Julia Butters: Age, Why She Left American Housewife, Movies

Most actors spend decades chasing the kind of moment Julia Butters landed at age 10. Cast as the sharp, scene-stealing Trudi Fraser in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (IMDb, the film database), she turned a handful of lines into one of the film’s most talked-about performances. That breakout came while she was still playing Anna-Kat on ABC’s American Housewife, a role she held from 2016 until 2020.

Born: April 15, 2009 ·
Occupation: Actress ·
Known for: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, American Housewife ·
Instagram Followers: 645K+ ·
Breakout Role Age: 10 (as Trudi Fraser)

Here is a quick overview of Julia Butters’ key personal details and statistics.

Why Did Julia Butters Quit American Housewife?

Butters’ departure from the ABC sitcom was a turning point. One pattern: the timing aligns with her rising film profile.

Was she fired or did she leave voluntarily?

• Deadline reported on September 11, 2020 that Butters exited the series and the role of Anna-Kat was recast with Giselle Eisenberg (Deadline, the Hollywood trade publication).
• IndieWire noted that Tarantino discovered Butters while watching American Housewife (IndieWire, the film industry publication), suggesting her film career took priority.

Who played Anna-Kat after Julia Butters left?

• Giselle Eisenberg took over the role of Anna-Kat in season 5 (Deadline).

The implication: Butters’ choice to leave a steady network gig for film risks was calculated — and it paid off with Tarantino’s seal of approval.

What Does Julia Butters Do Now?

Butters hasn’t stepped back from Hollywood — she’s stepped into a new phase. The data: three confirmations, one trade-off.

Is Julia Butters still acting in movies?

• In 2025, Butters played Harper in Freakier Friday, the sequel to the 2003 film (1883 Magazine via Instagram, a social media post).
• A 2022 interview with Grumpy Magazine confirmed she was actively auditioning and taking roles (Grumpy Magazine, the lifestyle interview outlet).

Does she attend high school?

• Per a 2025 Instagram post from 1883 Magazine, Butters has two years left of juggling high school with work (1883 Magazine via Instagram).

What this means: she is one of the few young actors managing both a screen career and a normal teenage education — a balancing act that limits the number of projects she can take on.

Who Is Julia Butters Related To?

Butters’ family background provides a clear foundation for her early start. One pattern: both parents have creative ties.

What do Julia Butters’ parents do?

• Her father, Darrin Butters, is a Disney animator who worked on films including Frozen and Ralph Breaks the Internet (IMDb, the film database).
• Her mother, Lorelei Butters, is described in interviews as supportive of Julia’s career (Grumpy Magazine, the lifestyle interview outlet).

Does Julia Butters have siblings?

• IMDb and other sources do not list sibling names; the family keeps this detail private (IMDb).

The trade-off: growing up with a parent in the animation industry gave Butters a behind-the-scenes perspective, but the family’s privacy boundaries mean fans are left with only a partial picture.

What Is Julia Butters’ Height and Age?

Physical stats are often the most searched details about young actors. The catch: official measurements are thin.

How old is Julia Butters in 2024?

• Born April 15, 2009, she turned 15 in 2024 (IMDb, the film database).

How tall is Julia Butters?

• IMDb lists her height as 4′ 8″ (1.42 m), though this has not been officially updated in recent years (IMDb).
• Fans on forums often question her current height, as she appears to have grown since early roles.

Why this matters: without an official update, media outlets and fans rely on old data, which can lead to misreporting. Similar profiles, like that of rising young actress Mia McKenna-Bruce, often face the same speculation.

What Movies and TV Shows Has Julia Butters Been In?

Butters’ filmography is short but loaded with high-impact credits. The pattern: three distinct phases.

What was her breakthrough role?

• Trudi Fraser in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) is widely considered her breakout (IMDb, the film database).
• She also appeared in 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016) and had a role on Transparent (IMDb).

Is Julia Butters in any upcoming projects?

• She is set to star in Freakier Friday, scheduled for release in 2025 (1883 Magazine via Instagram, a social media post).
• Other projects have not been officially announced.

The upshot: Butters’ upcoming schedule will determine whether she becomes a mainstream name or remains a cult favorite. Her co-star from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Alana Haim, also made the leap from music to film with that same movie.

Quotes

“She was the best person for the part.” — Quentin Tarantino, to IndieWire (IndieWire, the film industry publication)

“I was a very shy baby. I would cry if anyone but my parents held me.” — Julia Butters, to Grumpy Magazine (Grumpy Magazine, the lifestyle interview outlet)

For young actors in Hollywood, Butters’ path is a blueprint: quit a steady role only when you have a Tarantino movie lined up, or stay and grow. Her next project will show if that gamble pays off again.

Frequently asked questions