Austin Butler knew he was playing the King of Rock and Roll and didn't hesitate to give it everything he had while on the set. Of course, his efforts are paying off, as he has been receiving nominations for prestigious awards.
However, that doesn't mean Austin had an easy time on set; the actor is now sharing everything he went through after the shoot.
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After he finished filming "Elvis," Austin Butler remembered spending a week in the hospital and being confined to a bed.
Butler, 31, revealed to People on the 2023 SAG Awards red carpet on Sunday,
“I had a week of downtime, where I actually ended up in the hospital, I didn’t get sick the entire time I filmed [‘Elvis’] but the day I finished, I ended up in the emergency room.”
He added,
“So, I spent a week in bed and then I went to this other job.”
Butler called his time spent working on the film "the greatest ride of my life," despite experiencing health setbacks. The Carrie Diaries star revealed in May of last year that his body began to "shut down" after he finished filming the Baz Luhrmann-directed biopic.
He won the 2023 Golden Globe for Best Actor last month, and when he accepted the prize while speaking with the accent he used for his role as the King of Rock and Roll, he received a lot of trolling.
Butler refuted claims that he used a fake accent after the awards ceremony. Later, the actor's voice coach stood up for him, saying the southern-sounding drawl would probably stick around.
“What you saw in that Golden Globes speech, that’s him. It’s genuine, it’s not put on,” Irene Bartlett told ABC Gold Coast in January. “I feel sorry people are saying that, you know, it’s still acting, [but] he’s actually taken [the voice of Presley] on board.
Butler acknowledged last month that he would attempt to get rid of the sound of his voice and return to his natural accent after claiming to have put his life on "pause" for two years to prepare for the film.
“I am getting rid of the accent, but I have probably damaged my vocal cords with all that singing,” he said on Britain’s “The Graham Norton Show” at the time, adding, “One song took 40 takes!”
Butler prepared for his role by taking more than just the "Hound Dog" singer's voice into account. Priscilla Presley, the late legend's ex-wife, and Lisa Marie Presley were close to him.
When Butler received his award at the Golden Globes in January, Priscilla, and Lisa Marie were there to support him, and they both appeared to be in tears.
However, Lisa Marie passed away at 54 after cardiac arrest a few days later.
“My heart is completely shattered for Riley, Finley, Harper and Priscilla at the tragic and unexpected loss of Lisa Marie,”
Butler said in a statement to E! News at the time, referring to the late singer’s daughters and mother.
He added,
“I am eternally grateful for the time I was lucky enough to be near her bright light and will forever cherish the quiet moments we shared,” he continued. “Her warmth, her love and her authenticity will always be remembered.”
However, Butler's performance in Elvis Biopic has earned him a lot of respect in the entertainment industry, as even Baz Lurhmann hasn't stopped singing his praises anytime the need arises.
One of the many reasons Austin performed so well was that he connected with Elvis Presley on a deeper level. The 31-year-old revealed that he lost his mother at 23 like the King of Pop so, he connected to him.
Asides from Baz, who was blown away by Austin's portrayal, the Presleys aren't left out as they have all shared their various reaction to seeing the biopic for the first time.
Butler's performance in the movie received recent praise from Presley's granddaughter, actress Riley Keough.
The 32-year-old actress said watching Elvis was "a very emotional experience" while speaking on a Variety Women in Motion panel at the Cannes Film Festival, where her directorial debut War Pony was showing.
Keough became emotional because of unresolved family trauma which came to the fore during the Elvis era. She appreciated Butler for capturing her grandfather's essence despite never meeting him.
Riley apparently wasn't the only Presley who was impressed. In an Instagram post, the singer's ex-wife Priscilla Presley, 76, gave the drama her blessing, noting that her daughter Lisa Marie, 54, is delighted with how it has turned out.
The drama centers on Elvis and his relationship with his manager Colonel Parker (Tom Hanks).
