Austin Butler Through the Years: The ‘Elvis’ Star’s Evolution

Austin Butler has come a long way since his Nickelodeon days in the early 2000s — and fans are taking notice.

The California native broke into the entertainment industry in 2005 and instantly became a staple on the kids’ network with roles on both Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide and Zoey 101.

As he continued to gain fame, Butler stayed close to his inner circle, which includes Ashley Tisdale. The duo met when Butler was a teenager — well before he dated Tisdale’s other BFF Vanessa Hudgens — and went on to costar in 2011’s Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure.

The pair’s friendship, however, has confused some fans after Butler and Hudgens called it quits in late 2019 after more than eight years of dating.

Butler, for his part, showed that there are no hard feelings between him and Hudgens when he revealed in April 2022 that Hudgens inspired him to take on the role of Elvis Presley for the film Elvis, which premiered that summer.

Scroll down to see Butler’s ups and downs throughout his career: