Austin Butler is opening up about his role in Elvis. In a new digital cover for EW, the 30-year-old actor discussed his transformation into the iconic performer, as well as having to be hospitalized after the movie wrapped. Click inside to read more… Austin explained that the most important thing about his portrayal was honoring his subject. “I wanted to make Priscilla [Presley] proud and do justice to her and her family,” he told the outlet.
He added that his connection with Elvis deepened when he realized they had both lost their mothers. Austin sadly lost his mother to cancer in 2014. “That was one of the first keys that connected me to him on a very human level rather than the idea of Elvis,” he said. “Learning how close he was with his mom, because my mom was my best friend, I could connect to him on that level of grief.” As for what helped him land the role, director Baz Luhrmann recalled watching his audition tape for the first time.
The video featured Austin in his bathrobe performing “Unchained Melody.” “There’s nothing more precious or important to me than to curate an actor,” he said. “That tape felt like… We live in a world where people are always posting stuff on the internet, and the stuff that really gets your attention is a moment of reality.
It’s real, and that’s what got my attention.” Tom Hanks said he watched the audition tape four times in a row: “There was no question — I didn’t need to watch anybody’s else’s version,” he says.
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