Tom Hanks advised Austin Butler to book another project straight after Elvis to avoid giving himself “emotional whiplash”.

The 31-year-old actor was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 movie Elvis, which also starred Hanks as Presley’s manager Colonel Tom Parker.

According to Butler, Hanks told him over dinner that he needed to dive deep into another role right away to prevent “emotional whiplash”.

He shared, “(Hanks) said, ‘You have immersed yourself so deeply in Elvis that, for your mental health, it would be wise to go straight into something else. If you just jump off the train, you might have emotional whiplash… And, you know. I’ve got this thing I’m producing.'”

Their conversation led to Butler’s forthcoming lead role as Major Gale Cleven in the TV series Masters of the Air, which was produced by Hanks and Steven Spielberg, much like their previous World War II series Band of Brothers and The Pacific.

The latest series, which also stars Barry Keoghan and Callum Turner, follows the 100th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces and is based on the 2007 book of the same name by Donald L. Miller. The series will be released on Apple TV+.

Butler, who won the Golden Globe and BAFTA for his performance in Elvis, will also be seen in Dune: Part Two and The Bikeriders later this year.

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