Caught Stealing: Austin Butler & Zoë Kravitz Reflect On The Relatable Humanity Of Their Characters

I want to know if I can take this seriously. What do you need to take it seriously? Austin, I think it's fair to say this is your most human role since your leading man explosion in 2022. And what I find fascinating about Hank is you got so lost in this character, despite him being such an everyman. And I don't want to speak for you, but imagine as an audience member, I look at a Faye DeRotha, I look at an Elvis, they change you so much physically. So I feel like it might be a little bit easier to get lost in those characters. Yet five minutes into this movie, I see Hank Thompson first, Austin Butler second. Can you talk to me about your preparation process for getting lost in a character that mirrors you physically? Oh, wow. Thank you for saying that. Yeah, I think I approached it, you know, just trying to understand him as much as possible, like what really makes him tick. And, you know, we've been talking about sort of the parts of yourself that you feel are... You might see characteristics of a character that you're playing and feel that they're very far from you. And so with him, there were certain things that he does that I felt that, you know, I would go, why are you doing that, man? This is the right way to do it. And I even almost wanted to approach the writing and change things. But then I realized those are human things. Those are the messiness of us as human beings. And so to look at myself and then go like, oh man, I've had so many times where I've done stupid things or made mistakes or been imperfect. And yeah, so just trying to find the truth in each thing, I guess. I don't know. Yeah. There's such a great dynamic between you two with Yvonne and Hank specifically. I love the exchange of dialogue that they have every time they leave each other. It's, I'll call you later and you have my number. But the last time that they have that conversation, it's not, you have my number. It's, mm-hmm. Oh, I love it. You picked up on that. Yeah. We talked about this. So much about that dynamic, especially after the conversation they have leading up to it. Yeah. I mean, I feel like I already set up, you guys already know the question, but like you tell me what her headspace is in that moment when she just says, mm-hmm, and not, you have my number. I feel like she's, you know, really questioning, A, you know, if he's going to be okay. I think she's worried about him in general, but I think she also realizes that they're not on the same page and maybe won't be on the same page. Because even the whole, like the concept of call you later, you have my number. I think it, you know, it's Yvonne saying, you know, it's balls in your court. You know what I mean? I'm not, wait, I'm not going to call you. You call me, you know, you know how I feel when you get there, let me know. And I feel like that's kind of her being like a little bit set up with that dynamic. Yeah. I'll wrap with one last line dissection. There's a moment when you're talking with Elise and she's like, oh, you play ball. And he's talking about how serious it was. And she just dismisses it as high school ball. And you're like, I played real ball because to Hank in that moment, that high school category was still the big leaks to him based on how serious he was taking it. To kind of flip it on you guys as actors, was there ever a project you worked on in those early years where maybe the general audience didn't understand the gravity of it, but it meant a lot to your development as thespians, as actors? That's a good question. It's funny because you also don't think about like they didn't understand what the audience thinks. Yeah, I'm sure some people have that. I for so long felt that I wasn't, you know, I still feel that I have so much to learn. So I look back and I just see each thing as a learning experience where I, you know, at the time I know I was doing my best, but I've made so many going back to mistakes. You have to make mistakes in order to learn and I've made so many of those on camera, you know? It's like, all of it is documented how moments of not having truth or whatever. And then it's like nails on a chalkboard and you go back the next day and you're trying to find it more, you know? Yeah, I think all your early jobs, it's like, it's not necessarily just about what you see on screen. It's also about, you know, taking that risk and getting the experience of being on a set and like deciding kind of who you want to be as an actor and how you work with directors, all of that. Yeah, you learn so much in those early jobs, even if it's like, you're a day player with one line, you know, you're learning a lot. Yeah, it's the mark of a good artist when you watch your old work and you're like, I don't even recognize that person because you've evolved so much. So I love hearing you say that. Congrats, guys. Thank you. Thanks so much. Thank you so much. I've got to fly back to London. I need you to take care of my cat. I like cats. I like dogs.