Austin Butler Through the Years: From Nickelodeon Star to Playing Elvis Presley and More

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Austin Butler Through the Years: From Nickelodeon Star to Playing Elvis Presley and More

Hollywood heartthrob! Austin Butler has come a long way since his Nickelodeon days in the early 2000s — and fans are taking notice. The California native broke into the entertainment industry in 2005 and instantly became a staple on the kids’ network with roles on both Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide and Zoey 101. As he continued to gain fame, Butler stayed close to his inner circle, which includes Ashley Tisdale. The duo met when the Yoga Hosers actor was a teenager — well before Butler dated Tisdale’s other BFF Vanessa Hudgens — and went on to costar in 2011’s Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure. “You’ve been my best friend since you were 15 so that’s 15 years strong of friendship,” the Suite Life of Zack and Cody alum gushed via Instagram in August 2021 in celebration of Butler turning 30.  “I am beyond proud of you and everything you’re accomplishing but most importantly proud of the person you are.” Tisdale continued: “You’ve been my closest friend through the years, you’re the type of friend that came over when I was crying on the floor from a horrible breakup and not only lifted me off the ground but brought my favorite candy 😭.” [jwplayer yZg7LJbZ-zhNYySv2] The Young and Hungry alum praised her longtime pal for understanding her better than almost anyone. “There’s no one like you Austin, you’re my twin born 7 years later 😉,” she added. The pair’s friendship, however, has confused some fans after Butler and Hudgens called it quits in late 2019 after more than eight years of dating. Tisdale has known the Princess Switch actress since before their High School Musical days, but clearly, her roots run deep with both actors. Butler, for his part, showed that there are no hard feelings between him and Hudgens. In April 2022, the former Nickelodeon star revealed that his ex-girlfriend was part of the inspiration behind him taking on the role of Elvis Presley in the film Elvis, which premiered in June of that year. “I was actually driving up through Griffith Park and Elvis’s ‘Blue Christmas’ came on,” he recalled to Vogue of what sparked the desire to embody the music icon. “I was singing along with it when my friend [Vanessa] had kind of an epiphany: ‘You need to play Elvis.’” Scroll down to see Butler’s ups and downs throughout his career:

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Meet Austin

Butler made his TV debut in 2005 playing Zippy Brewster on Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide. He had a recurring role on the Nickelodeon series until 2007.

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Disney Cameo

He appeared as a minor character on Hannah Montana in 2006. One year later, he played Derek Hanson on a second episode of the Disney Channel show.

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Famous Friends

Butler met BFF Tisdale in 2006 and their friendship has since blossomed — and even led to them working on multiple movies together.

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Nickelodeon Hunk

The California native cemented himself as a Nickelodeon star while playing James Garrett on Zoey 101 from 2007 to 2008.

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Movie Moment

The Switched at Birth alum made a splash in 2009’s Aliens in the Attic. He portrayed Jake Pearson in the big screen movie.

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Music Video Cameo

That same year, Butler starred in Alexa PenaVega’s “You Are Where I Live” music video.

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A-List Romance

The former child star gained even more attention in Hollywood when he began dating Hudgens in 2011.

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Getting Sexy in the City

Butler landed a starring role in 2013 alongside AnnaSophia Robb on The CW’s The Carrie Diaries, which was a prequel to Sex and the City. He played Sebastian Kydd for two seasons.

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Leading Man

In 2016, the actor began playing Wil Ohmsford on MTV’s The Shannara Chronicles. The series came to an end in 2017.

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More Movie Success

Butler continued to do well at the box office with movie roles in 2018’s Dude and 2019’s The Dead Don’t Die and Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood.

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Theater Beau

The Southern California resident made his theatrical debut in 2018, playing Don Parritt in The Iceman Cometh.

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Public Breakup

Us exclusively confirmed in January 2020 that Butler and Hudgens had split over the holidays after nearly nine years together. “Vanessa and Austin are officially broken up,” a source told Us at the time. “And Vanessa has been telling those close to her about their breakup.”

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Red Hot Romance

The Intruders star was first linked to Kaia Gerber in late 2021. Us confirmed the pair were an item in December of that year with an insider revealing, “It’s still very new.”

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Met Gala Makeover

Butler attended his first Met Gala in May 2022. He was later spotted packing on the PDA with Gerber, who walked the red carpet without him.

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Elvis Impersonator

In June 2022, the actor embodied Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s music-filled movie, Elvis.

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‘SNL’ Stud

Nearly one week after Butler earned his first Golden Globe nomination for Elvis, he made his Saturday Night Live hosting debut. While he notably crooned several of Presley’s biggest hits and fangirled over Sarah Sherman’s “Jewish Elvis” during the episode, it was his monologue that stole the show.

“I’ve been thinking about [my late mother, Lori Butler, who died in 2014] a lot this week, just imagining how proud she would be that her son who used to not even be able to order food from a restaurant is now standing on this stage,” he tearfully told the crowd in December 2022. “And tonight, anytime you see me doing a silly voice or making a funny face, that’s for you mom.”

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Winner, Winner!

Butler received his first Golden Globe in January 2023, winning Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama for his Elvis role.

“I also want to thank our incredible producers and Warner Bros. and the Presley family,” he said in his acceptance speech. “Thank you guys, thank you for opening your hearts, your memories, your home to me. Lisa Marie, Priscilla, I love you forever. Lastly, Elvis Presley himself. You were an icon and a rebel and love you so much.”

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Honoring His Friend

Butler received his first Oscar nomination less than two weeks after Elvis Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, died of cardiac arrest in January 2023. She was 54.

"It's sort of a bittersweet moment right now because I think of how much I wish she was here right now to get to celebrate with me," he said of the acknowledgment during a January 2023 appearance on Today. "It's the same thing I feel with Elvis; I wish that they could see these moments, you know? It's just sort of strange to celebrate at a time of such deep grief. But I sort of think of it as a way to honor her. This is for her."