Austin Butler recently took an unconventional approach to prepare for his role in the upcoming thriller Caught Stealing. The 33-year-old actor, known for his immersive acting style, spent an entire night on set to fully embody his character, Hank, a former baseball player turned bartender in New York’s East Village. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, the film is set in the 1990s and tells the story of a man caught in a chaotic conflict involving police and organized crime.
Butler described his experience to Variety, stating, “For one night, I had the whole apartment to myself. I played music, I danced around, and I ate Chinese food in there.” He found that this level of engagement helped him feel a genuine connection to his character. “I slept there all night, and I woke up to the crew coming in while I was in my underwear,” he recalled. He emphasized that such experiences help dissolve the barriers of a film set, making it feel more like a real living space.
The actor also acknowledged the challenges of creating an authentic performance in a controlled environment. “There are many things that conspire against you when you’re making a movie,” Butler explained. He noted that the presence of lights and cameras can easily disrupt the illusion of reality. “The more I can do to trick myself, the more important it is,” he added.
Butler’s portrayal of Hank diverges from his previous roles, such as Elvis, where he meticulously adopted the voice and mannerisms of the legendary musician, or his character in Dune: Part Two, for which he trained with a Navy SEAL. He expressed that this role felt closer to his true self, saying, “It scared me. One of the reasons I got into acting in the first place was that I am very shy.”
He described acting as a way to escape his shyness, allowing him to “put on this other skin” and explore different personas. Yet, playing a character that resonates more closely with his own identity made him feel exposed. “It left me with nowhere to hide and made me feel vulnerable,” he admitted.
To accurately depict Hank’s physicality, Butler undertook specific training that reflected the character’s background as an elite athlete who is no longer in peak condition. He shared, “He needed to have the physicality of somebody who was an elite athlete, but who was no longer in peak physical shape. I wanted to have a certain thickness. So I worked out, but I also drank a lot of beer.”
The collaboration between Butler and Aronofsky began during the 2022 awards season, when both were promoting their respective films. Aronofsky, who directed the Oscar-winning The Whale, appreciated Butler’s dedication to his craft. “Austin goes really deep. In fact, I often asked him to work a little less hard and to relax a little bit because I wanted a certain looseness,” he noted.
The narrative of Caught Stealing revolves around Hank’s seemingly simple task of looking after a neighbor’s cat, which quickly spirals into a violent confrontation with law enforcement and criminal elements. Aronofsky aims to portray a relatable protagonist. “Hank is a pretty good guy. He’s not hurting anyone. He’s just a small-town boy in a big city, and the world kind of crumbles around him,” he explained.
This film seeks to offer audiences a hero who is grounded and relatable, a refreshing contrast to the larger-than-life characters often seen in mainstream cinema. As Butler fully immerses himself into the role, both he and Aronofsky are committed to crafting a narrative that resonates with viewers on a personal level.
