Austin Butler’s Best Performances, Ranked

American actor Austin Butler has prominently entered the public spotlight for his titular role in Elvis. However, before he portrayed the “King of Rock and Roll,” he was well-known for his roles on an incredible number of Nickelodeon and Disney Channel productions. During the 2000s, Butler appeared in multiple series, such as Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, Zoey 101, Jonas, iCarly, and Hannah Montana. He was even a guest on Wizards of Waverly Place. The charismatic actor has since graduated from those roles and tackled interesting new projects.

A modern version of The Iceman Cometh marked Butler’s Broadway debut in 2018. Butler later joined the cast of Dune: Part Two as Feyd-Rautha, another villainous member of House Harkonnen. Apple TV+ also recruited Butler for their war drama series Masters of the Air, which was produced by the same team behind Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Butler definitely has a bright future in film and television ahead of him. As we await his future roles, here’s a look at some of his best performances, ranked.

7 Arrow (2014-2015)

Premiering on the CW network in 2012, the television series based on the escapades of DC superhero, Green Arrow (Stephen Amell), Arrow racked up 170 episodes over an eight-year period. While only appearing in three of them, Austin Butler nonetheless made quite the impression as Chase, an antagonist posing as a harmless DJ, but in reality is a prominent member of the League of Assassins, out to get Green Arrow. Although he only appeared in one season, his rendition of Chase offered a taste of what was to come from one of the most in-demand actors in the world right now.

6 The Dead Don’t Die

Jim Jarmusch’s 2019 horror comedy film boasts a prolific ensemble cast including Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Danny Glover, and Tilda Swinton, so, naturally, expectations were high upon its release. Unfortunately for those involved, the film’s on-screen talent didn’t bear the fruits of their labor, as the film flopped both critically and commercially.

Butler, who plays hippy traveler Jack, is one of the movies shining lights, even in a bit-part role. His refreshing charisma and timely humor instantly make him an alluring presence, even if he does eventually become a Zombie.

5 Aliens in the Attic

If we’re being honest, Aliens in the Attic ain’t great, and while it is by no means a legendary feature debut, a youthful, full-faced Butler presents the shaggy-haired, Jake Pearson. The sci-fi comedy concerns the Pearson family who battles to protect their home from an Alien invasion.

Related: Aliens in the Attic: Remembering Austin Butler as a Kid Actor

Starring alongside fellow Disney and Nickelodeon alumni, Ashley Tisdale and Josh Peck, as well as the ever-brilliant J.K. Simmons, Butler is unassuming, yet assured as Jake, and although the film didn’t pull up trees commercially or critically, it’ll forever remain an important title in the career of the Elvis star.

4 The Carrie Diaries

For those who didn’t know, The Carrie Diaries was a television prequel to HBO’s Sex and the City. The series starred AnnaSophia Robb as Carrie Bradshaw and Butler as Carrie’s love interest, Sebastian Kydd. Carrie and Sebastian were not exactly girlfriend and boyfriend, instead having a very rocky, complicated relationship throughout the show.

Butler was perfectly cast as Sebastian, a new kid at school who was kicked out of the previous school he attended. The role demanded the actor be able to play a heartthrob who also happened to be very caring, which Butler was easily able to do. Although The Carrie Diaries only lasted two seasons, it stood out as an enjoyable teen comedy-drama in Austin Butler’s resume.

3 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Butler was the main villain in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. He portrayed a fictionalized version of “Tex” Watson, a cult member who attempted to kill Rick Dalton in the film. Tex was an avid horseback rider and referred to himself as the “devil” there to do “the devil’s business.”

His goals brought him into conflict with Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth and Booth’s pit bull, Brandy. Butler was a great addition to the list of actors that portrayed villains in the Tarantino-verse. While Butler had previously played much more likable characters, he was able to showcase his acting chops to play a convincing homicidal villain.

2 The Shannara Chronicles

A series of fantasy novels from Terry Brooks called The Sword of Shannara Trilogy was adapted for television as The Shannara Chronicles. Butler played the lead character known as Wil Ohmsford, a human-elf hybrid and the last surviving member of the Shannara family. With the threat of a demon army attacking the Four Lands, Wil was one of the people that answered to a higher calling.

Related: Elvis’ Austin Butler is the Perfect King of Rock and Roll

The Shannara Chronicles did not reach a large enough audience to prevent its cancellation after two seasons. It did, however, prove Butler had what it takes to play a fantasy hero. Whether it was the action-packed battles or more dramatic scenes in Wil’s journey, the actor could do it all.

1 Elvis

Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley biopic, simply titled Elvis, was a pleasant surprise. Audiences who watched the film were blown away by Austin Butler’s performance. The actor has always been passionate about music since he was a young age, and he brought that immense love of music to the role. For two years, Butler adopted a serious method acting approach, spending nearly all his time studying, learning, and emulating Elvis.

Method acting in Hollywood has not always yielded the desired results, but that was not the case with this film. Butler fully immersed himself in the role, so much so that fans observed he often slipped into Elvis’ accent in real-life. Priscilla Presley, the former wife of Elvis, was one of the people that were impressed by Butler’s performance. Per Deadline, Presley went so far as to say if Elvis were here today, he would look Butler “in the eye and say ‘How dare you? You are me.'”

Elvis had powerful musical sequences and highlighted director Baz Luhrmann’s filmmaking strengths, but the film was only able to become something special because of Butler. His hard work and dedication were on full display in the film. Acting alongside Tom Hanks, Butler effectively told the story behind the difficult relationship between Elvis and his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.