Austin Butler had a great year in 2022, not only he starred in the Oscar-nominated film Elvis, but he also received offers to work with Quentin Tarantino and Tom Cruise. The actor had a difficult time deciding between the filmmaker and Mission Impossible star, however, he ultimately skipped the screen test for Top Gun: Maverick to star in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, helmed by Tarantino. 

Austin Butler chose Quentin Tarantino over Tom Cruise

During his appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Butler claimed that he had always wished to collaborate with Quentin Tarantino. He was certain that he wouldn't allow a Tom Cruise hit to derail him from his ideal partnership. The actor stated, “I ended up having to choose between going to the screen test for Top Gun: Maverick or saying yes to Quentin Tarantino. I’d already met with [Tarantino], so I did that.”

Butler played the role of Tex in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. He was a fictionalized member of the Charles Manson cult who led the home invasion with Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio. 

Variety reports although Cruise and company liked Butler for the role of Rooster in Top Gun: Maverick, they felt he was too young for the part, which eventually went to Miles Teller. However,  Butler was recommended for Elvis by Denise Chamian, the casting director of Maverick, so it's safe to say that everything worked out for him in the end.

Austin Butler on his working experience with Quentin Tarantino 

Talking about his collaboration with Tarantino on Hot Ones, Butler had said, “The first time that I heard this – it was just so cool, because I mean, I’ve talked a lot about how much Quentin meant to me, and it was just always my dream to work with him. We’re on set and he says, ‘Okay we got it, but we’re gonna do one more. You know why?’ And the entire crew screams, ‘Because we love making movies!’”