Austin Butler is a good student. The public knows this—how he spent nearly three years nailing every aspect of Elvis Presley, and ultimately earned a Best Actor nomination for his role in Baz Luhrmann's biographical drama. It's no surprise, then, that the actor has thrown himself just as thoroughly into his latest gig as the face of YSL Beauty's fragrance MYSLF.
Ask Butler about the notes in the new scent and he can rattle them off, and connect them to a memory he has of his mother. He can recall with confidence the first fragrance ad for the brand, a 1971 campaign featuring a naked Yves Saint Laurent. He ponders the answers to questions that he's been asked a dozen times thoughtfully, like it's the very first time he's hearing them. If you have only 12 minutes with him for an interview, like I had, he will give you every single one of those minutes, with fully present, sustained, almost vibrational eye contact. In the imaginary category of Best Actor in Beauty, he deserves a nod, if not a win.
I talked to Butler in Paris, where YSL Beauty was celebrating him and the launch of its New Voices collective, which includes fellow actors like Finn Wolfhard and Hunter Doohan. Here, he discusses his favorite smells, the beauty he's discovered through film, and whether he feels like he's gone method in his new role as YSL ambassador. |
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