Austin Butler has shared that he was injured by a pitbull while filming Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with Brad Pitt. The actor explained that the dog’s forceful grip tore his rotator cuff during rehearsals.
Austin Butler recalls getting hurt by a pitbull
Austin Butler opened up about a painful experience while filming the intense finale of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with Brad Pitt. In an interview with Men’s Health, the actor revealed how performing his own stunt left him with injury in real life.
Butler recounted the climactic fight scene where his character, Tex Watson, faces off against Pitt’s Cliff Booth and his pitbull, Brandy. During rehearsals, Butler explained that the dog tore his left rotator cuff while attacking his arm. He said, “In rehearsals, he got me in such a way that he tore my rotator cuff.”
Talking about the scene, Butler said, “Because of the camera angle they wanted me to hold the gun with my left hand. And then the dog, he’s supposed to jump off the chair and grab my left arm.” The stunt team wrapped his hand in leather for protection, but the dog’s strength still caused injury.
On the day of filming, Butler switched to his right arm to safely complete the sequence. He added, “And I realized I need to hold on tight, otherwise he’s going to rip my arm off.” For the most extreme moments, including Brandy’s attack on Tex’s groin, stunt double Braxton McAllister stepped in.
Butler also revealed how the scene was originally intended to be longer, but Tarantino decided to shorten it. The director noted that Tex should be taken down quickly by Cliff Booth, who is a special forces character. Despite the physical risk, he called Once Upon a Time in Hollywood “a dream come true.” The actor appreciated the the opportunity to perform multiple stunts, including riding horses.
