Earlier this year, actor Austin Butler portrayed the late King of Rock’ n’ Roll in the Baz Luhrmann’s film Elvis. Butler’s performance earned him plenty of praise from critics, but according to the star, preparing for his role as the iconic singer took a heavy toll on the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actor. Recently, during an interview with Janelle Monáe for Variety’s Actors on Actors series, Butler revealed the surprising methods that he followed in order to portray Elvis Presley. Butler told Monáe that he took the role extremely seriously and that while he was prepping for the part, he didn’t see his family for close to three years during the time he was getting into character.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Initially, Butler spoke to Monáe about the difficulty that came with shooting the movie out of order, stating that it was one of the more demanding “challenges” he’d needed to adapt to. Butler said, “Initially, Baz said we could film it in sequence. “Well, OK, I can take a break and gain the weight.” But with COVID, the whole schedule got turned upside down. We ended up working a lot with finding subtle ways that you can age. Elvis ended up experiencing a lot of pain in his knees, in his back, and I felt that completely.”
Additionally, because the movie was filmed out of sequence, Butler ended up shooting Elvis’ comeback performance early on. “That was the second day of shooting — the first performance,” he stated. “It was so nerve-racking because I had a year and a half before that point to prepare. And all the preparation is for nothing if you don’t get it. Before walking out onstage, I really had the terror: “My career feels like it’s on the line in this moment.” But at that point in Elvis’ life, his career was on the line and he had terror.”
The Aliens in the Attic star also reflected on his experience working with Luhrmann. He told Monáe, “He’s [Luhrmann’s] the closest thing to a jazz musician that I’ve seen in a director. He does so much homework. And then you show up and he might say, “I rewrote this scene last night” — that you’ve been working on for a year and a half. It’s terrifying in the beginning.”
RELATED: Baz Luhrmann Promises Four-Hour Elvis Cut Restoring Austin Butler’s Full Concerts
Austin Butler Was So Committed to His Portrayal of Elvis That He Didn’t See His Family for Nearly Three Years.
Warner Bros.
Still, Butler was ready and willing to do the work required to play the late icon. Likewise, his devotion to the role meant that other parts of his life got put on hold. Butler told Monáe, “During “Elvis,” I didn’t see my family for about three years. I was prepping with Baz, and then I went to Australia. I had months where I wouldn’t talk to anybody. And when I did, the only thing I was ever thinking about was Elvis. I was speaking in his voice the whole time. So then I’d talk to my sister, and she’s gotta listen to that,” he added with a laugh.
Still, despite the extreme he went to, both stars agreed that true dedication sometimes requires serious sacrifices.
“You had to say, “This is who I am. This is what it takes,” Monáe said to The Carrie Diaries star.
“This is what it takes,” Butler echoed in agreement.
