Did Austin Butler Ever Get Plastic Surgery? Quotes, Photos

Austin Butler was a teen heartthrob, but now, the Elvis leading man has become a worldwide sensation following his Academy Award-nominated performance in the biopic. However, with his newfound fame came unwanted scrutiny, as some fans speculated that Austin got plastic surgery while filming the Baz Luhrmann production.

“Why does Austin Butler look like he has had so much plastic surgery done on his face?” one Twitter user wrote in June 2022. “I think Austin Butler as Elvis looks terrifying like he had [too] much plastic surgery, and it was botched,” another tweeted in September of that year.

Although the Anaheim, California, native may not have undergone permanent changes, he sat down with Variety in February 2023 to talk about the physical changes he underwent in order to portray the late “Heartbreak Hotel” crooner’s transformation over the course of 20 years.

“I did [put on weight] in the beginning, especially when I was trying to get the part before Baz welcomed me on the journey, and we were trying to figure out if I could play older Elvis,” Austin revealed. “My agent actually told me, ‘They don’t know if you can play older Elvis, so I think you need to gain some weight.’”

The Carrie Diaries alum then explained how he had “heard that Ryan Gosling, when he was going to do The Lovely Bones, microwaved Häagen-Dazs and would drink it.”

“I would go get two dozen doughnuts and eat them all,” Austin recalled. “I really started to pack on some pounds. It’s fun for a week or so, and then you feel awful about yourself. But we were planning on shooting chronologically in the beginning. That quickly went out the window, and especially with COVID, it was just impossible.”

The Dune: Part Two actor was expected to “switch back and forth” between the younger versions of the King of Rock ’N’ Roll and his older appearance. So, he wasn’t able to stick to his weight gain plan due to the fluctuating filming schedule.

After production resumed following the 2020 pandemic, the Zoey 101 alum “had to use different physical things” to recreate Elvis’ growth, which was reportedly accomplished through the use of prosthetic cheekbones and makeup.

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Aside from the physical demands of the role, Austin also famously developed an accent and voice. Nearly one year after the movie premiered, the Masters of Air star confirmed on the Graham Norton Show that he was “getting rid of the accent” while pointing out that he “probably damaged [his] vocal cords with all that singing.”

As a dedicated actor, fans are excited to see him take on different roles throughout his career.

Scroll through the gallery to see photos of Austin’s transformation!