Austin Butler is sharing details about a motorcycle mishap he experienced while filming his latest movie, The Bikeriders.
In the Jeff Nichols-directed film, Butler portrays Benny, a member of the real-life Chicago biking club, The Vandals. Set in the 1960s, the film presents a fictionalized account inspired by journalist and photographer Danny Lyons’ book, which chronicles the early history of the biker gang.
The leading cast of The Bikeriders, alongside Austin Butler, features Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Norman Reedus, and Boyd Holbrook.
Austin Butler’s ‘The Bikeriders’ Accident May Raise Some Cause Bikers Eyebrows to Raise
According to Virgin Radio, Butler recounted an accident he experienced while filming. The actor stated that the incident occurred on a rainy night at “around three in the morning.”
“We were doing a scene where it’s the last scene I have with Tom,” Butler recalled. “The bike was cold. [Advisers on set] said ‘The bike won’t start, but try to kick start it. It’s not going to start, but if it happens to start, you just take off and you turn around before you hit the railroad tracks.’”
He added, “And so I got on the bike, we did a scene… I kicked the bike and it started on the first go! So I took off and I go driving down the road, looking for the railroad tracks… right around that time, there’s these pockets of street lamps and then darkness, and I’m in one of those pockets of darkness.”
Upon locating the railroad tracks, Butler decided to pull over as requested. However, it was during this maneuver that the accident occurred.
“I started to go over to the right-hand side of the road, and I didn’t realize that they had pushed all the wet leaves to the right-hand side, and when you hit wet leaves on a motorcycle, it’s like you’re on ice,” he explained.
“And so the back tire just started to fishtail,” Butler exclaimed.
Then the story seems to get… a bit embellished.
“I surfed the bike sideways for a while and then I jumped off, but I landed on my feet,’ he claimed.
Ultimately, despite the fall during the accident, Butler said he was “okay”.
The Bikeriders, currently holding an 82% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, drops Friday in theaters.