Austin Butler is having the time of his life, and a new YSL Beauty campaign proves it.
The 34-year-old actor sets aside the brooding intensity he's known for and takes to the dance floor. Shot in Mexico City and set to a pulsing remix of Billy Idol's "Dancing With Myself," the new MYSLF Eau de Toilette Intense commercial follows Butler through a day of pure joy: workout to rooftop dancing to rain-soaked street grooves to chasing sunsets in the hills.
"There's plenty of solo dancing from the actor—from rooftops to rain-soaked streets—with Butler at his most charismatic and carefree," the campaign promises.
Butler collaborated with French filmmaker Romain Gavras, best known for his music videos with M.I.A., Kanye West, and Jay-Z. "I've wanted to work with Romain for years," Butler said during an interview at LA's historic El Rey Theatre. "He had this movie called Our Day Will Come and I watched it two days in a row, years ago, when I was 20."
As YSL Beauty's Global Ambassador since 2023, Butler found a vehicle to show his lighter side. The campaign centers on "freedom" and "joy"—concepts YSL pairs with Billy Idol's ethos of self-expression and the fashion house's defiance of rules.
During the interview at the venue, Butler's phone rang with his "gratitude alarm"—a reminder he sets every two hours to name three things he's grateful for. When asked what those were, he said: "I'm grateful to meet you. I am grateful that we get to be in this cool place. And that the weather is so beautiful today."
