Austin Butler Explained Why He Almost Retired From Acting Before Landing His Role In “Elvis”

Austin Butler almost walked away from the entertainment industry back in 2014.

The Elvis star recently opened up about the loss of his mother, which led him to consider completely retiring from acting.

After his mother passed away from cancer, Austin says he began to question if his career was making a difference in the world.

“After my mom passed away, it put things in a different perspective where I started to question if this was a profession that could help the world or anything,” Austin told Access Hollywood.

At the same time, Austin said there were also moments in his career where he was “not getting to do” what he dreamed of doing and was questioning if he would ever get to “work with the people that [he’d] always wanted to.”

Despite contemplating retirement, Austin says his perspective changed when he realized that movies do leave a big impact on the world.

“I thought of all those times I’ve gone into a movie and come out, and the world’s felt more vibrant,” Austin said. “Or, I’ve had a cathartic moment where I needed a good cry, and I saw a film that made me cry. Or, I needed a laugh, and it made me laugh.”

He continued, “I thought that’s what I get to be a part of, and storytelling has been part of humanity since the dawn of time. I feel really honored to be a part of that sort of lineage.”

And now with his career at an all-time high, Austin says he feels “like a kid in a candy store.”