When Austin Butler enters the conference room, the silence is broken by a sigh, a few self-satisfied whispers and restrained applause. But the aplomb is strained, the atmosphere is full of explosive energy and curiosity: the tension is like that of the public, which, throwing back its eyes, is waiting for the first accent under the trodden stage. Elvis. Just like in the biopic directed by Baz Luhrmann, which sanctioned the success of the American actor Austin Butler. Shades captured by Yves Saint Laurent Beauty as the global spokesperson for the new fragrance MYSLF, the first floral-woody sillage for men. Born in 1991, he has a deep and warm voice, similar to his thoughts, which contrasts with the delicacy of his features. Extremely reserved in his personal life (he often mentions the dog Milo, whom we know was adopted – before they met – by his supermodel partner Kaia Gerber, with whom he had just moved in), strongly shares the idea of freedom and authenticity. . Especially towards yourself.
What do you think you have in common with couturier Yves Saint Laurent?
He was a visionary, a rebel, and a forerunner. He wanted to free people, to rid them of any prejudice. And I’m honored to be a small part of his legacy.
Who did you first tell about this new role?
To my sister Ashley! She was happy for me.
What is your favorite note in MYSLF?
One that immediately evokes certain memories. In particular, the heart note is orange blossom. Mmm… There was an orange tree in the garden of the house where I grew up. As it bloomed, the air filled with the scent, and I had very vivid memories of fruiting and harvesting with my mom (Lori Butler, whom she often tweets for Mother’s Day or birthday wishes, passed away in 2014, when Austin was exactly 23 years old). the age at which Elvis lost his, Gladys Presley, Ed).
How do you like this memory?
Heat!
Another scent that makes you feel safe?
One fireplace.
If you could turn into a fragrance now, what a feeling
would you like to excite?
Security, sensuality, excitement.
Wake tells about the various nuances of a human being. How does this statement relate to your personality?
We all have so many facets. We are very complex, with a clearly articulated nature. For my work, I needed to find all these different parts of myself that I could hide and also reveal. Acting has given me the opportunity to explore areas that would otherwise be repressed.
One of the statements of the fragrance is “my new me”. What does it mean?
I believe that we as humans are constantly evolving. We are constantly learning and changing. We can renew ourselves in many different ways.
How to learn to be yourself?
Through a constant process that probably accompanies us throughout our lives. As for me, I tend to feel more sincere when I am at home, in nature and when I am with my dog.
Do you think we’ve lost our authenticity?
Today we are constantly getting too much input, too much information. The fact is that constantly looking at a smartphone exposes us to an overdose of news, a situation that can lead to falling under the influence. That’s why I feel the need to spend some time away from everything, I need to slow down, turn down the volume of what surrounds me in order to be able to hear that quiet whisper that is my intuition. I don’t know, you mean me…
What are you doing to slow down?
I am trying to read. Every day I move quickly, continuously, I absorb a lot, but sometimes these rhythms reduce my attention, concentration. So even just sitting and reading a book for hours can make my brain slow down a bit, in a good way. It is a way to return to presence.
What was the last book you read?
someone gave me Acts of service Lillian Fishman is a novel about morality and sexuality. It got me thinking, it encourages us to ask questions about how to reconcile what we want with what we think we should want.
What question do you most often ask yourself about freedom?
Most of all, I stop to reflect on how Yves Saint Laurent himself tried to convey to people a sense of freedom. Whether it’s the way you dress, perfume, or how to break free from certain restrictive and restrictive rules in order to express your personality. To use the purest and most authentic version of yourself.
In what situations do you feel most vulnerable and in what situations do you feel most vulnerable?
I could give many different examples, but to be honest, I experience both of these moods in my work, while playing. Because often I have to destroy all the armor that I have, the one that I can wear in this world, and reveal my most fragile side. But there are other moments when I manage to overcome all fear in order to attract a special, very deep power.
What about other people? How to keep balance in a relationship?
First of all, I think about who I want to be with in my life. How to calibrate yourself with kindness. I think about generosity, I like to be around grateful, optimistic people who can inspire me.
Who is yours role model?
A lot of. I am inspired by my sister, my mother… my mother, you know, she was so kind…
Who is a “good person”?
Who is there for others.
For Yves Saint Laurent, this is the first woody-floral fragrance for men. Tell us about your first fragrance, please?
I would have so many… I would say that when I first stepped on the Broadway stage, I remember the horror that you feel when you are backstage, but as soon as you go out, Wow! everything becomes clear, you focus on this incredible feeling of “presence”. One gets the impression that every feeling supersenses everything that happens. Expanded perception. The feeling is difficult to describe, but it is truly magical.
First time in a new place away from home?
Recently I was in Budapest filming The Dunes: Part Two (the long-awaited continuation of the blockbuster Denis Villeneuve, winner of 6 Oscars, where – almost unrecognizable in the image of Feyd-Raut – he plays along with Timothée Chalamet, Ed), there I spent time thinking about how charming the architecture of this city was; or in Cincinnati during filming Cyclists (Jeff Nichols’ film coming out in December about a ’60s biker club, in which we’ll see him with Tom Hardy and Jodie Comer, Ed) I rode a motorcycle on roads surrounded by corn fields and thought how wonderful they are when the sun sets over them.
You travel a lot for work: what beauty do you find in the countries you travel to?
Beauty is everywhere you go. I find many. Travel takes you out of your usual context and allows you to “know the world”, a miracle of amazement.
Tell us more…
When you live in a certain place, you can take it for granted. There can be something amazingly beautiful in the same place that you don’t have time to notice while living there or maybe because you pass by it so many times that you don’t really appreciate it. But when I find myself in another country or in another city, I tend to catch all the details, again because this is the “first time”.
Flowers and wood are a unique combination that conveys the contrasts and nuances of modern masculinity. MYSLF by Yves Saint Laurent Beauty is a hymn to be yourself. Tunisian Orange Blossom Absolute is a beating heart that warms patchouli from Indonesia and Ambrofix, a 100% biotech ingredient derived from sugar cane. Rechargeable.
If you could teleport, where would you go now?
Probably Los Angeles, because that’s where my dog is. And I would immediately play with him. His name is Milo.
What if Jeff Bezos invited you to the moon? Would you like to go there?
If I wanted to fly to the moon?… But yes, why not, yes, I would!
Who would you take with you? Milo?
Yes, probably my dog. It would be funny to see him in a small suit. And then I’ll bring the music.
What have you learned from director Quentin Tarantino? (starred with Margot Robbie, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt on the set of the film Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood 2019, Ed).
What I learned from Quentin is that even after all these years of directing, he is still very grateful and happy to be on set. When you work with him, you experience the crazy excitement that he brings to everyone. Her philosophy is to create such a good and fun atmosphere that after every movie she will regret (laughs, Ed). And I love his approach to work!
What advice would you give to those who want to pursue an acting career?
I would advise them to read. Even the classics, and the theater to do. There is much to be learned from the older past, because one cannot rely solely on what happened yesterday. In this work you need to be very concentrated, and reading works of other times makes you constantly go back, reflect and deepen.
And what is the biggest challenge in working on a new film?
When you take on a project, be it a huge one, like Dunes, part two or series like Air Masters (an upcoming original Apple miniseries created by Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, about the bravery of a group of airmen during World War II, Ed) I think the biggest difficulty is the beginning, the moment of creating your own character. You have a blank canvas and you are trying to figure out who this person will be. It is also one of the most exciting stages as it is the most filled with expectations and opportunities. At the moment when you make the first sketch and try to understand what the final image will be, what kind of life lies ahead of you. And as soon as you find his physicality, his voice, his soul, you think: “OK, now the fun part!”.