Priscilla Presley will be showing another side of herself.
14.02.2023 - 21:09 / etcanada.com
When it came to making “Elvis” — with the late singer’s ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, and daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, watching closely — Baz Luhrmann knew it all came down to casting.
“I was not gonna make the film unless I found someone who could play Elvis,” he recalled of the pre-production process. “I didn’t really think I could.”
Everything came together when he found Austin Butler, who devoted himself to learning The King’s songs, mannerisms, and, of course, his iconic voice. However, Luhrmann said the most “nerve-wracking” screening of his entire career came when he sat down with Priscilla to show her the film for the first time.
“[Priscilla] was quite cynical about how this young kid could, in fact, manifest her husband,” he shared, noting that the family has had their share of “disappointments” when it comes to portrayals of Elvis onscreen. “I remember Priscilla said, ‘I know I was hard on you,’ she wrote me an email… She said, ‘Every wink, every move, if my husband was here he would say, ‘Hot damn, you are me!””
“She said, ‘How did he know about Elvis’ rage, his stillness, his inner life, his complex inner life?'” he added. “Because that’s not out there. That’s not in a biography.”
Ultimately, Luhrmann said, Butler is deserving of all the acclaim he’s received so far.
“I think you can’t overstate the level of acting achievement for Austin Butler,” he raved. “I’ve been around it a long time and even I’m a bit mystified by what he achieved — and I was there!”
The actor landed his first-ever Oscar nomination last month. Butler has been effusive about thanking the Presley family at every given opportunity this awards season and he paid special tribute to Lisa Marie, who died at the age of 54 on Jan. 12 — less than
Priscilla Presley will be showing another side of herself.
Riley Keough was extremely moved by Austin Butler‘s portrayal of her grandfather — but with all the tension between her and her grandmother Priscilla Presley, it looks like she won’t be able to support him as much as she might want to…
When one thinks of women and Elvis Presley, it’s either his widow Priscilla, his late daughter Lisa Marie, or the legion of ladies left weak in the knee when the badass kid from Tupelo, Mississippi began shaking that moneymaker. In the case of the eight-time Oscar-nominated film Elvis, the front men are writer/director Baz Luhrmann, Austin Butler and Tom Hanks. Behind the camera, the film was entirely made possible by a chorus of women, many of whom are nominated. They include Luhrmann’s partner Catherine Martin, who’s up for the Production Design Oscar with cohorts Beverley Dunne and Karen Murphy; Mandy Walker, for Cinematography; Gail Berman for Best Picture with Martin, Luhrmann, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss; and Martin again for Costume Design.
Austin Butler had some tough expectations to live up to when he signed on to portray Elvis Presley in the Baz Luhrmann biopic, not only from fans, but of course from Priscilla Presley and the rest of the singer's legacy, the late Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough.The actor has been widely lauded for this portrayal as the late King of Rock in the critically-acclaimed movie, earning both a Golden Globe win and an Oscar nomination, but most importantly, the approval from Elvis' family.As the Oscars approach, and so does a possible first-time win for the actor, Elvis' first granddaughter, Riley, revealed her tearful reaction to seeing her grandfather's life reenacted.WATCH: Austin Butler pays tribute Presley family following Lisa Marie death after BAFTA winMORE: Riley Keough reveals her husband Ben Smith-Petersen makes an appearance on Daisy Jones & the SixDuring a recent appearance on Live! With Kelly and Ryan, she opened up about how emotional she was, for a week, after seeing the film."I think he was outstanding and incredible," she first maintained about Austin's portrayal, adding: "I couldn't have imagined anyone being able to pull off what he did in terms of embodying my grandfather."MORE: See how Riley Keough paid homage to grandfather Elvis Presley on Daisy Jones and the SixRecalling how much of an impact it had on her, she said: "It was really shocking and emotional.
Riley Keough is following in her late mother, Lisa Marie Presley‘s, footsteps and giving Austin Butler her seal of approval. The 33-year-old “Daisy Jones & the Six” star praised Butler’s Oscar-nominated portrayal of her late grandfather, Elvis Presley, in Baz Luhrmann’s biopic, “Elvis”, during an appearance on “Live With Kelly and Ryan”.
Riley Keough is following in her late mother, Lisa Marie Presley's footsteps and giving Austin Butler her seal of approval. The 33-year-old star praised Butler's Oscar-nominated portrayal of her late grandfather, Elvis Presley, in the Baz Luhrmann biopic,, during an appearance on .«I think he was outstanding and incredible,» Keough shared of Butler.
Austin Butler is forever grateful for his time with Lisa Marie Presley. The 31-year-old actor continues his awards season run at the 2023 SAG Awards, where he is nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor category, for his work in .«It's just exciting, it's just exciting to be a part of this,» the actor told ET's Denny Directo on Sunday at the 2023 SAG Awards. Butler has been vocal about the support he received from Elvis' daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, from the beginning of the film's production to the time of her death in January. «It's just part of that profound privilege that I feel to relate to them in some way,» he said about his time with the Presley family.
The king! Austin Butler turned heads at the 2023 SAG Awards, walking the red carpet solo in a maroon three-piece suit.
Austin Butler delivers a pop of luxurious color on the red carpet at the Fairmont Century Plaza for the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday evening (February 26) in Los Angeles.
Oscar nominations are in, and this year there are 10 films up for best picture — including , the biographical drama about the life, rise to fame, and death of the King of Rock and Roll. Austin Butler just bagged a BAFTA for his turn as Elvis Presley and you can catch his performance ahead of the Academy Awards on March 12. Written and directed by Baz Luhrmann, is available to watch at home on HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV. is available to stream on HBO Max or you can rent the film on Amazon Prime Video. Austin Butler won his first-ever Golden Globe during this year's 80th annual awards for his portrayal of the rock & roll legend. «He was somebody who was so true to himself. It liberated a lot of people, even just audiences watching him,» Butler said of Elvis.
Austin Butler met Lisa Marie Presley after playing her father, Elvis Presley, on film, and the pair instantly connected — but their friendship was tragically cut short.
Austin Butler continued his streak of successful award wins for his role as the iconic Elvis Presley in the Baz Lurhmann-directed biopic, Elvis. On Sunday night, the actor picked up the gong for Best Leading Actor at the BAFTAs, where he paid tribute to the Presley family, and later described winning awards as "bittersweet" following the sudden death of Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis' daughter, in January. Austin, 31, appeared to still be adopting the Southern drawl he perfected to play Elvis in the film as he accepted his award, where he mentioned director Baz, saying: "This film would not have been possible without you." He then went on to show his appreciation for the Presley family, as he said: "I cannot thank you guys enough for your love and for sharing with me who Elvis truly was.
Austin Butler paid tribute to Lisa Marie Presley after winning best actor at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards for "Elvis." Following his big win at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Butler admitted he felt "honored" to be welcomed into the Presley family and was also grieving Lisa's death. Lisa Marie died in Los Angeles on Jan. 12 at the age of 54.
Austin Butler became emotional on stage on Sunday as he collected his award for Best Actor at the EE BAFTAs.The Elvis star choked up as he thanked a string of people involved in the production, including director Baz Luhrmann and the Presley family. Austin held back the tears as he said that he hoped he had made Elvis’s loved ones proud with his portrayal as the King, while collecting his award at London's Royal Festival Hall. He said: “Baz Luhrmann, this film would not have been possible without you.
When cinematographer Mandy Walker boarded Elvis, one of her principal goals was to make the camera “dance with” the King of Rock and Roll, as played by Austin Butler.
Austin Butler shares his secret to packing on the pounds for “Elvis”.
Austin Butler suited up for the 2023 Santa Barbara International Film Festival, where he was honored with the Virtuosos Award on Wednesday (February 15).
Austin Butler chokes up over the death of Lisa Marie Presley in an exclusive preview of his interview, saying he feels «endlessly privileged» to have been a part of her story. «I remember the moment they were first going to watch the film,» Butler tells host Willie Geist in the clip, speaking about the Presley family's first screening of «I'd never been more nervous for anybody to see anything I'd ever done, because they'd never seen anything, they didn't even read the script at that point, and they were very nervous.» Butler adds that he knew the Presley family's opinion «could go either way,» but that Priscilla Presley sent director Baz Luhrmann an email congratulating Butler for his portrayal of her ex-husband. «I just burst into tears, 'cause it was, I felt so much responsibility for them, for their family and for Elvis' legacy,» he says. Butler didn't meet Lisa Marie, Elvis' daughter, until later, when the team screened the film at Graceland. «When I locked eyes on her, it's really a surreal thing,» he says.
Baz Luhrmann is opening up about the reason why there was a sense of relief from Lisa Marie Presley after Austin Butler won a Golden Globe for Best Actor.During an interview on SiriusXM's , the director revealed that despite losing contact during the filming of her father's biopic, the director and the producers behind the film were so lovingly embraced by Lisa Marie after he screened the film for her ahead of the Golden Globes.«So, comes the moment that I screened the film to her, and honestly, from that very emotional moment on, we were embraced into the family,» Luhrmann said. «I mean, we were brought back to Graceland to have a barbecue and hang out in the jungle room, having cocktails.
Austin Butler is happy his “Elvis” success is happening in his 30s and not when he was younger.