Austin Butler The New King Of Rock'n'Roll

This former Disney kid is set for superstar status

- Kerrie Simon-Lawrence

Hear that sound? It’s our ‘new crush’ detector going off at full volume – and the cutie in question is gorgeous actor Austin Butler. Haven’t heard of him? He’s been around for a while in cool supporting and guest roles, but he’s about to hit the big time, thanks to his casting as the King in Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming Elvis biopic.

With Austin’s 28th birthday fast approaching on August 17, we think it’s the combination of his boy-next-door manner and piercing blue eyes that’s making us go weak at the knees!

WHO’S THAT GUY?

When Austin was 13, he was approached by a talent scout at the Orange County Fair. ‘I was a really shy, geeky-looking thing,’ recalls the actor. Regardless, the scout suggested Austin should be on TV, and it was all the encouragement he needed.

He convinced his parents to let him enrol in acting classes, and it wasn’t long before he was getting work as an extra on various TV shows. A year later, he landed the role of Lionel Scranton on Nickelodeon’s Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide. From there, he met renowned manager Pat Cutler, who immediately offered to represent him.

Convinced he could make a go of acting, Austin’s parents allowed him to leave school and fit in homeschooling around his work schedule. ‘I think it’s important to have a dream and to follow your heart,’ the actor says of his all-in approach to making a career out of acting.