Austin Butler has stayed busy over the past few years. Austin Butler has moved to the beats of early rock and roll. He has also knife-fought his way through spice-control ambitions. However, he said he gave his most to the upcoming Darren Aronofsky film, Caught Stealing. He described it as “more raw and naked” than anything before.
Austin Butler says he felt more vulnerable playing Hank in Caught Stealing
Elvis star Austin Butler will appear alongside Zoe Kravitz in Caught Stealing. He plays Hank, an East Village bartender whose neighbor leaves him a key to unknown valuables, pulling him into a dangerous world.
Aronofsky is renowned for extracting the best performances from actors. From Sean Gullette in Pi to Natalie Portman in Black Swan, the director has always made actors test their limits. It is no different for Austin Butler, who perhaps put more into this movie than he ever did before.
“As far as what scared me, this is different from anything that I’ve been doing recently,” Butler told USA Today, “In my previous few films, I’ve been exploring characters who are quite different from me, physically and vocally. I could immerse myself in this different skin.”
The actor added, “[It] felt a lot more raw and naked, in a way. It felt more vulnerable.” He further added that it was about “embracing the messiness of life itself; the bits of my own self that I usually want to keep hidden or pretend that they don’t exist. It brings all of that to the forefront: the mistakes and imperfections of myself.”
Aronofsky’s characters are known for their complexities, and Henry “Hank” Thompson would be no different. Perhaps that is why this role requires more from Butler than any role did before.
Caught Stealing premieres on August 29, 2025.
Originally reported by Sourav Chakraborty on Mandatory.
