Austin Butler is an unwavering devotee to his movie stunts, often remarking, "I'll attend to the bruises afterward." In a recent conversation with Men’s Health, the Oscar-nominee reminisced about a harrowing experience on the set of his latest film, "Caught Stealing," helmed by director Darren Aronofsky. Butler recounted how he narrowly escaped with a cracked rib during a grueling fight sequence.
"Aronofsky pushed me to my limits for this film," he recounted. "It involved endless scenes of fleeing from adversaries in cars and enduring repeated beatings." Specifically, Butler highlighted his confrontations with two Russian actors, noting, "One of them, Nikita Kukushkin, a compact powerhouse, packed a punch like no other. Though he initially hesitated to strike me with full force, I encouraged him, 'Go ahead, hit me harder!'"
Despite Butler's insistence, early takes revealed that Kukushkin was still holding back, making the action appear unrealistic. "So, he unleashed his full strength, kicking me with relentless force," Butler elaborated, referring to his Dune: Part Two role. "But then, he had this brainstorm to headbutt me on the side, like a ram. He executed it with such force that it nearly shattered my rib. I was genuinely amazed by his strength."
Furthermore, Butler recounted a scene where he was tossed onto a table by his co-star, Bad Bunny, alongside the Russian actors. "They crafted a cushioned table from foam," he described. "However, every impact caused the entire structure to bend. With nothing to cushion the blows and Darren deeming it fake, they suggested, 'Let's use a wooden table instead.'"
Butler continued, painting a vivid picture: "There I was, bare-skinned, being slammed onto a solid wooden table. Such moments, captured from specific camera angles, necessitated my presence rather than a stunt double. Though I had an incredible stunt double at my disposal, I often opted for, 'Let's do it. I'll sort out the bruises later.'"
In a lighthearted moment, Butler joked about his own stunt work in contrast to Tom Cruise's daredevil antics. "I feel absurd talking about getting slammed into tables when Tom Cruise is dangling from airplanes. He's the epitome of extreme stunts. My experiences seem trivial in comparison," he laughed.
"Caught Stealing," co-starring Zoë Kravitz, centers around former baseball player Hank Thompson, who finds himself ensnared in a perilous battle for survival amidst the criminal underworld of 1990s New York City. The thrilling film is set to hit theaters on August 29.
