Austin Butler Reveals Deep Relationship With Lisa Marie Presley: ‘I’ve Never Felt Closer to Somebody Quicker’
Austin Butler is one of Hollywood’s brightest rising stars. His turn in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis solidified his status as a pop culture hot topic, and he’s consistently been in the headlines since the film was released in the summer of 2022. With the Academy Awards coming up, the actor is opening up more than ever about what it was like to make the film, and how he managed to grow close with Elvis Presley’s family. In a recent interview on Sunday Today, Butler revealed that he became especially close with Lisa Marie Presley, the King’s only daughter.
The actor developed a close bond with Lisa Marie Presley
Butler prepared for months to play Presley in Elvis. He worked closely with a voice coach as well as a movement coach, totally immersing himself into the mind and soul of the King of Rock and Roll. All the hard work that he put in obviously paid off, with critics as well as Presley’s family members praising how on-point Butler’s performance was.
After the film wrapped, Butler had the chance to meet Presley’s family face to face, including Priscilla Presley and Lisa Marie Presley. Butler has recalled how well he got along with Lisa Marie Presley, who passed away unexpectedly in January 2023. In a recent interview with Jimmy Fallon, Butler noted that he and Presley got along right from the start. “She’s a person who didn’t have anything to prove and wouldn’t open up to anybody and she opened up to me,” Butler told Fallon, as reported by People Magazine.
What did Austin Butler say about his relationship with Lisa Marie Presley?
Butler and Presley shared a strong connection, one that is especially poignant for Butler in the wake of the singer’s sudden passing. In a recent interview on Sunday Today, Butler discussed how immediate their bond was. As reported by Entertainment Tonight, Butler said “When I locked eyes on her, it’s really a surreal thing. I’d been playing her dad for such a long time, and doing my best to make it as true for me as possible — the relationship, you know, of feeling the love for her through her father.”
He went on to describe how “Because the film resonated for her in that way, now…we’re standing in front of each other and we’re looking into each other’s eyes and I felt so much love for her through him in that whole process. I’ve never felt closer to someone quicker than I felt with her.” Butler teared up as he recalled the pain of her recent death. “She was just the most incredible woman I’d ever met, and just so incredibly honest and loving. Just to finally be able to give her a hug and then to spend all those moments with her, it’s really, really sad right now,” he said.
Austin Butler is nominated for an Oscar for his work in ‘Elvis’
Presley was at Butler’s side when he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his work in Elvis. Sadly, Presley passed away just two days later, after suffering a cardiac arrest at her Calabasas, California home.
Butler will be attending the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony, where he is up for Best Actor. Elvis is nominated for eight awards in total, including Best Picture.
