Actor Austin Butler, known for his intense transformations for roles, has revealed he took a page from co-star Tom Hardy’s book for winding down after demanding night shoots. While Hardy famously tackles 1,000 weighted box jumps, Butler opted for a “slightly less intense protocol” to achieve restful sleep.
Butler, who worked with Hardy on the upcoming film The Bikeriders, learned of Hardy’s unique method for detaching from intense work, which involves rigorous exercise after filming wraps for the day.
Tom Hardy’s Extreme Wind-Down: 1,000 Weighted Box Jumps
Tom Hardy’s approach to decompressing after a night’s filming is nothing short of extreme. According to Butler, Hardy would go home, don a weighted vest, and complete an astonishing 1,000 box jumps. This high-volume, high-impact routine serves as Hardy’s unconventional recovery ritual to exhaust himself into deep sleep. Hardy is renowned for his significant body transformations for roles and his dedication to physical training, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His philosophy often involves intense, repetitive bodyweight exercises to build dense muscle.
Austin Butler’s Adapted Protocol for Better Sleep
Recognizing the value in Hardy’s strategy of using intense physical exertion to disengage from his work, Austin Butler developed his own version. Instead of the grueling 1,000 weighted box jumps, Butler’s routine after a late night of shooting for his film Enemies involved heading to the gym, setting a treadmill to a high incline, and walking for half an hour. He would then follow this with a sauna session and a cold shower, a regimen he found highly effective for achieving deep sleep.
Butler emphasized that he’s “just trying to find little things like that” to aid in winding down, acknowledging that sometimes “it’s the mundane little things” that make a difference. This tactic helps him manage the challenge of detaching from his roles, a difficulty he also faced after portraying Elvis Presley, struggling to shed the iconic accent.
Butler’s History of Physical Transformation for Roles
This isn’t the first time Austin Butler has committed to rigorous physical training for his acting. His career is marked by significant bodily changes for various characters:
Sculpting for Dune: Part Two
For his role as Feyd-Rautha in Dune: Part Two, Butler worked with trainer and former Navy SEAL Duffy Gaver. Gaver’s method focused on increasing weight and intensity, with a simple philosophy: “Chicken, broccoli, brown rice, and lift, motherf**kers.” This training resulted in a shredded and muscled physique for the antagonist role.
Gaining Mass for Caught Stealing
More recently, Butler gained 35 pounds for his upcoming role as an alcoholic former baseball player in Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing. This transformation involved working with celebrity trainer Beth Lewis, known for her work with Hugh Jackman. The focus for Caught Stealing was on building muscle mass, particularly in the glutes, with Butler performing “a ton of hip thrusters.” His diet for this role notably included a significant amount of pizza and beer to achieve the desired bulkier, less chiseled appearance.
