Austin Butler is putting his triple threat talent to the test for director Julia Ducournau.
The “Elvis” Best Actor Oscar nominee teams up with the “Titane” Palme d’Or winner for a new Saint Laurent YSL Beauty campaign. Butler was unveiled as the brand’s “fragrance ambassador” and debuted the new cologne, MYSLF.
“I was honored to be asked to join the YSL Beauty family,” Butler said in a press statement. “Over the last few years, I’ve spoken with people who knew Mr. Saint Laurent. He broke through labels. He was a rebel, and I love that about him. I feel privileged to be a part of the heritage he set in motion.”
The Saint Laurent brand shared (via People magazine) that Butler has “the vision of the brand to embrace bold self-expression, genuine pursuit of one’s true self and a mission to redefine beauty standards.”
International General Manager of Saint Laurent, Stephan Bezy, said, “Both as an artist and as a human being, [Butler] embodies the values expressed by our brand through MYSLF, a modern representation of what it means to be a man. Embracing his many facets. Owning up to his individuality, generously, unapologetically.”
The MYSLF product is billed as a “new representation of masculinity, not just a fragrance but an invitation to be your true self.”
Ducournau directed the ad, with cinematographer Benoît Debie serving as the director of photography. Ducournau previously told IndieWire that she doesn’t like putting gender into a “box” when directing.
“I think that gender is not really relevant for someone’s identity. I don’t think our gender defines us,” she said. “However, because that’s not yet something that’s socially understood, it becomes a topic. I’m saying this for everybody: For me, as a woman, I don’t want my gender to define me at all. When people say I’m a woman director — I mean, that’s always a bit annoying, because I’m a person. I’m a director. I make movies because I’m me, not because I’m a woman. I’m me.”
The “Raw” director has an upcoming A24 TV series in the works, plus is in development on a new film to mark her feature follow-up to “Titane.”
Meanwhile, Butler’s latest role as the face of MYSLF precedes his highly-anticipated turn in “Dune: Part Two” plus Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” and Apple TV+ series “Masters of the Air.”
