Member Since: 12/2/2011
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Austin Butler | Just Jared Spotlight
By every definition of the word, Austin Butler is a true artist. At 24, he’s already dabbled in acting, modeling, and singing. In his free time, he’s busy playing guitar and experimenting with photography. He enjoys nature, has an eclectic sense of fashion, and centers his life around the concept of gratitude. Essentially, he is the full package. But while he dabbles in an array of trades, Butler feels most at home in front of the camera.
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Since launching his career as a background actor in 2005, Butler has played the bad boy (The Carrie Diaries), a celebrity-obsessed kleptomaniac (The Bling Ring), and a teenage extraterrestrial hunter (Aliens in the Attic). He then went on to star alongside Johnny Depp and daughter, Lily-Rose, in Kevin Smith’s comedy-horror Yoga Hosers, which premieres at the Sundance Film Festival in January. It was an experience Butler deems magical, as he cites the Pirates of the Caribbean actor as being a huge inspiration to him. “Watching him work is the most surreal thing!” says Butler. “He’s been my favorite since before I even thought about acting.”
Next, the budding star is gearing up to show us his adventurous side as he tackles the role of Wil Ohmsford in MTV’s upcoming fantasy/science fiction series The Shannara Chronicles. The show, which premieres on January 5th, will follow Butler, Amberle Elessedil (Poppy Drayton), and friends as they set off on a quest to protect their beloved Four Lands in a post-apocalyptic Earth. In the Shannara world, Butler will appear as a half-human/half-elf whose long blonde locks part to reveal his pointy ears, is armed with an arsenal of sword-fighting skills, and gallops around on a horse named Cricket. He also tangos through a love triangle between elven princess Amberle and the mortal beauty Eretria (Ivana Baquero).
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Just Jared: We’re very excited to see you as Wil Ohmsford in The Shannara Chronicles. What attracted you to the role?
Austin Butler: The humanity of the characters. I hadn’t really played a character who really doesn’t know what he’s doing. He starts out very naïve and he’s very much a fish out of water. He’s then told he has to save the world and he’s got to go on this epic quest so he has to find the hero within himself. I love that because it’s something that comes up in real life, when some challenge arises and you have to find the hero in you that can overcome that. When I read the script and I first realized what Wil is going through, it reminded me a lot of myself, having to sometimes fake it until you make it. And that’s kind of what he does when he doesn’t know what he’s doing. And so even learning along the way, being out in New Zealand by myself and finding where the boy is inside of me and where the man is and growing into that, it was cool how art imitates life in that way.
JJ: Before diving into this role, were you a big fan of the fantasy world and Sci-Fi?
AB: I’ve always been a fan. I find that with fantasy, you lose yourself in it a lot. It’s great to be able to go into a dark theater or turn off the lights in your house and just get sucked into this world. I remember watching Star Wars when I was a little kid when they did the re-release of all the originals. I couldn’t even read yet but my uncle took me and he would read me the opening as the words were coming up on the screen. I just remember being so sucked into that and thinking, “I want to be Luke Skywalker.”
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JJ: Growing up in California, did you always want to be an actor? Or did you just kind of fall into it?
AB: I was always really shy. That’s why being in front of cameras like this is uncomfortable. I found that when I was a kid, I would hide behind playing pretend. That’s when I would come out of my shell. I would dress up as an old man or something and go out onto the street with my mom. I would come out of my shell that way. So I ended up stumbling into acting. It was the one thing that I found a passion for.
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JJ: Hannah Montana was such a pop culture phenomenon. Was it wild to be a part of that show?
AB: Yeah! I was a kid when I did Hannah Montana. That was one of the first things I ever did. We were all young – Miley and Mitchel. There is a nice quality about being young and acting because you almost don’t realize what you are doing; you are just playing with other children in a way. That’s why sometimes when I watch really little kids, like 3-year-olds, it’s incredible. It’s almost like watching an animal or something. They don’t know what’s going on and they are really so immersed. That’s why often those tiny children are scene-stealers. But I started a little after that so I did have those nerves. I saw that Hannah Montana episode at one point and I was so terrible in it. I just remember being so nervous.
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JJ: You recently did Yoga Hosers. How is it different working in film vs. television?
AB: Both television and film have their charm. With TV, you get a new script every week and so you don’t know where you are going and there is this mystery involved and you’re constantly doing something new each week. But film has such a close place in my heart because of the fact that you know the beginning, middle, and end. So you can really map out a character more. I liked it.
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JJ: You’ve worked with so many iconic names in the industry. Who is one actor that you worked alongside of that you were just completely spellbound by?
AB: Johnny Depp. Watching him work is the most surreal thing. He’s been my favorite since I was very young, before I even thought about acting. So watching him on set and just the variety of how he works and his professionalism is unlike anyone I’ve ever seen. He not only knows the words on the page inside out, but then he can improvise like it’s nobody’s business. It’s like watching close up magic. It’s so impressive. You can’t see where the card goes. It gives me chills doing it.
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JJ: In addition to acting, you have a musical side. Will we ever see you release an album?
AB: Well I’ve played guitar and piano since I was quite young and that’s always been the thing that is closest to my soul I think. So I tend to do it very much almost as therapy. But I don’t know what the future holds. At some point maybe.
JJ: What is your musical inspiration?
AB: Radiohead is one of my favorites, The Beatles. I have a very eclectic taste. I also love Sigur Rós and I’ve been getting into a lot of Icelandic musicians like Björk and Olafur Arnalds. So I like that sort of experimental, very soulful ethereal music.
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JJ: What’s your number one pet peeve?
AB: When you’re at dinner with somebody and they are on their phone. I think there’s that lost art of conversation and so I just always try to keep my phone far away from me when I’m with people.
JJ: What is your guilty pleasure?
AB: Chocolate covered almonds with sea salt. I just go crazy!
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JJ: Is there one particular artist/actor that you personally met and fanboyed over?
AB: Yeah. Meryl Streep and Daniel Day Lewis were the two for me that I was most starstruck by. And just to tell them how much they have affected me over the years and what an inspiration they are, it’s a hard thing to get the words out when you respect somebody that much. But they both have this glow about them that’s incredible.
JJ: What are you most looking forward to about 2016?
AB: I love New Year's. I love the feeling of freshness that comes along. This year, I just want to focus on enjoying each day as much as I possibly can and really creating as many magic moments as I can. Because I feel at the end of your life, those are the things that you really remember.
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wait is this Justin and his alter ego, or is this another person? No time to read, and pics scream Justin with long hair.
never noticed that maybe because now Justin has grown up.and looks more mature
Not everyone can do that 
