Nicholas Rush Butler was born on May 20th, 1988 to an American father and a Japanese mother. He grew up in California, but visited Japan every couple years and has maintained a strong connection with his Asian culture. In California, he attended Waldorf schools in Santa Rosa, Davis and Sacramento from kindergarten through 12th grade. After graduating from high school, he spent a year in Japan studying piano at the Suzuki Institute in Matsumoto. He then spent a couple years in college, including stints at UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis, but left in 2009 to study acting and devote himself fully to an acting career.