Austin Butler Explains Viral Bad Bunny Dance

Even the coolest Hollywood stars can get caught off guard, and “Elvis” star Austin Butler’s now-famous swaying on stage at Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rico concert is proof. The “Dune 2” actor recently revealed the surprising reason behind the reserved dance that had fans talking — and it all came down to an unexpected twist during the show.

Austin Butler Explains Why He Looked So Shy on Stage With Bad Bunny

According to EW, on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” the 33-year-old Golden Globe winner explained that he joined his “Caught Stealing” co-star Bad Bunny at the concert earlier this month without realizing he was on a secondary stage. “I thought we were just going to be in an audience with everybody,” Butler said. “Then it turns out we’re in a casita that is basically the second stage… [Bad Bunny’s] on that stage at one point.”

The actor admitted that when the spotlight hit, he found himself torn between joining the fun and staying out of the way. “I don’t even like people singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to me,” Butler said. “So suddenly I’m on stage with Bad Bunny.”

Austin Butler Balances Dancing and Not Stealing the Spotlight

Butler described feeling two competing instincts — to hide from attention and to move with the irresistible beat. “I’m thinking, ‘Don’t dance, you’ll take attention away from him. This is his moment,’” he recalled. “But then the music’s so good and it’s in my bones… so I ended up just swaying my hips while crossing my arms.”

Fallon played the clip that quickly went viral, showing Butler’s cautious moves. The actor said he kept his arms crossed because every time he let them fall to his sides, it felt too showy. “This is okay,” he said of the crossed-arms stance. “This is not okay,” he added, demonstrating with arms down.

Butler also admitted he was mindful of how easily such moments can be turned into memes, referencing Ben Affleck’s viral 2023 Grammys reaction. “I didn’t want to be the sad guy… but I also didn’t want to be the guy dancing crazy and drawing attention.”

The moment, awkward or endearing depending on your view, became another viral chapter in Butler’s growing list of public appearances, and a reminder that sometimes the best way to stand out is by trying not to at all.

Recently, Butler has made a striking lineup of choices on screen. He delivered a chilling turn as Feyd-Rautha in “Dune: Part Two” and portrayed Major Gale Cleven in the war drama series “Masters of the Air.” He also starred in “The Bikeriders,” and this summer he will be starring in the highly anticipated Darren Aronofsky’s crime thriller “Caught Stealing” on August 29.

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