Austin Butler channeled 'Raging Bull' for 'Hannah Montana' appearance

Austin Butler could have been a suitor for the heart of Hannah Montana.

The Golden Globe winner 'Elvis' reflected on the intensity he would bring to Disney and Nickelodeon roles, including as a suitor for Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus) on the hit TV series of the same name. Butler guest-starred in two episodes of "Hannah Montana," with his second appearance as Derek Hanson, Hannah's blind date in Season 2 Episode 7, titled "The Boyfriend of my best friend".

He also had roles in “iCarly” and “Zoey 101,” both of which landed modern revival series.

"I think back to the Nickelodeon and Disney shows I did; even though my skills weren't there, I still wanted to give the energy [like] I was going to do 'Raging Bull'," said Butler said, "I kept that fierce dedication to trying to find more truth, even in things where it might be easier to just phone."

The 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' alum continued, "I was doing these TV shows that were really fun, and some people really loved them. But I didn't feel fulfilled as an artist. I just wasn't challenged the way I wanted to be."

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Even Butler's switch to older teen dramas like "Life Unexpected" and "Switched at Birth" left him still feeling "unfulfilled."

"When you're watching 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' and suddenly you're doing a CW show, you're kind of just..." Butler added. "As great as those experiences were - and I'm so grateful to them and everyone involved - there was that hunger inside me."

Butler summed up, "I had been gone for a few years, and came back to L.A. and thought I'd rather not work as an actor than do something I'm not passionate about anymore. I haven't worked for eight months. When you don't work as an actor for a while, your mind can go. It made me think, "Is this really what I want to do?" »

Oscar favorite 'Elvis' has previously admitted to being "kind of embarrassed" by his past roles as a teen idol.

"But I had to cut my teeth somewhere, so I decided to treat each of those jobs as a way to grow," Butler said.

The actor is credited with starring in the 'Sex and the City' spin-off series, 'The Carrie Diaries', for inspiring his love of acting.

“I would go to 14 plays in two weeks; I was just in love with them. always knew there was something about you only being as good as that night," Butler told IndieWire. "You can go back and try again the next night and dig deeper. thought], "I'm terrified of acting. I'm scared to go out there in front of people and not get a second take. But I know I'll learn something in the process."

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