• Austin Butler views actor Denzel Washington in high regard and refers to him as “the godfather of acting.”
• Butler discussed his initial doubts about getting his role in The Iceman Cometh elsewhere in the interview.
• Washington assisted Butler in landing the part by calling director Baz Luhrmann.

Austin Butler views actor Denzel Washington in high regard and refers to him as “the godfather of acting.”

Butler, 31, stated that working with Washington, 68, on the 2018 Broadway production of Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh “changed my vision of myself and my ability” in a new feature interview with Backstage magazine that was released on Wednesday.

The Elvis star “often returns” to the skills he gained while working with Denzel Washington, Butler told the publication, adding, “Something Denzel told me is: There is no stage acting or screen acting; there is the reality.”

“Human beings do really broad things in everyday life,” Butler continued in the interview as he spoke of the veteran actor’s advice. “Sometimes, they do very subtle things. You can do either onstage or onscreen.”

He continued, “That liberated me to realize [that] all of the things I was learning onstage—I could take them back into cinema.”

Butler discussed his initial doubts about getting his role in The Iceman Cometh elsewhere in the interview.

He admitted to Backstage, “I thought, ‘I’m an L.A. actor; they’re not going to cast me. I had previously been informed of the gap: “That’s New York; they won’t look at you or respect you.”

Butler previously lauded Washington while accepting the Golden Globe for outstanding actor in a drama film for director Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley biography on last Tuesday.

The actor added, “I also have to thank Denzel Washington,” during his remarks. “Denzel, thank you for being so nice, and generous, and for standing up for me when you didn’t have to.”

Butler said, “I am very grateful to you for all of eternity.”

Washington assisted Butler in landing the part by calling director Baz Luhrmann to advocate on Butler’s behalf, even though he did not appear in Elvis or work behind the scenes on the biopic.

Luhrmann, 60, said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in May 2022 that Washington called him on the phone without prior notice soon after he first saw Butler cover Presley’s “Unchained Melody.”

The actor added, “I also have to thank Denzel Washington,” during his remarks. “Denzel, thank you for being so nice, and generous, and for standing up for me when you didn’t have to.”

Butler said, “I am very grateful to you for all of eternity.”

Washington assisted Butler in landing the part by calling director Baz Luhrmann to advocate on Butler’s behalf, even though he did not appear in Elvis or work behind the scenes on the biopic.

Luhrmann, 60, said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in May 2022 that Washington called him on the phone without prior notice soon after he first saw Butler cover Presley’s “Unchained Melody.”

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