially splash onto the scene with a major part. He had to pay his dues by playing roles that ultimately went uncredited at first. He appeared in many old Disney and Nickelodeon favorites such as “Unfabulous,” “Drake and Josh,” and “Hannah Montana.” He also landed his first recurring role on “Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.” He was a background actor in almost every single episode. This gig helped to launch his career. Lindsay Shaw, or Mose, as we know her from the show, helped him get representation. That’s right: Austin Butler is a staple in Millennial childhood!

#2: Disney & Nickelodeon (2007-08)

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From there, he continued to get more recurring roles on Disney and Nick sitcoms. After an uncredited role on “Hannah Montana”’s first season, he was upgraded to a guest starring part in the next. His turn as Derek Hanson, Miley’s date for movie night, is undeniably hilarious. His comedy chops were then further explored in his role as Jake Krandle on “iCarly.” In this episode, Butler plays a student that goes to the same school as Carly, Sam, and Freddy. Ironically, he’s horrible at singing. Similar to “Hannah Montana,” Butler also played two different roles in the Nickelodeon classic “Zoey 101.” His first role was a pretty small one-off. But in season four of the show, he played Zoey’s new boyfriend, James. Everyone knew Zoey was supposed to be with Chase, so James could have been a very easily hated character. But Butler managed to make him very loveable instead.

He would continue to have success in some teen sitcoms, like his role as the indecisive George in “Wizards of Waverly Place,” or surfer dude Stone Stevens in “Jonas.” In 2009, Butler played Jordan Gallagher in the short-lived show Ruby & the Rockits. Jordan develops a crush on main character Ruby until he realizes that she is his cousin by blood. That kind of relationship isn’t exactly a popular storyline outside of “Game of Thrones,” but Butler’s performance makes the conflict pretty hysterical. His performance is arguably the best part of the comedy series. He then went on to play Jones, the main love interest in “Life Unexpected.” Though this show was unfortunately canceled before its time, Butler managed to elevate every episode he appeared in. He was the perfect sympathetic jock.

While achieving relative success in TV, Butler began working in film as well. Though the late 2000s saw a short film and a theatrical box office bomb, the 2010s were more promising. He starred as Zack Garvey in the Lifetime TV movie,“The Bling Ring” in 2011. And in the same year, he also starred alongside Ashley Tisdale in her own “High School Musical” spinoff, the direct-to-video “Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure.” As Peyton Leverett, he played fellow struggling artist and Sharpay’s love interest. It takes a talented actor to portray a guy fabulous enough for Sharpay Evans.

Probably one of his most recognizable roles came in the form of Wilke from “Switched at Birth.” Wilke is a bit of an oversexed wasted youth type of character. But, while Wilke can be seen as arrogant, entitled, and vain, Butler’s charm, again, turns an easily unlikeable character into someone you root for. And in a groundbreaking drama with so much else going on, such as characters who are deaf and hard of hearing, complex family dynamics, and of course, the switched at birth thing, Butler’s character does not get lost in the shuffle. In fact, he stands out. Too bad Wilke was only in the first season of the show. We could have watched Butler play this character forever.

Unfortunately, Butler seemed to attract roles in short-lived shows, because up next was the “Sex and the City” prequel series, “The Carrie Diaries.” However, even though the show only made it to two seasons, it was a huge role for Butler. He appeared as Sebastian Kydd, Carrie’s on and off love interest, in every single episode of both seasons of the show. His performance here was enough to get him attention from the brass of a new TV show.

Proving himself worthy of a leading role, Butler landed the role of Wil Ohmsford (OHmzford) in the fantasy drama, “The Shannara Chronicles,” which is based on a trilogy of novels. Butler himself compared performing as this character to the joy of childhood imagination. He also felt that it was the first time he really got to explore the depths of a complex character. True; in many of his smaller roles, he is reduced to someone whose looks are focused on, but this time he really got to shine. Though this is another project that only lasted a couple of seasons, Butler’s performance is undeniably profound and nuanced.

#8: Horror & Comedy (2019)

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In one of the biggest movies he’s ever been a part of, Butler played Tex in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” In real life, Tex Watson was a member of the Manson Family cult. Butler somehow manages to partly humanize the fictionalized version of this character. Also, in 2019, Butler played another role with a wildly star-studded cast. This time, he took a run at comedy horror in the zombie film “The Dead Don’t Die.” It may not have been the biggest gig, but he definitely made Jack memorable.

In a career over a decade long so far, Butler has already shown his incredible diversity as an actor. He’s been a bit on the back burner for awhile, but Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” just might be the role to propel him into the stardom he deserves. We can only imagine how intimidating it must be taking on the King himself, but even Presley’s real-life family has approved of his portrayal. Elvis’ daughter, Lisa Marie, claimed at the Graceland premiere that the film had been “done right”. How rarely does that happen in Hollywood? Next, Butler is slated to appear in “Dune: Part Two” in 2023, and a new miniseries about WWII pilots called “Masters of the Air.” Keep looking for Butler at the box office though; we have a feeling he’s just getting started!