Here’s Why Austin Butler Was a ‘Wreck’ the First Time He Watched ‘Elvis’
Several movies have been made about Elvis Presley. However, none have received as much praise as Austin Butler‘s Elvis. The movie has put the star on the map in several ways. Butler embodied the role perfectly.
Although months have passed since the film came out, the actor continues heaping praise on the singer and speaking of his experience in the role. Here’s why Butler was a wreck the first time he watched Elvis.
Austin Butler earned an Oscar nomination for Elvis
Baz Luhrmann’s biopic about Presley was first announced in 2014. Butler landed the role of Presley in the biopic after months of convincing Luhrmann that he was the right man for the job. His The Iceman Cometh co-star was partly responsible.
Butler rose to fame as a Disney Channel star. He had already appeared in The Dead Don’t Die and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but he was still a minor player in Hollywood. His work ethic while working on the Broadway play with Denzel Washington helped him earn the role.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly in 2022, Luhrmann said, “I got a call from Denzel Washington who gave me a cold call. I did not know Denzel. And he said, ‘I’ve just worked with this guy on stage. I’ve never seen a work ethic like it.'” Luhrmann said that the call and Butler’s talent and persistence convinced him he was the best person for the role.
Butler plays Presley across three decades, from a teenager pre-fame to his immense success and eventual death at 42 years old. The movie was released in June 2022 to critical and commercial success. Butler’s portrayal of Presley has earned him several nominations, including his most recent Oscar nom for Best Actor and a Golden Globe win.
Austin Butler was very emotional after watching ‘Elvis’
Playing Presley for two years had its impact on Butler, who cannot seem to shake off the king’s accent. Butler seems to have a lasting endearment for Presley having spent such a long time playing him.
In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, Butler was asked what it means to him that Elvis ends with the real singer performing his famous rendition of “Unchained Melody.” The actor revealed he got emotional when the film transitioned into archive footage of Presley.
“I was an emotional wreck the first time I saw it, because of how much I love Elvis and how tender I know his heart was and how sensitive of a guy he was and what great humor he had, and the fact that he was so young at that point,” Butler said.
The star said seeing Presley’s “little smile” while singing the song and looking out to the audience was “beautiful and heartbreaking.” “To have lived that and had that moment and I didn’t know Baz was going to cut to the footage that I’d watched a million times and suddenly when it cut to that, it really broke my heart,” he added.
Austin Butler might now be a Presley by extension
Butler’s role has helped him get closer to the Presley family. He and the king’s ex-wife Priscilla have gotten close since the actor began working on the project and have spoken fondly of one another. The actor gave a nod to Priscilla and her daughter Lisa Marie in his Golden Globes speech. He later thanked them for letting him “capture the essence of [a] man they love so much.”
Butler also attended Lisa Marie’s funeral. He told L.A Times that he wished Lisa Marie was there to celebrate his Oscar nomination. “This is for her,” Butler told Today’s Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager in a different interview.
