Why Julia Butters Quit 'American Housewife' After 4 Seasons as Anna-Kat

Giselle Eisenberg took over the role of Anna-Kat following Butters' exit in 2020.

By Allison Schonter

It's not uncommon for TV shows to recast characters mid-way through their run, but fans of ABC's American Housewife were left shocked when actress Julia Butters left her role as Anna-Kat in 2020. The young actress had starred as Katie and Greg Otto's daughter throughout the sitcom's first four seasons, with actress Giselle Eisenberg taking over in American Housewife's fifth and final season, leaving many wondering why Butters abruptly quit American Housewife.

The official reasoning for Butters' departure from the show was so that she could "pursue other opportunities," Deadline reported at the time. Just a year prior to her American Housewife exit, Butters, then 11, had a breakout role in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino's comedy-drama film set in 1969 Los Angeles amid the Tate murders. The star-studded cast included Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie, with Tarantino's choosing Butters to take on the role of child actress Trudi Fraser after seeing her performance on the ABC series.

ABC's "American Housewife" – Season Four
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AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE – "Prom" – Katie confronts a classmate's mom when she suspects Anna-Kat is being bullied at school. Meanwhile, Taylor sets out to complete the final item on her life skills checklist – teaching Greg to shoot a three-pointer – so that she can attend her senior prom. At the same time, Oliver is sympathetic when a caller at the Teen Help Line confides that no one asked her to prom on the season finale of "American Housewife," WEDNESDAY, MAY 13 (9:00-9:30 p.m. EDT), on ABC. (Michael Ansell / ABC via Getty Images) JULIA BUTTERS

- Michael Ansell / ABC via Getty Images)

After small roles in titles like Criminal Minds and The Rusted, Butters joined American Housewife in the show's debut season in 2016. Then just 9, the actress took on the role of Anna-Kat, Katie and Greg Otto's third and youngest child and second daughter. Created and written by Sarah Dunn, American Housewife centered around the Otto family, with mom Katie narrating as she raised her family in the wealthy town of Westport, Connecticut. The series ran for a total of five seasons from 2016 through 2021, with Butters' final appearance as Anna-Kat coming in the Season 4 finale, "Prom."

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Following her departure from the show, Eisenberg, recognized for her role as Sophia Hughes in the CBS series Life In Pieces, took over as Anna-Kat, appearing throughout the show's fifth season in 2021. Eisenberg's other credits prior to American Housewife included 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street as the child of Margot Robbie and Leonarda DiCaprio's characters, Flesh and Bone, Believe, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

ABC's "American Housewife" – Season Five
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AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE – Encourage, Discourage Katie and Tami (Holly Robinson Peete) make fast friends with J.D. (Jake Choi), a luxury hotel manager whose promise of access to complimentary hotel rooms around the world sounds incredibly enticing. However, Katies travel fantasy comes to a screeching halt when she learns J.D. is an aspiring first-time father whos counting on her for parenting guidance on an all-new episode of American Housewife, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3 (8:30-9:00 p.m. EST), on ABC. (Elizabeth Morris via Getty Images) GISELLE EISENBERG

- Elizabeth Morris via Getty Images)

Along with her role in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, which earned her a nomination for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Actor/Actress, Butters is also known for portraying Reggie Fableman in Steven Spielberg's 2022 coming-of-age drama The Fablemans, also starring Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and Judd Hirsch. The role earned Butters a nomination for Best Young Actress at the 2023 Music City Film Critics Association. Her other post-American Housewife credits include I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, Adventure Time: Distant Lands, and most recently, several episodes of the Disney+ sitcom Monsters at Work, per her IMDb profile.

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