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Before Austin Butler's career took off, his life was that of any normal kid. He grew up in Southern California near the "Happiest Place on Earth," where he lived in Anaheim with his parents, David and Lori Anne Butler, and his older sister, Ashley. A childhood that sounds like it would be filled with sunshine and theme parks. And while the first several years of his life were fairly uneventful from the family home life, when Austin was seven, his parents divorced. When this happened, both he and Ashley would bounce back and forth between their parent's homes, as most children of divorce do.
During this time, money was tight. Austin's mother had an in-home daycare and his father was a real estate appraiser. However, given the proximity to Disneyland, the Elvis star was gifted a yearly pass to the park. And it was this exposure to Disney that eventually led Butler to audition for projects the studio side of the company was producing, which effectively launched his career.
Tragically, Lori Anne passed away when Austin was 23 years old. This was particularly hard for the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actor, given that the two were "best friends." When this happened, the only parental figure that Austin had left was his father. But it is unclear how David supported his son during this difficult time, specifically because the Nickelodeon alum retreated to Australia to work on a television series after Lori Anne's death. And because of this, it appears that if there was support, it may have been from afar, just as it was after Austin specifically did not see his father for three years, around the start of the pandemic.
Who Is Austin Butler's Dad?
David is a true Southern Californian. This is because not only did he raise his family there, he too was born and raised in Anaheim.
After getting a degree from Pepperdine University in business administration, he went on to become a real estate appraiser. And after riding the waves of both good and poor real estate markets, David continues to work in real estate in the Southern California area today.
The divorce between him and Lori Anne was not one filled with drama. Instead, the two "divorced amicably." As such, there was an apparent desire to make sure both Austin and Ashley came first versus being a part of a tumultuous post-divorce relationship some children are exposed to.
Whether David remarried at any point remains unknown.
Austin Butler Did Not See His Dad For Three Years
Given that there does not appear to be any falling out or bad blood between Austin and David, not seeing one another for three years seems to be an exorbitant amount of time to be apart. But, there was a very good reason for that distance in the relationship. That reason was Elvis, a film that proved to be much deeper than critics anticipated it to be.
Elvis was slated to start filming in Australia in March 2020, according to Vogue. But, as a result of the pandemic, the film was put on hold "indefinitely."
While many of the cast chose to fly back to their respective homes to be closer to their family during this uncertain time, The Dead Don't Die star chose to stay behind in Australia instead, not wanting to lose the Elvis frame of mind or the perfected accent that still lingers today.
"If I fly back [to the States], I’m going to lose my momentum," Austin explained of his reasoning at the time. "I’m going to be balancing real life and prep. Unless I immerse as much as I possibly can, I’m going to feel like a fraud."
Because of this dedication to wanting to portray Elvis adequately, Austin went to great lengths to embody The King, including going without physical human contact for three months. And it would be a total of six months in his apartment, spent mainly alone before production would resume on the film. This was just the tip of the iceberg as to why the process of becoming Elvis and making a film about him was so difficult for Austin.
The production ultimately lasted for 11 months before it wrapped, in a process that caused the iCarly actor's body to shut down. As such, between living out of the country during the pandemic and filming out of the country for Elvis, Austin did not see any family, including his father David, during this time.
Where Their Relationship Stands Today
While Austin was admittedly closest to his mom, that does not mean that he has a troubled relationship with his father. In fact, the exact opposite appears to be true.
When an actor has the biography portion of their IMDb written, it can be done by themselves, a publicist, a trusted friend, or even a family member. In Austin's case, both his mother and father wrote the biography for him when his career started to take off, and this is the same biography that exists today.
Written in a way that only parents could tout their son's achievements, the biography highlights everything Austin did during his time at The Disney Channel and on Nickelodeon. The best part of the biography, however, is how it is cited.
"IMDb Mini Biography By: David and Lori Butler (proud parents)." The citation shows just how supportive both parents were and now, his dad, is, of his career.
While a large part of the acceptance speech was dedicated to his late mother, the Masters of the Air star made sure to acknowledge David, saying, "I want to thank my dad, who is watching at home."
Were there any issues between the father and son, Austin would not have made sure to give a shout-out to his dad. Because of this, it appears that no damage was done to the relationship as a result of not seeing one another for three years.
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