Summary

  • Austin Butler faced challenges transitioning from his iconic role as Elvis to his role in Masters of the Air.
  • Turner praises Butler for his ability to switch mindsets and deliver a fantastic performance in the historical drama.
  • Butler struggled to separate himself from the Elvis voice, even after wrapping up the film, but Masters of the Air will help him establish his own identity as an actor separate from his Elvis film role.

Two of the Masters of the Air released its third episode on February 2.

Masters of the Air will release its fourth episode on February 9 on Apple TV+, and will continue to release episodes on Fridays up through March 15.

Speaking with Esquire, Turner and Butler discuss the difficulty of Butler’s Masters of the Air role. Immediately after filming Elvis, Butler reportedly came down with an unidentifiable illness and was itted to the hospital. Just days later, he had to report to work on the set of Masters of the Air. According to co-star Turner, Butler did a fantastic job with the gargantuan task of switching from the mindset of “someone as iconic as Elvis” to Masters of the Air. Check out the quote from Turner below:

“I can’t imagine spending so much time with someone as iconic as Elvis and then whiplash into another show. For me, I don’t know Elvis. I know him as Cleven. It’s a testament to his craft and how hard he works.”

Meanwhile, Butler describes trying to find himself on set:

“I was just trying to who I was. I hardly filming [Masters of the Air]. Almost the full year that I was in London.”

Why The Elvis Role Was So Hard for Butler to Turn Off

elvis austin butler plays that's all right in a pink suit

After making a minor film break as a ing role in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Butler saw his first leading role in Elvis. Portraying the King of Rock and Roll, Butler did a spot-on Elvis impression. This work landed him recognition for the role, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and a Golden Globe win for Best Actor – Drama.

As a result of his hard work on Elvis, however, Butler could not seem to shake the Elvis voice. As Butler accepted prizes at awards shows and sat for interviews, one could still hear the deep timbre and lilting Southern drawl that he had used in the Baz Luhrmann film. As much as Butler was praised for his dedication, he was also mocked for the persistence of his voice months after Elvis wrapped.

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If Butler was still struggling with shaking the Elvis voice at awards shows, one can only imagine how tough it was just days after finishing up the film. As a “testament to his craft,” however, Elvis is mostly imperceptible in his portrayal of Cleven. Masters of the Air will help divorce Butler from synonymy with Elvis both in reputation and for his self-perception as an actor.

Masters of the Air is available to stream on Apple TV+

Source: Esquire

Masters of the Air TV Show Poster showing Austin Butler and Several Air Pilots in World War II Uniforms

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Masters of the Air
TV-MA
War
Drama
8/10
14
7.7/10
Release Date
2024 - 2024-00-00
Directors
Cary Joji Fukunaga, Dee Rees, Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Timothy Van Patten
Writers
John Shiban, John Orloff

Cast

See All

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming

Masters of the Air is an Apple TV+ original war drama starring Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, and Barry Keoghan. The series follows a group of eleven World War II pilots who fight German fighters in a bomber called "The Flying Fortress." The miniseries was based on the book Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi by Donald L. Miller.

Seasons
1
Where To Watch
AppleTV+