Austin Butler has stayed busy over the past few years in many hit movies, from Elvis to Dune: Part Two. 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 he’s done before. Here’s what Butler had to say about his experiences working on the film and why it was “different” and “scared” him.
Austin Butler says he felt more vulnerable playing Hank in Caught Stealing
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.
Director Darren Aronofsky is renowned for extracting the best performances from actors. He directed Natalie Portman in Black Swan to a Best Actress Oscar. Years later, he directed Brendan Fraser in The Whale to a Best Actor Oscar. Accordingly, Aronofsky has developed a reputation for making actors test their limits.
“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 appears to be no different based on Butler’s recent comments about his time working on the film.
Caught Stealing premieres on August 29, 2025.
